Make Tennis shoes great again

I am old enough to remember when my parents used the term "tennis shoes" to refer to sneakers. Not even "gym shoes," which already smelled of linoleum floors and locker rooms with faded wooden benches, but specifically tennis shoes. In fact, the first shoes with rubber soles and fabric uppers were used precisely to avoid slipping too much on grass courts where the first strung rackets appeared at the end of the 19th century, starting a journey that a hundred years later would make them an essential accessory in both lifestyle and fashion. And now that no one calls them "tennis shoes" anymore, sneakers are returning to take over the red clay in the most important tournaments of the circuit. Now that tennis is the sport of the moment, with new stars and expanding brands, the focus is back on the feet of the athletes. And while the tennis outfits are returning to monochrome with more austere and classic shades, from white to black to dark blue, shoes are becoming the protagonists with collaborations and new exclusive models.

One of the highlights of these days at the Foro Italico has been the collaboration between Asics and A.P.C., worn by two of the undisputed stars of this first week among the Italian ranks, Lorenzo Musetti and Jasmine Paolini. Both have taken to the Roman clay with different models of Gel-Solution or Solution Speed in the edition with the French brand. Alex de Minaur also wore the collaboration, but opted for a short-sleeved blue shirt instead of Musetti's iconic raw-cut tank top. But even French player Moutet, despite being sponsored by the French brand Celio for clothing, chose Asics x A.P.C. to perhaps maintain a touch of home. Another collaboration between fashion and sport that debuted at the Rome Masters is the one created by New Balance and Miu Miu for American tennis player Coco Gauff, which includes the first of three pairs of 530 SL, in navy blue and white with accents of red. It seems even the "it-shoes" can't resist the charm of tennis. A different path, however, has been chosen by the big names in sportswear.

Nike is leveraging its strong position in tennis with different strategies for its two top athletes, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. For the return of the world number one, Nike has updated its Zoom GP Challenge 1, which replaced the Court Air Zoom Zero earlier this year. Claybreaker technology for sliding on red clay, and Air Zoom units for greater responsiveness and stability. We'll see if Sinner's disruptive impact will also extend to footwear after conquering practically every other merchandise sphere. Alcaraz, on the other hand, continues to wear heavily modified Nike Vapor Pro 1 instead of the Vapor Pro 12 as per his contract. Will the Spaniard become the Toni Kroos of tennis? One of the most up-and-coming brands, both in tennis and lifestyle, On has had bad luck with its top athletes, Cobolli and Shelton in the men's, and Iga Swiatek in the women's, all of whom were eliminated earlier than expected. However, the brand showcased some of its top sneakers, such as The Roger line. After all, what can you expect from a brand with Federer as an investor.