State-of-the-Art Footwear Technology Allows Modern Tennis Players who Slide to Recover 30 Percent Quicker* and Cover More Court in Fewer Steps
CHICAGO – Wilson Sporting Goods Co., announced today it has introduced the Glide, the world’s first high performance tennis shoe designed to support, control and enhance how players slide on hard court surfaces±. Sliding is an increasingly popular technique competitive tennis players utilize to gain speed and agility advantages in match play where points can be won or lost in milliseconds. Wilson Labs, the innovation hub at Wilson, developed theGlide to help tennis players expertly slide into a shot, so they can recover up to 30 percent faster to the next ball.
“The Glide is a completely new type of performance tennis shoe and is a direct reflection of how the speed of the game has changed, said Hans-Martin Reh, General Manager of Racquet Sports. “In studying how players use sliding, particularly younger players, it was clear current performance tennis shoes are not designed to protect the athlete and accentuate the sliding movement. We knew that if we could develop a way to do both, we had the opportunity to revolutionize tennis footwear and provide our athletes with a new level of speed and efficiency not previously available.”
The shoe, which took Wilson Labs footwear engineers, materials experts and designers four years to develop, has been designed to allow players to precisely control forward and lateral slides on hard court surfaces. In play-testing, the Glide enhanced players’ natural speed, agility and quickness to command shots on the run, even stretched out wide shots.
The Glide is packed with the most innovative shoe technologies and construction elements available to players today:
- Glide plates, made from polyethalyne technology, have been strategically sized and placed to allow for optimal slide when a player needs it the most.
- The best performing, high traction and durable rubber Duralast® provides the ideal amount of traction to help athletes explode to the ball once their slide is complete. These technologies also increases the overall life of the shoe.
- Rubber reinforced toe and inner drag pads offer a second wall of protection during lateral and forward sliding for increased durability.
- A very low-to-the-ground heel drop (6mm) along with Dynamic Fit™ (DF1™) provide players with improved feel and control.
- Endofit™ tongue provides an intuitive, comfortable fit and added stability.
The Glide is now available at specialty retailers and select tennis academies worldwide. The shoe retails for $199.00 (USD). For a list of participating retailers and tennis academies, please visit www.wilson.com/Glide.
Wilson encourages players to talk with their coaches about sliding and the proper techniques to slide safely and effectively on hard court surfaces. Players and coaches are also invited to visit www.wilson.com/Glide for instructional information on how to start using the Glide.
ABOUT WILSON SPORTING GOODS CO.
Chicago-based Wilson Sporting Goods Co., a subsidiary of Amer Sports, is the world’s leading manufacturer of sports equipment, apparel and accessories. Wilson is the global leader in performance tennis and uses player insights to develop products that push tennis equipment innovation into new territories. Through its dedication to creating products that enable athletes at every level to perform at their best, Wilson has earned its place as a leader in sporting goods for over a century.
*Based upon test concluded by Amer Sports Footwear Laboratory of Biomechanics and Exercise Physiology in 2014 comparing Wilson Glide to a conventional tennis shoe.
±The Glide tennis shoe was designed specifically for use on tennis hard court surfaces (Acrylic: textured, pigmented, resin-bound coating, GreenSet® type). Wilson does not recommend players or coaches use the Glide on clay, grass, artificial grass, artificial clay, asphalt, concrete or carpet courts.
