Est. 1971 · Bologna, Italy · The independent challenger
Macron.
Bologna. Serie A. The challenger.
Founded in Bologna in 1971, Macron is one of Europe's most significant independent kit manufacturers. Privately owned, with design and logistics based in Valsamoggia, near Bologna. Worn by clubs from the Premier League to the lower reaches of Serie C. 2,226 Macron kits in the ShirtSociety archive.
Made in Bologna
1971 · Valsamoggia, Emilia-Romagna · From local supplier to European leader
Macron was founded in 1971 in the province of Bologna, in the Emilia-Romagna region that has long been Italy's industrial heartland. The company began by supplying kits to local amateur and semi-professional clubs, building relationships with clients that the category leaders had little reason to prioritise. That starting point defined the brand's positioning for the next fifty years.
Macron's headquarters in Valsamoggia, near Bologna, houses design, commercial operations, and logistics. Like most kit manufacturers at scale, production itself takes place largely in Eastern Europe and Asia. The brand remains privately owned, which gives it a different commercial rhythm to publicly traded competitors and allows longer-term club relationships that short contract cycles would otherwise interrupt.
For collectors, the Macron story matters because it explains why their archive skews so heavily Italian, and why the smaller-club kits, from clubs that had few alternatives at a competitive price point, exist in far smaller quantities than equivalent product from the major brands.
The Italian market: Serie A and beyond
Bologna · Lazio · Napoli · Udinese · The home ground
Italian football is where Macron built its identity. The brand's home city, Bologna, has worn Macron for much of the club's modern history, a relationship that carries genuine local meaning. The kit of your city's club, made in your city. That almost never happens at the top level of European football.
The most significant Italian partnership is Lazio. Macron has supplied the Rome club since 2015, producing a consistent run of high-quality sky-blue shirts. Ciro Immobile, who became Lazio's all-time leading scorer during this period, is the face of the partnership. In 2019/20, before the pandemic forced a suspension, Lazio were within a point of Juventus at the top of Serie A. The restart did not go their way and they finished fourth, five points back. The shirts from that season remain the most collected of the partnership.
Beyond the headline names, Macron's Italian archive is extensive: Napoli in the early 2010s, Parma during a series of chaotic seasons, Piacenza, Ternana, and dozens of Serie B and Serie C clubs. The brand's depth in the Italian lower leagues is one of the most distinctive aspects of the Macron archive for collectors.
Browse all Macron kits
The Premier League years
2014–2018 · Crystal Palace · Stoke City · Bolton · The FA Cup final
Macron's move into the English top flight was methodical rather than spectacular. During the 2010s, the brand accumulated a cluster of Premier League clubs, Crystal Palace, Stoke City, Bolton Wanderers and Swansea City, without the budget to compete for Arsenal or Chelsea. What they offered instead was quality manufacturing at competitive rates and genuine flexibility on design.
The high point came in May 2016. Crystal Palace reached the FA Cup final at Wembley, facing Manchester United. Palace wore Macron. They lost 2–1 to a Juan Mata goal in extra time. An FA Cup final is a rare stage for an independent kit manufacturer, and it gives the shirts from that season a story most Premier League Macron kits do not have.
For collectors, the English Macron kits from this era tend to trade at a lower price than equivalent Nike or Adidas Premier League product. Whether that represents value depends on what you are collecting for, but for those who prioritise the match history over the badge on the chest, the 2015/16 Crystal Palace shirts are worth considering.
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Key milestones
Macron founded in the province of Bologna
The company begins as a local sportswear supplier in Emilia-Romagna, serving amateur and semi-professional clubs at a price point the major manufacturers did not prioritise. Long-term relationships with smaller clients become the defining characteristic of the brand's commercial model.
Napoli and Bologna: arrival in Serie A
Macron begins supplying both SSC Napoli and Bologna, establishing a presence in the top flight of Italian football. Napoli at this time had Hamsik at his peak and Cavani in his final seasons before moving to PSG. The shirts from the 2011/12 and 2012/13 seasons are among the more collected early Macron items. The Bologna relationship represents the rare case of a club wearing their home city's manufacturer at Serie A level.
Crystal Palace join the Premier League roster
Crystal Palace become one of Macron's most visible Premier League partnerships. The deal runs for several seasons and culminates in the 2016 FA Cup final at Wembley, the highest-profile match an English Macron club has ever played.
Lazio: Macron's flagship Italian partnership
SS Lazio sign with Macron, beginning what becomes the brand's most prominent club relationship. The partnership produces a consistent run of high-quality sky-blue shirts across multiple seasons. The 2017/18, 2018/19 and 2019/20 home kits are well-regarded as among the finest Lazio shirts of the modern era.
Crystal Palace at Wembley: the FA Cup final
Crystal Palace reach the FA Cup final wearing Macron, the most prominent English stage the brand has appeared on. They lose 2–1 to Manchester United in extra time. The shirt from that match is the most historically significant English kit Macron has ever produced.
New headquarters opens in Valsamoggia
Macron opens an expanded headquarters near Bologna, housing design, commercial and logistics operations. The move underlines the brand's commitment to keeping its core functions in Emilia-Romagna. Like most kit manufacturers at this scale, production itself takes place primarily in Eastern Europe.
International expansion: rugby, national teams, new markets
Macron expands beyond club football into rugby union and national team deals. San Marino, Malta, and Azerbaijan are among the football associations supplied. The brand's growing rugby presence, including Top 14 clubs and European competition, broadens its reach while the football archive continues to deepen across Serie A, B, and C.
2,226
Kits in ShirtSociety
100
Clubs
1971
Founded in Bologna
50+
Years independent
Iconic Macron kits
The most significant and most collected Macron football shirts, from Serie A to the Premier League.
Immaculate sky blue, clean collar, restrained detail. Lazio's 2019/20 season produced one of the most competitive title challenges in Serie A in years. The shirt captures that era: elegant, unfussy, and in the finest tradition of the Lazio wardrobe.
A club wearing its hometown manufacturer's kit. Bologna and Macron share the same city. That almost never happens at Serie A level and gives this shirt a genuine local meaning that no global brand can replicate.
Cavani and Hamsik. Napoli were one of Serie A's most exciting sides in the early 2010s. The early Macron Napoli kits are significantly undervalued relative to the club's profile and the quality of the teams wearing them.
Macron's most visible Premier League season. Crystal Palace's red and blue is among English football's most distinctive colour combinations. The Macron treatment is clean and well-proportioned, and the club's form under Alan Pardew made this a genuinely memorable kit from a memorable season.
Real Betis are one of Spanish football's most colourful clubs, and the green and white of Macron's La Liga contribution is a strong piece of the Spanish archive. Evidence that Macron's reach extends well beyond the Italian market.
Udinese's black and white stripes are among the more demanding design briefs in Italian football. Macron handles the template consistently well across several seasons. A reliable and understated Serie A shirt at a fraction of the price of similar product from the major brands.
Collector notes: what to look for
Macron is one of the most underexplored brands in serious collecting. Here is what experienced collectors look for.
The Italian lower leagues: depth over prestige
Macron's archive in Serie B and Serie C is extensive. Shirts from Ternana, Piacenza, Padova, Carpi, and dozens of other clubs circulate in small numbers and attract little attention outside Italy. For collectors who focus on historical interest rather than name recognition, this is one of the less explored areas of the European kit market.
Lazio: the flagship partnership
The Lazio Macron shirts from 2015 onwards are consistently high-quality and growing in collector demand. The 2017/18 and 2019/20 home kits are the peak of the partnership. Match-worn examples from the 2019/20 title challenge season are particularly sought after. Buy now before the market catches up with the historical significance.
Crystal Palace and the FA Cup: the contrarian pick
Crystal Palace wore Macron to the 2016 FA Cup final at Wembley. The shirts from that season trade well below equivalent Nike or Adidas Wembley-final product. For collectors who prioritise match history, the 2015/16 Crystal Palace kits have a concrete story attached to them that the price does not yet reflect.
Sizing: the Italian cut
Macron shirts run slim, particularly in the Italian market. Pre-2015 product often runs a full size small by modern standards. The brand's player-fit templates are cut for leaner builds. Budget for sizing up on any Macron shirt bought without trying, and be aware that Serie A match-worn examples will be cut to individual player measurements.
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