Super Bowl LIII Running Thread

This explains it:

During the 1994 season, many NFL teams wore "throwback uniforms" on occasional games (beginning with week 3 of the season) to celebrate the NFL's 75th anniversary (a corresponding diamond-shaped 75th Anniversary patch was also worn by all teams) . The 49ers chose to wear a version of their 1955 uniforms as their throwbacks, with simpler sans-serif block numerals that had black outlines and blockshadows (the smaller TV numerals above the shoulder stripes however, were removed as they were non-existent on the original 1950s jerseys). White pants with thinner red-black-red striping were also worn, along with the old striped red socks (the team later reverted to their regular solid red socks after receiving permission from the NFL to wear the uniforms for the rest of the season). The regular 1989-95 design gold helmet was worn with this uniform, as there was no logo on the 1955 red helmet.

The team first donned the 1955 throwback uniforms during their week 3 match against the Los Angeles Rams and the following week at home versus the Saints, with both being wins (coincidentally, these were also the first two games Deion Sanders played after signing as a free-agent with the 49ers). The team then suffered an embarrassing 40-8 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles at home wearing their regular uniforms with gold pants, with Steve Young angrily being benched to prevent him getting injured. For the subsequent three games until their BYE week, the team again was scheduled to play games wearing the throwback uniforms with white pants and blockshadow numerals, and all three games resulted in wins. As the 49ers embarked during the following weeks on what would eventually be a 10-game winning streak that ultimately culminated in a Super Bowl XXIX victory, the team (prompted both by the superstition of then coach George Seifert, as well as the preference of players) petitioned the NFL to wear the throwback uniforms for the rest of the season, which was granted. The switch to solid red socks after the team's BYE week in the middle of the season marked this occurrence. In all the 49ers went 15-1 (including the playoffs) wearing the 1955/1994 throwback uniforms, (the only loss being the regular season finale on the road at Minnesota, with the team wearing white jerseys and resting most of their starters for the playoffs). Meanwhile, the 49ers went undefeated wearing the red jerseys of the throwback uniform. After winning Super Bowl XXIX however, the team was compelled to revert to wearing its regular 1964-style uniforms (1991 revised design) for the following 1995 season.

Logos and uniforms of the San Francisco 49ers - Wikipedia

 

Best potential throwbacks: Seahawks, Lions, Falcons, Bucs, Pats, and Titans (Oilers)
Not sure Chargers count because their baby blues are in regular rotation.

 

As long as they're not the 1994 throwbacks. Because almost all of them were fucking hideous.

 

Seriously, were people color blind back before color television?

 

Bears-Packers in 1994. Fucking khaki pants.

 

That's a 1930s design. I'm not sure if television was available to the general public yet. The radio announcers probably had a hell of a time describing them (if they did).

 

These were the 49ers unis of the '50s. But it was their regular home uniform in 1994, too.

 

These didn't look too shabby

 

That season seemed to be ground zero for the throwback uniform movement.
The Chargers, 49ers, Jets and Giants all redesigned their uniforms to throwback-inspired looks not long after that, the latter three definitely being for the better. The Lions, Packers, Steelers and Redskins also started wearing their 1930s throwbacks once or twice a season. And in pop culture, old jerseys kind of became a thing. Can't remember too many folks wearing them before that.

The 1994 throwbacks weren't nearly as cool as the AFL throwbacks in 2010, though. Most of those were either sweet as hell or so bizarre as to be their own sort of cool.