Roger Federer and On launches its first tennis-inspired sneaker

Tennis star Roger Federer and Swiss performance running brand On has unveiled their first tennis-inspired sneaker, The Roger.

Federer, who invested in the Swiss footwear brand in November 2019, has worked alongside the On design team to create The Roger Centre Court 0-Series, a reinvention of the classic tennis trainer combining the athletes' minimalistic style with the technical performance that On has become renowned for.

The minimalistic design of The Roger is a radical departure from how most tennis sneakers are still built, as they are designed with heavy rubber soles, whereas On is known for its lightweight technology-driven innovations, and the sneakers feature On’s award-winning CloudTec sole to deliver “unrivalled cushioning” while still feeling exceptionally light.

In addition, the sneaker described by the performance sport’s brand as “Swiss engineering meets the Swiss maestro” has also been made for agile movement with On’s “hidden secret” the Speedboard, hidden in the sole it returns energy from impact to make “every step feel lighter” and the ultra-soft sock-construction delivers distraction-free comfort and ventilation.

While the classic tennis white leather upper has been crafted in a conscious manner, adds On, featuring vegan leather to reduce the shoe’s environmental footprint as the running shoe specialists look to make history by combining a “classic look” with “next-gen tech”.

Commenting on the design, Federer, said in a statement: “The minimalist design and easy comfort of On’s shoes had me hooked years ago. I wanted to infuse the tennis sneaker with the same lightness, comfort and agility for every day.

“I love working with the On team, using my knowledge of performance footwear and personal interest in fashion to contribute to product development. I’m proud to be a part of the creation of The Roger, which is the most comfortable tennis-inspired sneaker you will ever wear.”

The 0-Series of The Roger Centre Court is an individually numbered edition that is limited to 1,000 pairs. It features black stitches, a black Speedboard and gold embossing, as well as a personal message from Roger Federer.

Swiss footwear brand On launches first tennis sneaker designed by Roger Federer

On co-founder David Allemann, said: “We love to explore and aspire to protect the incredible natural beauty that surrounds us, hence this new generation of tennis-inspired sneakers has been created with sustainability in mind.

“The Roger is crafted from vegan leather and has been designed for lightness to reduce material consumption. The result is a significantly smaller environmental footprint for this tennis-inspired sneaker. The vegan leather has approximately 30 percent of the footprint of animal leather.”

Allemann added: “We’re super excited to be releasing The Roger Centre Court today, combining On’s years of performance design with our new teammate’s contribution has produced an awesome shoe – and we’ve had a lot of fun doing it.”

For fans to get hold of these minimalistic unisex tennis sneakers On and Federer have launched a raffle to buy the ultra-limited 200 pound sneakers on its website through a draw, which will close on July 8, in addition to the sneakers being sold exclusively at Dover Street Market worldwide.

The launch of the first Federer designed trainer, coincides with the first time the tennis star won Wimbledon 17 years ago, and kicked off Roger Live, a virtual event on Federer’s website consisting of 3 sets and 2 tiebreakers where Federer will be hanging out with some of his friends talking tennis and life, as well as introducing his new sneakers.

This is the latest product expansion for the Swiss footwear brand, in May, On launched its first fashion-focused sneaker, the Cloudnova, as it looked to expand its audience beyond running and move into the lifestyle market. The Cloudnova was designed with a premium sneaker audience in mind to offer an all-day comfort shoe, tapping into the popularity of merging genres across fashion, sportswear and outdoor gear.

Images: courtesy of On; Main images by Juergen Teller