What is the best Miami Dolphins uniform of all time?
By Luke Allen
With teams like the Seahawks, Buccaneers and Vikings introducing their classic throwback uniforms in recent days, it's got me thinking: what is the best uniform combination in Miami Dolphins history?
It probably depends on who you ask, but let's look back on what the Dolphins have worn throughout history and decide which uniforms go down as the best and which ones will go down in infamy.
Starting with the beginning, we have the inaugural Miami Dolphins uniforms worn by the franchise in their first year of existence, 1966. Adorning the regional ocean aqua and citrus orange color scheme, the Dolphins made quite the fashion statement just six years into the then-AFL's history.
For home games, the Dolpins wore the aqua jerseys -- and on the road, they wore white. The white-shelled helmet, triple stripe down the middle, grey facemask and the classic Dolphins logo on each side served as the first helmet in Miami Dolphins history. To pair with both home and away jerseys, the Dolphins wore white pants with the signature triple stripe going down each side. And finally, the triple-striped socks.
It is certainly a historic and classic look, but it's not the best uniform in team history.
In 1988, 22 years after the Miami Dolphins' inception, the franchise altered the uniforms, just a bit. The helmet-wearing Dolphin logo is now on the short sleeves of the jerseys, forcing the numbers onto the top of the shoulder pads. Also, the chest numbers are in a slightly thicker font, and they've added a white outline to the chest numbers.
Also, you may notice the helmets look different. For the first time in franchise history, the Miami Dolphins' facemask is not grey -- but aqua green, which is a much better look overall. However, these uniforms, while innovative and more popping to the eye, are largely forgotten in terms of best overall uniforms.
The next uniform was revealed in 1997, which featured three-dimensional designed numbers on the front, back and the shoulders. The most significant change, though, was to the logo itself. Instead of the friendly neighborhood smiling Dolphin that was featured in the first 30 years of the Dolphins' existence, there is now a menacing-looking angry dolphin, also wearing a helmet.
Other subtle changes include the bottom of the shoulder sleeves featuring a green stripe on the end below a slightly smaller Dolphins logo. On the front of the jersey is also the team name, written in traditional Miami Dolphins font. These uniforms are pretty consistent with their time and rank among the best of the Dolphins uniforms of all time.
In 2003, the Dolphins decided they weren't flashy enough. With the citrus orange color only a small trim in the current uniforms, Miami decided they needed more orange. So in the middle of the 2003 season, in front of the nation on Sunday night, the Dolphins debuted... these.
A radical deviation from the classic aqua and white look, the Dolphins got a wild hair and decided to let the orange shine. It's a fun idea and I'm sure they sold some jerseys, but this uniform was... a lot. Sure, the orange makes the white numbers pop and the orange and white combination looks good when done right, but the sheer brightness and distracting neon effect the jerseys had made these an ocular migraine to watch.
It wasn't until 2013 that the Dolphins parted ways with the 3D font and made a modern and sleek change, incorporating the historic aqua and orange. When Nike took over the NFL uniform production, it gave Miami a chance for a fresh new look.
Introducing a brighter aqua blue and a sleeker number font, the Dolphins' jerseys experienced their most modern look in almost fifty years. Gone were the stripes on the sleeves, but a big orange Nike logo made its first appearance on a Dolphins jersey.
The helmets also saw significant changes, starting with the facemask. After wearing grey and green facemasks throughout their history, the Dolphins decided to go with a white facemask, which looks really sharp. Also, you may notice the Dolphin took its helmet off, likely receiving a 15-yard penalty, and decided to stretch itself out in front of the Miami sun. It's the first dramatically different logo since the team's inception in 1966.
Overall, this uniform change was long overdue. It really may be the best full-time uniform in Miami Dolphins history.
In 2018, the Dolphins updated these jerseys to eccentuate the citrus orange color on the jerseys. Instead of the faint touch of orange that outlined the numbers and the aqua stripe along the top of the helmet, they touched it up to be darker and more appealing to the eye.
This little touch did wonders for the uniform and make the 2013 design even better. These are the best full-time uniforms in Miami Dolphins history.
But... there is one more, and better, Dolphins uniform.
In 2015, the Miami Dolphins introduced a throwback uniform in which they would wear only a couple times a year, mostly on nationally televised games. The uniform was an homage to the first original uniform from all the way back in 1966.
These beauties are a modern take on the first ever Dolphins look, incorporating the shoulder stripes, the classic font, the grey facemasks, and the historic original logo. The uniforms looked fantastic in their debut on Monday night football in December of 2015, and the Dolphins still rock this look from time to time today.
The throwbacks are a briliant design and they rank up with the best of the best uniforms in NFL history.