The twilight of Roger Federer’s career, if you can call him that, given that his “late period” has dragged on for half a decade, with no end in sight, has been about crushing expectations with all the sublime power of his setback. . In a sport where most phenomena peak in the mid-20s, he has accumulated three major titles since turning 35. In 2018, after 24 years on Nike’s payroll, he jumped off the boat for a $ 300 million sponsorship deal with Uniqlo, and then beat Swoosh in court for the rights to his iconic “RF” logo. And the icing on the cake: Last December, he beat out locker room heavyweights like Pharrell and Jonah Hill for the crown of the Smartest Man of the Decade. GQThe readers. Now Federer is stepping into the void once again, presenting his first sneaker with a company that has never before made a tennis shoe: On, the cult racing brand loved by hardcore marathoners and triathletes around the world.
Interestingly, the most notable thing about On’s first at-bat is how much he looks, well, a tennis shoe, in the most classic sense. “The Roger,” as it has simply been dubbed, is an outlier in an overly technical kick field, a throwback to the days of Stan Smith and Rod Laver. But make no mistake: Beneath that retro vegan leather façade is a veritable war chest of On’s cutting-edge technology, including its agile CloudTec soles and a plush inner sock construction that hugs your foot firmly in place. It all adds up to what Federer says are the lightest and most comfortable sneakers he has ever played in. As far as we are concerned, the shoe of Swiss Fed compatriots is also something else: the rare tennis shoe in which you can burn your friends. the court lasts and then continues to use the rest of the day without looking like a complete idiot.
With the professional tennis circuit on hold indefinitely due to COVID-19, it will probably be some time before we see if Federer’s new kicks can help him extend his already unprecedented second best moment. But if you’re lucky enough to catch one of the 1,000 pairs of the first edition On is currently drawing for $ 250 each, you’ll still be the proud owner of one of the most stealthily advanced and user-friendly GOATs. approved sneaks ever created. (Non-Jumpman edition, anyway). What if the Swiss master continues to produce exclusive shoes so well in his 40s? He will be a serious contender for another title of the Smartest Man in 2029.
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