Roger Federer launches tennis sneakers with Swiss running brand On

Last than a year after he picked up a stake in Swiss running shoe manufacturer On, tennis legend Roger Federer has unveiled his first collaboration with the brand – a classic tennis-inspired sneaker called The Roger Centre Court 0-Series. The new sneaker is also a sense of closure for Federer as he moves on from his 24-year-old relationship with sportswear giant Nike and focuses on his plans for life after professional tennis. This isn’t Federer’s first rodeo – he teamed up with Michael Jordan and Nike to create the limited edition Nike Court Zoom Vapor RF X AJ3 by Jordan for the US Open in 2014. The shoe combined details from the Nike Zoom Vapor 9.5 Tour and the Air Jordan III.

On is a Zurich-based brand that was established in 2010 by three former professional athletes and its apparel and performance running shoes are sold in more than 55 countries today. The Roger Centre Court 0-Series has a classic old school tennis shoe silhouette but make no mistake this sneaker carries a lot of modern shoe tech under those sustainable vegan leather uppers (vegan leather has 30 percent of the footprint of animal leather).

Minimalist in design, it features black stitches on the side and On’s lightweight CloudTec sole featuring the company’s patented cushioning construction. The sneaker also uses On’s “Speedboards” which are molded plates designed to support your feet better. This is departure from the heavy rubber-soled tennis sneakers being produced today. The 0-Series of The Roger Centre Court is an individually numbered edition that is limited to 1,000 pairs and is priced at $250 a pop if you are lucky enough to bag one.

The Adidas Stan Smith sneaker is probably the most famous tennis shoe of all time. The white leather sneakers with the green tab is named after the famous US tennis player, his name first appeared on the shoe in 1971. It will be interesting to see if The Roger can usurp that title in the future.