Tennis has always been stylish. The sport’s traditionally strict dress codes have left stars restricted on how to differentiate themselves from the crowd – but the game’s most daring and memorable athletes have always managed to find a way.
Andre Agassi wore an outrageously baggy Nike ensemble when he won at Wimbledon in 1992. McEnroe seemingly refused to ever change out of his Tacchini Star Track Top for his four-year reign of terror in the ’80s. And even modern players look to rebel against strict style codes – Japanese player Naomi Osaka has a catalogue of outfits that still cause Wimbledon officials to shudder in their sleep.
Tennis’s strict rules regarding clothing can be attributed to why the sport is so stylish. The rules encourage rebellion. And rebellion is the easiest way for stars to get themselves into the headlines, and away from a perennial herd of white polos and perfectly pulled socks.
In terms of Grand Slams, Wimbledon has always maintained the firmest hand when it comes to dress. Athletes must wear white. If not, they risk severe financial punishment. Whether it’s maintaining the history of the sport, or British sensibilities taken a step too far, is still debated, but wearing anything other than what is specified by the powers that be is a risk most athletes are not willing to take.
But there is one way. One historical loophole for self-expression at Wimbledon. And it takes place on foot.
Since the early ’80s, footwear has proven to be the safest way to inject personal style into a Wimbledon ensemble – with stars often working with sportswear companies to create their own on-court silhouettes. And the beauty of tennis footwear is that, unlike football boots, it can be worn by fans in day-to-day life. Across town, at home, and in the stands.
The ’70s and early ’80s proved to be the awakening. And although every tennis star had a footwear partnership, only the superstars had a silhouette with their own name down the side panel.
In the early 1970s, Romania’s number one, Ilie ‘Nasty’ Nastase was picked up by adidas to produce the adidas Nastase – a white silhouette with royal blue stripes and matching heel counter. For a tennis player of his unpredictability, we question how much adidas let him have a say on the reserved design of the silhouette – but nonetheless, Nastase now had a clear way of setting himself apart from the crowd.
In the late ’70s and early ’80s everyone’s eyes were transfixed upon Bjorn Borg as he dominated the game – and on foot, he sported his own Diadora model – the Borg Elite – a silhouette defined by its most memorable colourway of white with gold accents. The Borg Elite became a sought-after trainer on and off the court, and has seen plenty of reproductions since.
Then there was Guillermo Vilas, an Argentine who partnered with PUMA to bring out the GV Special. Then there was Ivan Lendl’s adidas Supreme. Then, the adidas Stefan Edberg. Then, Pete Sampras’ Nike Sampras. The list goes on, and on, and on.
Debates about the most iconic tennis footwear of all time wager on eternally, but the truth is all these arguments are futile. The answer is obvious. And it’s one we haven’t even mentioned yet because it feels less like a tennis shoe and more like a government-issued piece of footwear. The Stan Smith – a 1978-born silhouette that would eventually shift the identity of one of the greatest tennis players of all time into a perforated adidas shoe.
The influence of the Stan Smith is obvious. It’s everywhere. And most people wearing it have no idea it started life on a tennis court.
For all the iconic tennis silhouettes that followed – Agassi’s Air Tech Challenge II, McEnroe’s Air Trainer I, Federer’s Nike Court Vapour – none have come close to matching the Stan Smith’s cultural reach.
Tennis’s greatest style moments have historically always been born from rebellion – players finding ways to push and pull against the sport’s rigid traditions. But surprisingly, the Stan Smith did the opposite.
The clean white appearance was designed to conform to the strict rules. Simple white leather looked perfectly at home within tennis’s most conservative surroundings, including Wimbledon. But the willingness to fit in on court is exactly what allowed it to leave the court behind. It became a trainer worn everywhere, by everyone, until its connection to tennis almost evaporated entirely.
Which is what continues to make the adidas Stan Smith so captivating. Tennis’s most influential style icon didn’t become one by breaking the rules; it became one because it outgrew them.
Find out more about the adidas Stan Smith at SEVENSTORE
