Adidas has come out with an all-new tennis footwear franchise blurring the lines between performance footwear and street style.
The futuristic Stycon silhouette represents a new turn for Adidas’ tennis division. Firmly rooted in streetwear and athleisure, Stycon footwear will still offer “superior fit and ultimate control,” Adidas said.
“Created for pioneers and players who like to do things differently, the Stycon is a new style of tennis shoe for the next generation,” Adidas said. “Its unique and street-style-inspired aesthetic is also equipped with technical performance features that make it a solid choice for all levels of tennis player.”
Some of the included features that belie Stycon’s streetwear vibes include a lack of conventional laces that Adidas said should provide “the perfect connection” between shoe and foot, allowing players to stop and start with greater ease. Stycon also includes a knit collar that is engineered to expand to the shape of the wearer’s foot to provide extra support.
“We know from working with athletes and through feedback that the most important elements of a tennis shoe are comfort, stability and durability,” Stanislav Goussev, footwear design director at Adidas Tennis, said. “We’ve built the shoe with these features at the forefront—but have also looked at how we can design this tennis shoe differently, how we can revolutionize what a tennis shoe looks like and what we expect from a tennis shoe.”
In July, Adidas and Stella McCartney debuted prototype garments offering a vision of the future of performance. In addition to a 100 percent recyclable hoodie similar to its Futurecraft.Loop sneakers, the pair created a tennis dress manufactured with yarn composed of blended cellulose and Microsilk, a trademarked substance created with renewable ingredients including sugar, water and yeast. Adidas designed the dress in partnership with Bolt Threads, a fashion tech startup specializing in bioengineered materials and fibers.
With Stycon, Adidas is looking to strengthen its position as a leader in the tennis shoe and apparel field.
“We are entering a new generation of tennis and the Stycon is the shoe for those looking to create change,” Goussev said.
Stycon launched on Jan. 7 and is available for both men and women through Adidas’ online distribution channels for 140 euros ($156).