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Foot Soldiers

From big-name endorsements to grassroots player appeal, tennis shoe manufacturers have the kicks for your customers.

Babolat

Babolat knows how to pick ‘em. The company signed up Andy Roddick to endorse the Pure Drive Team, which has become the biggest success story in racquets in years. And it got Rafael Nadal to endorse the Aeropro Drive, and the kid goes and wins the French Open this year. Now Babolat is going back to Roddick, hoping he can do for its shoes what he did for its signature stick. This fall Babolat officially enters the U.S. footwear market with the Team All Court, a stability-oriented shoe that comes with Michelin soles. Under the terms of his contract, Roddick was not to start wearing these shoes until January 2006, but he’s already worn them in competition at the Cincinnati Masters Series Tournament and will be sporting them at the U.S. Open, August 29-September 11 in Flushing Meadows, NY.

877-316-9435
www.babolat.com

Adidas

The new ClimaCool Ultimate II, for men and women, offers maximum ventilation for your feet, says Adidas. To help get the most out of its new shoes, the company also is encouraging consumers to purchase sports-specific socks to wick moisture away.

800-448-1796
www.adidas.com

Nike

Another shoe that has a big-name player attached to it is the Nike Shox Glamour SW II. As you can tell by its initials, the Shox is endorsed by Serena Williams, and it’s designed for aggressive, serious players like her. It features highly resilient polyurethane columns in the heel for shock absorption. But unlike the Shox in Nike’s popular running shoes, these columns are much lower to give players more side-to-side stability.

800-344-6453
www.nike.com

Wilson

Wilson puts its best foot forward with the Pro Staff Elite, which, like its other Pro Staff models, delivers a winning combination of comfort, support, and durability. It’s the kind of shoe that should be quite popular with teaching pros and anyone else who spends a lot of time on the court.

800-272-6060
www.wilson.com

KSwiss

A real “player’s” shoe, K-Swiss says its Defier RS, for men and women, is engineered to stand up to even the most intense on-court battles. The shoe features K-Swiss’s Shock Spring cushioning in the heel and forefoot and a TecTuff toe wrap for durability.

800-714-4477
www.kswiss.com

New Balance

New Balance has introduced the CT/WCT 653, a lightweight, comfortable shoe, with width sizes for men and women. The shoe probably will appeal most to entry-level players looking for a comfortable ride but who don’t need maximum stability.

800-343-1395
www.newbalance.com

Diadora

Are your competitive players looking for a stable, durable, and responsive performance shoe? Diadora says its new Attax DA 2, for both men and women, is just the ticket to help players get to the ball in style.

253-520-8868
www.diadoraamerica.com

From the September 2005 issue
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