Roger Federer Debuts The Roger Pro, An On-Court Tennis Shoe From The Apparel Brand On
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The latest Roger Federer On shoe moves from the streets to the courts, giving the Swiss brand its first on-court tennis sneaker and pushes the Federer sneaker line into performance. But the shoe is just for Federer and not for his fans, at least for now.
On revealed The Roger Pro on March 10 and Federer, who was wearing a camouflaged version in black and white prior to the announcement, will wear a white colorway with blue accents during the 2021 Qatar Open, Federer’s first ATP match since early 2020.
“After so many years at the top of world sport, Roger has his sense of what performance should feel like completely dialed in,” says Olivier Bernhard, On’s co-founder, innovation leader and a former professional athlete. “He can sense every small adjustment. This insight guided the whole project.”
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Federer, with 20 Grand Slam titles to his name, tied with Rafael Nadal for the most ever in men’s tennis, turned pro in 1998. He wore apparel and footwear from Nike
NKE
from the mid-1990s until he signed a new apparel contract with Japanese brand Uniqlo in summer 2018. He continued to wear Nike shoes on the court but partnered with On as an investor in November 2019. His first product, The Roger Centre Court, came in July 2020, a tennis-inspired lifestyle shoe. Since that launch, On has released differing versions of the shoe, dubbed The Roger Clubhouse and, most recently, The Roger Advantage.
Developing a sneaker fit for on-court performance meant taking the technology from On’s growing presence in running and adapting the linear know-how for the lateral demands of tennis. “Tennis players put up to three times their body weight through a shoe during lateral movements,” says Bernhard. “These high forces demand extreme agility and stability. That’s what we worked with Roger to create.”
The Roger Pro uses a midsole of what the brand calls high-performing foam and a midfoot cage for foot security. A rounded sole design is meant to support smooth transitions while Federer moves on the court. As with other The Roger models, On’s Speedboard plate between the midsole and the upper, made from 100 percent carbon fiber, is meant to enhance energy return while absorbing impact from landing.
On says the concept of The Roger Pro served as the initial technology inspiration for all models of The Roger franchise. On, now in 7,000 retailers in over 55 countries, says The Roger Pro is a “one-of-a-kind model Swiss-engineered to Rogers requirements and not available for purchase.”
That doesn’t mean things won’t change, with Bernhard teasing: “On and Roger Federer are constantly working on the next generation of On shoes,” he says. “Stay tuned for what’s to come.”
The first white and blue colorway of The Roger Pro sets the template of what fan can expect to see moving forward. Images from the brand show there may be additional white and blue combinations and a white and orange design already available for Federer.