We are at a big of a slow time when it comes to signature tennis shoes. The once super-prominent adidas hasn’t had one since the late 1980s and Nike isn’t regularly putting out athlete backed tennis kicks. But there was a time when tennis sneakers ruled the shelves at shoe stores and these were the very best ones.
40. Le Coq Sportif Ashe Pro Cup
Arthur Ashe wasn’t just wasn’t one of the best tennis players of the 1970s, winning three Grand Slams and finishing at the world number one in 1975, he was also a pioneering civil rights activist. While the shoe certainly borrowed from the adidas Stan Smith it also has its own style and looked great on the court.
39. Wilson Pro Staff
Tennis shoes are typically pretty simple, and the Wilson Pro Staff is certainly that. But the name really resonated with many people, especially people who many have wanted to pretend their game was a little better than it was and the Pro Staff was a best seller.
38. New Balance M595
Tennis sneakers were all the rage in the 1980s and Massachusetts company New Balance attempted to get into the game as well. The thing was, the M595 looked just like any other New Balance shoe and the brand didn’t really succeed in the space.
37. Nike Air Zoom Ablaze
Tennis sneakers looked pretty similar for several decades, but Nike decided to push things forward with its Air Zoom Ablaze in 1997. The sneakers, made for Andre Agassi, The tennis star mellowed as he grew older and more successful and these shoes were largely forgotten about.
35. adidas Grand Slam
adidas had been a leader in the sneaker market for years and their big push in 1984 was the peg system. The system not only added interesting pops of color to the shoe, they also could be replaced affecting the density of the shoes via an included tool.
34. Nike Air Resistance
The Nike Air Resistance was the signature shoe of Jim Courier, who won the Australian Open and French Open two times each. The most memorable aspect of the Resistance that is was part of Nike’s NDESTRUCKT line and came with a six-month blowout guarantee.
33. Puma The Match
The adidas Stan Smith was an iconic shoe and brands were quick to release copycats that weren’t necessarily meant to be worn on the court. For Puma, this shoe was called The Match and it offered Stan Smith-like shoes to those who wanted a different option.
32. Bally of Switzerland Tennis Shoe
A Swiss Fashion house than has been around since 1851, Bally was having a moment in the mid-80’s frequently being called out by the rappers of the day. And while the shoes may not have been all that effective on the court, it was big on the streets.
31. Converse Jimmy Connors
Converse was the unquestioned leader when it came to basketball shoes and attempted to make inroads in the tennis world by signing stars Jimmy Connors and Chris Evert. Connors had a couple of releases with Converse and these were certainly the best.
30. adidas Forest Hills
This model, released by adidas is 1979, was named for the tennis courts where the US Open is played each year. It is also clear that these sneakers were ahead of its time with bright colors that were unusual in the 1970s but are all the rage today.
29. adidas Stefan Edberg
Hailing from Vastervik, Sweden, Stefan Edberg was an efficient and excellent tennis star who won six Grand Slam titles. The green and yellow shoes were a bit flashier than the tennis star, but are fondly remembered by players and collectors.
28. K-Swiss The Classic
The K-Swiss classic looked like a lot of the other shoes of the day, but has a few subtle but interesting design changes. Unlike the adidas sneakers that featured 3 stripes, K-Swiss had 5. The shoe also featured D ring laces that added more attractiveness.
27. Nike Wimbledon
At this time period, the late 70s and early 1980s, brands liked to name their shoes after the major tournaments of the day and their location. So the Nike Wimbledons didn’t really have anything to do with the tournament but they looked great.
26. Ellesse Tanker
Ellesse, a company formed in Perugia, Italy, in the late 1950s, was all over the tennis world in the mid 1980s. Most of this was due to their extremely popular track suits, but they had some attractive shoes as well, including the Tanker, which dropped in the early 80s.
25. Nike Air Ace
Lots of tennis shoes flew out the doors of places like Foot Locker during the 1980s, but the Air Ace wasn’t one of them. Considered to be a technical shoe, this was more of a players only model that was sold in pro shops and there wasn’t a second model even though they performed great on the court.
24. Tretorn Nylite
The Tretorn Nylite came out in 1965 and it looks like it would sell like hotcakes today, and the line, know owned by Puma, is still very popular. The Swedish shoe was also popular with players like Bjorn Borg who sported them as certain events.
23. Reebok Act 600
The Reebok Act 600 wasn’t as nice looking as most of the other shoes on this list, though it did feature cool pops of color. The thing the Act 600 really had going for it though, was that is was very plush on the inside and provided tremendous comfort.
22. Nike All Court Canvas
These shoes came out in 1975 and Nike certainly wasn’t Nike. In fact, you could buy a pair of these for under $20. And that meant quite a bit because the attractive design of this shoe and its performance was well worth the price.
21. Nike Meadow Max
The Nike Meadow Max was one of the most popular Nike shoes in the 1980s and was especially popular with female players. Female players were drawn to the shoe’s performance, but also to the great looking white and purple colorway.
20. adidas Nastase Super
Ilie Nastase’s play was certainly top-notch as the Romanian won the 1972 US Open and the 1973 French Open, but it was his larger than life personality that made him a household name. Nastase’s adidas model shoes, released in 1978, was ahead of its time.
19. New Balance CT550
The engineers behind the New Balance CT550 wanted to bring the same technology they were known for in the running game into tennis as well. This shoe had several things going for it including good looks, excellent traction and a supportive midsole.
18. Reebok Phase One
The Reebok Phase One was made by Paul Litchfield, an innovative designer known for the Pump. But the genius of the Phase One was the shoe’s simplicity. Thanks to the classic design of the sneaker, released in 1984, it remains a classic to this day.
17. Nike Air Challenge Huarache
The Huarache, designed by Tinker Hatfield and based partly on a Mexican sandal, was a homerun trainer for Nike and they quickly moved to incorporate the technology into other sports. The Nike Air Challenge Huarache was the tennis version.
16. Gucci Tennis
Does it make sense for Gucci to make tennis shoes? I mean, you’d have to be crazy to play tennis in a pair of Gucci shoes don’t you? But these shoes were never really meant for the court, they were made to impress people and that they did.
15. Puma Boris Becker Ace
Boris Becker exploded onto the world tennis scene when he won Wimbledon as an unseeded 17 year old in 1985. The German player would soon sign with Puma who released a great looking shoe with a comfortable mid top.
14. Diadora Borg Elite
Bjorn Borg was a transcendent tennis player during the 1970s and early 80s, winning 11 Grand Slam singles titles, including five straight Wimbledons. Diadora made his a shoe that befitted a player of his stature, the awesome Diadora Borg Elite.
13. adidas Lendl Supreme
Ivan Lendl was a superstar, but he was a very boring superstar. Interestingly enough, he had the best performing and some of the most popular tennis shoes of the 1980s. His shoes were so popular that the brand was able to charge $100 a pair.
12. adidas Rod Laver
The adidas Rod Laver came out in 1970 and it is somewhat similar to the Stan Smith, but has its own little touches. The sneaker does not feature and stripes, instead using mesh. The shoe does incorporate pops of gren that make it stand out in a crowd.
11. Fila T-1 Leather
Fila has a nice reputation today, but the brand was considered to be super high end when the T-1 leather came out in 1984. These were an immediate smash being snapped up both by sneakerheads as well as people who wanted to wear them on the court.
10. Reebok Court Victory
Reebok made a big play in the late 1980s when they introduced their Pump sneaker for tennis, basketball and cross training. The shoe got a major boost when Michael Chang won the 1990 French Open while sporting a pair and they were soon hotly sought after.
9. Diadora Maverick
At Italian company known for its soccer shoes, Diadora also made its mark with tennis shoes with its signature model for Bjorn Borg. The Maverick, which dropped in 1986, was quickly adopted by tennis players as well as sneakerheads.
8. Nike Zoom Vapor Nine Tour
Just because the majority of these shoes are from the 70s and 80s doesn’t mean there aren’t some awesome modern shoes. Take the Zoom Vapor Nine Tour, for example, which was Roger Federer’s shoe and came in a series of awesome color ways.
7. Nike Mac Attack
John McEnroe was not only good at tennis, as he won 7 Grand Slam singles title and another 9 Grand Slam doubles titles, but he was also brash and confident, making him the perfect spokesperson for Nike. The brand released this beloved signature shoe in
6. adidas Lendl Competition II
Czech superstar Ivan Lendl wasn’t the most exciting player of all-time, but he had some of the most exciting sneakers. adidas put out several signature shoes for Lendl and they were near unanimously approved by the players of the day.
5. Puma G. Vilas
Guillermo Vilas, from Buenos Aires, Argentina, was one of the very best players of the late 1970s and he signed a deal with Puma, who produced multiple signature shoes for him. The G Vilas, first released in 1983 was the best looking one.
4. Le Coq Sportiff Noah Star
Yannick Noah was a star French tennis player with Cameroonian heritage who hit the mainstream with his 1983 French Open victory. He signed with the French company Le Coq Sportiff, who released an incredibly attractive signature shoe, the Le Coq Sportiff Noah Star.
3. Nike Air Trainer High
The Nike Air Trainer High wasn’t designed to be a tennis shoe, it was actually the signature shoe of Bo Jackson, who played baseball and football. But the comfort and structure of the shoe made them popular with players like John McEnroe, Andre Agassi and Mats Wilander.
2. Nike Air Tech Challenge II
Nike teamed with burgeoning star Andre Agassi in the late 1980s and looked to make a shoe that matched his brash personality. The result was the Air Tech Challenge II, a mid-top sneaker that look at good as it performed.
1. adidas Stan Smith
How can anything else on the list be number one? Sure the Stan Smith wouldn’t be that effective for tennis these days. And sure the shoe may be a bit too popular with plenty of non-tennis players having them in their closets. But the shoe is classic and timeless, looking as good today as it did upon its release.