New tennis legend Coco Gauff isn’t just making waves on the tennis court.
She has just landed a money-making deal with her signature set of sneakers.
New Balance Coco G1
Her signature tennis shoe is “New Balance Coco G1,” a partnership with New Balance.
The 18-year-old is only the second tennis star to release her signature design.
Her shoes have been in development for two years, and this is something New Balance didn’t choose lightly.
According to New Balance’s head of tennis sports marketing, Evan Zeder, they wanted the signature shoe of a female tennis athlete.
They did this because of Coco’s promising future more than her past feats.
The design team started with a clean slate, asking Coco what she wanted and what worked for her.
This is why they started with a new silhouette instead of the default one.
And the colorful design is reminiscent of the ‘90s.
The Technology
Coco Gauff’s signature shoes are among the first tennis shoes available in retail with a carbon fiber plate.
Carbon fiber has already become a mainstay in running shoes, so the designers wanted to adapt it to tennis shoes.
The innovation team made several footbeds with various geometries and tweaked them until they got a final solution.
The winning concept gave Coco a springy feel when wearing the shoes because the carbon fiber plate interacts with a softer FuelCell foam.
The shoes on the court help the wearer feel light and agile, which should improve their performance.
They are comfy shoes you can wear off the court all day without feeling exhausted.
An Active Partner
Coco Gauff has been involved in the whole process, from early concept to launch.
The shoes feature a track spike on the right heel and a basketball on the left, representing her parents’ college sports.
And on her model, the shoelaces feature her brothers’ names; Coco wanted them to be the last thing she sees before she enters the tennis court.
Coco Gauff: The New Serena?
Time will tell if Coco Gauff will reach the same heights as the legendary Venus and Serena Williams.
But she’s already ranked 11th in the world and rising fast.
Plus, New Balance wouldn’t make such an investment in her if they didn’t see her potential.
So, things are looking bright for Coco, and hopefully, she will become the next big tennis star.
