With Wimbledon on the horizon what better way to look at some of the best footwear around than to relate it to the game of Tennis? Sportswear giants such as Nike and Adidas now accomodate the leading tennis players in the world with various pieces of kit including rackets, polo shirts, shorts, track suits and trainers. These sponsorship deals are worth millions to the players due to the size of the global companies however the original tennis equipment brands started out in much more modest surroundings. Top designer brands such as Lacoste, Fred Perry, Fila, K Swiss and Sergio Tacchini were among the first brands to sponsor and ‘kit out’ players with the Lacoste 1212 polo shirt and the Fred Perry tennis shirt both early developments of the courtwear that is commonplace today.

After establishing a variety of polo shirts, shirts and t shirts onto the courts Fred Perry and Rene Lacoste (seperately obviously) set about making tennis shoes and training shoes that would add performance on the court. The Lacoste camden and carnaby styles are based on early designs that were made for the tennis courts and withstood grass, clay and later the indoor surfaces. Fred Perry focused on the weight of the shoe and developed the slightly lighter canvas tennis shoe, similar to the ‘vintage tennis shoe’ available this season in a variety of colours. Both were used regularly by the then top ranking players until technology took over from the 80s onwards. Now the fashion ranges simply use vintage designs and styles as a basis for their current ranges and the specialist designers make the futuristic tennis shoes that can cope with just about anything.

If during Wimbledon you’re wanting to hit the courts or just want to adopt the tennis players style for the duration then chances are your wardrobe will already accomodate this, with there being no need to splash out on specific tennis footwear, that is unless you want to be playing at Wimbledon in a few years! Dig out your Lacoste and Fred Perry and enjoy the sunshine, pimms, strawberries and watching another British collapse.