Tennis Has Given Us Some Shining Beacons Of Style Over The Years And Has Arguably Contributed To The Aesthetic Of Casual Culture More Than Any Other Sport Football Included
Stan Smith, Renee Lacoste, Arthur Ashe and Bjorn Borg all cut dashing figures on centre court during a golden era, with their brand affiliations influencing the dressing habits of young men the country over.
Adidas got mad love recently with their high profile reissue of the Stan Smith, and this month sees them delve further into their archive to celebrate another racquet supremo and classic training shoe: the Rod Laver.
In 1970 Rod Laver was quite simply the greatest tennis player in the world. The Australian had won all four Grand Slam tournaments in the same year twice, and set the record for consecutive Wimbledon victories with 61 straight wins over a decade. It came as no surprise to find such a successful athlete collaborating with Adidas on a sports shoe, and as is usual of the brand, the resulting trainers inimitable style was born out of function.
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The upper was made from mesh for a more breathable shoe, and much like the Stan Smiths, the design was shrewd and understated, choosing a trefoil on the heel over the typical three stripes. This gave it perfect crossover appeal to Casuals.
With its nod to the sports stars of the past and continuing popularity with trainer heads and dressers, the Rod Laver is a quintessentially Adidas shoe. Dont sleep on the re-issue.
Tennis Great Rod Laver Has The Only Shoe With A Stadium Named After It
Rod Laver outside the stadium bearing his name, a statue of himself and with his Adidas Rod Laver … shoe in hand.
Rod Laver has as much tennis sneaker cache as anyone in the game, even Stan Smith, his contemporary. Both players, active in the 1960s and 1970s, earned shoe endorsements from Adidas and both played in signature models bearing their name and likeness. And both sneakers still live on to this day.
“My only rivalry with Stan was on the court,” Laver says. “Off the court we were great mates and shared lots of fun at Adidas promos over the years. I like to joke with him that only one of our shoes has a stadium named after them.”
Laver, the only player to win the calendar Grand Slam on two separate occasions, is the namesake of not only an Adidas sneaker since 1970, but also Australia’s largest tennis venue, Rod Laver Arena, since 2000. After more than 50 years of having a signature Adidas shoelonger than Smith, since Smith’s Adidas shoe was originally the Robert Haillet before switching names in the ’70sLaver still remembers Adidas’ Horst Dassler wanting to push the brand further into the sport, beyond just what they were doing with Haillet.
Rod Laver and Stan Smith pose with the Adidas shoes named and designed in their honor.
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The Adidas Rod Laver In History
Rod Laver, an Australian professional tennis player who won 47 tournaments and five Davis Cups, was the one who inspired the creation of one of the first pro tennis shoes introduced by Adidas. The shoe that was named after him, the Adidas Rod Laver, was first officially released in the year 1970. The original shoe featured a rounded toe box.
Throughout time, the shoe has been recognized and praised by many. Sneakerheads have been in love with the Rod Laverfrom the few iterations it received to the current profile it currently has.
The Adidas Rod Laver also has witnessed some amazing collaborative releases in its existence, as well as some changes on its upper material for some other releases made for the shoe. Since its first release and up to the present, this shoe has proven itself a true classic and continues to be a must-have for many.
Reviews For Adidas Rod Laver Super Tennis Shoes White/green
My favorite! Great price and great shoe!!
Classic tennis shoe, super light, great shape for my current skill level. Toe stalls, side stalls, and general out of control saves. Sometimes we have up to seven people in the circle after work and two of us have these shoes. Two thumbs up from Greg and Miles.
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If Federer Does Want To Return How Can He Do It And What Will The Effect Be On Himself And His Career
Monday 11 July 2022 was a strange day. It was the day Federer became unranked, something he had not experienced since 1997.
Despite this setback, Federer has made his intentions clear the Laver Cup and Swiss Indoors in the Autumn will see his return to the ATP Tour.
The question then becomes how does Federer participate in tournaments if he does not hold a ranking?
There are multiple ways Federer could mount a comeback, but some options immediately become apparent.
Each has its own set of benefits and drawbacks. But only one resumes Federers career where we left off after that Wimbledon quarter-final match, back in 2021.
The first is that Federer attempts to build his ranking on the Challenger Tour and the middling levels of the ITF circuit. This would have to be a long-term approach.
If Federer chose this option, he would have the eventual goal of returning to the ATP Tour and helping to cement his ranking in the upper echelons of the top 100 once again.
This would effectively be a slow reset of his career and put it back on track to where it was. However, he could endure what could become a hard slog against up-and-coming younger players, who might be more able to physically deal with long and grinding matches, particularly on clay.
In recent years, Andy Murray and Kim Clijsters have benefited from wildcards, helping to kick-start the accumulation of ranking points and competitive experience.
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“I felt that the design of the common tennis shoe could be improved,” he says. “Canvas uppers suffered from daily clay court use. The clay would stick to the shoes and quickly discolor. I suggested that a non-stick material like a nylon mesh would improve the performance and the daily presentation of a sports shoe. That’s the genesis of the Adidas Rod Laver model.”
Rod Laver in action at Wimbledon.
Next, the team worked on heel design, with Dassler ensuring the styling emphasized the structural improvements. With that all dialed in, marketing took over. At that point, shoes were still largely named after the company, but Adidas had started dabbling more in athlete endorsements, so the Rod Laver model was truly born.
Over the next 50-plus years, the Adidas Rod Laver expanded its color and material offerings to become visible on and off the court. “The sports shoe was becoming a statement,” Laver says. “It makes me proud that a retro tennis shoe is still being picked up by young people. I guess all fashion is cyclical, but I’m pretty sure we won’t see wooden rackets enjoying the same revival.”
The classic Adidas Rod Laver was born in 1970.
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