Nike Wimbledon's

These days Nike is everywhere on the Street and on local Tennis Courts everywhere.

It sponsors both the world's Tennis Superstar's Nadal and Federer and you see pairs of Nike's on every man, woman and baby's feet from all walks of society.

In the 1970’s on the Grand Slam Tennis Courts when the Nike Wimbledon’s first appeared they were seen as these unheard of, new, rare and so unusual shoes and the fact that it was an American Sports shoe made even more rare.

This was era when not long prior Wimbledon Champions like Laver and Court had worn Dunlop Volleys into Grand Slams. In fact it was only in 1976 that Australian Mark Edmondson won the Australian Open in Volleys.



The Nike Wimbledon



The seventies for the vast part had seen the European Sports Shoe companies be the first one’s to see the worth in sponsoring Tennis Stars and Athletes in general. German company Adidas lead the way in signing Stan Smith, Wilhelm Bungert, Arthur Ashe and John Newcombe.   

Whilst Italian Boutique brand Diadora went for quality with Guillermo Vilas and the complete dominant force of the time Bjorn Borg.

Ilie Nastase

Nike’s first shoe sponsorship of an Athlete of any kind was for the then current Men’s Tennis World Number One: Romanian Ilie Nastase. The company signed “Nasty” Nastase for $3,000 USD and it was he who was the first to wear the company’s latest new tennis trainer the Nike Wimbledon’s.
Nike a company now with a history of the greatest success in Sporting Endorsements first venture into the game was an complete failure. The end of the 1973 saw Nastase leave for rival Adidas who offered him $5,000 USD and a Signature Shoe. An Adidas shoe range that is still being produced to this day.

Nike Wimbeldon Heel

In 1978 Nike made its second attempt at endorsing an Athlete to wear its shoes in going this time closer to home with another Bad Boy of Tennis in young New Yorker John McEnroe. Supermac took on Nastase’s disregarded light blue swoosh Wimbledon’s and this time Nike hit a winner. As McEnroe came from nowhere to superstar in being a player capable of finally providing some much needed competition on the circuit to Bjorn Borg. Needless to say his rare flashy shoes began to be noticed.

McEnroe in his Light Blue Swoosh Wimbeldon's

Coupled with McEnroe’s Sergio Tacchini tracksuits perhaps the best designed tennis tracksuits of all time it was hard now for Nike Wimbledon’s not to be noticed. Not long later they found themselves on the feet on follow American Sergio Tacchini wearer and Australian Open Winner Vitas Gerulaitis. Multiple Grand Slam winner Swede Mats Wilander who had his own particularly smart range of Sergio Tacchini gear would shortly eventually wear similar Nikes himself.

Vitas Gerulaitis in Nike Wimbledon's

Mats Wilander in Nike's

Around 1980 when Nike had finally found its way over to the UK, Football Casuals everywhere were clamouring for something newer, rarer and more expensive than the norm of Adidas.

Many of them from logically turned their attention to the Nike Wimbledon which was the beginnings of Nike Tennis Shoes and later Nike Runners that would become a permanent fixture on the Terraces.