Tips for retailers

Do court stars sell shoes?

That epic encounter on Wimbledon centre court between the two modern day giants of men’s tennis, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, in July 2008 did not only boost the popularity of the game. While Federer and Nadal were dancing athletically around that grass court to smash unbelievable returns and produce effortless winners, they were also salesmen for their footwear and clothing brand, Nike.

And while Maria Sharapova and Ana Ivanovic may have made early exits at The Championships at SW 19 in 2008, the cosmetic value of their footwear would not have escaped the admiring gazes of their tennis playing fans who try their utmost to emulate their heroines. Not that Sharapova and Ivanovic did not give their sponsors (Nike and adidas respectively) and fans enough TV-exposure recently. Sharapova won the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of 2008, in convincing fashion. That was her third Grand Slam success, following Wimbledon (2004) and the US Open (2006).

Ivanovic survived crushing defeats at the finals of the French Open in 2007 and the Australian Open of 2008 to win the French Open in 2008 through a dynamic display of attacking tennis and all-court athleticism.

Follow the stars?

Does this make any difference to the consumers buying shoes?

While price is paramount for most of his customers, consumers are swayed by what they see on TV, says Anchel Wiid, manager of the sport section of Kloppers.

“The juniors would want to emulate their heroes, like a Federer (12 time Grand Slam winner and the #1-ranked player in the world for four years and six months) and a Nadal (winner of four French Opens and Wimbledon in 2008 and the man who replaced Federer as the top-player in the world).

“The juniors are especially focused on their heroes.

“On the women’s side, cosmetics are the primary factor,” he says. “How attractive the shoe looks, is more important from the junior female perspective than most other factors,” says Wiid.

Does that mean that the top-players in the world, like Ivanovic, Sharapova and Jelena Jankovic are being followed on TV and efforts are being made to buy what they are wearing?

“Yes. They (the juniors) do have a look at who plays with a particular tennis shoe, and then try to emulate them.”

But, clients also want good cushioning and a durable shoe, he says. “Normally they want to wear a shoe that is soft and comfortable. They also want a product that would last them at least six months.”

Squash club, or more professional players, are swayed more regularly by the cushioning and comfort than by sustained efforts to make a fashion statement. “People look at what gives the best support, as squash players have to change direction frequently during a game,” says Wiid.

Squash does not make such regular TV-appearances as tennis either.

Most adult players are not so brand-conscious as juniors when buying a court shoe.

“The biggest request from consumers is that a court shoe must be comfortable,” says John Andrew, New Balance product manager.

“It must be durable, especially in the toe box area where the player rolls the foot over the toe area.

“Support in the heel area is also very important and the heel should not be too low to the ground. The outer sole durability is also very important as the SA courts are very hard on tennis shoes.”

Craig Nairn, national product manager of Hi-Tec, agrees that comfort and function are of paramount importance, with cosmetic value a secondary characteristic.

“In court sports, where the players subject themselves to high impact and pressure associated with quick changes in direction, the comfort and support offered by the product is essential,” says Nairn. “The key here is that the player must forget that they are wearing shoes and focus all their attention on playing the game. If they are worried about changing direction quickly or playing a particular shot because it results in discomfort or a loss of balance then the shoes aren’t doing their job and both the enjoyment and competitive ability of the player is compromised.”

Function more than fashion

Court shoes are almost always bought with function in mind, which is quite different to almost all other categories of sports footwear that are often bought for casual and multifunctional reasons and where the look of the product will have more of an influence on purchases, says Nairn.

“It is also here that the knowledge of the shop floor staff is essential as they must be able to sell the features of a given product within the parameters of the consumer’s budget and athletic requirements. Within our range of court product we focus heavily on function and this comes through the analysis of the playing patterns of our top sponsored athletes, with cosmetic value a secondary characteristic. After this, the look and price of the product is important, but comfort and function are critical,” adds Nairn.

Nairn says players would buy specific shoes for squash, as the gum rubber outsole grips better on the wooden floor squash court, while cross-trainers generally have a carbon rubber outsole. In tennis, people tend to use court shoes, but it depends on how seriously they play the sport. Social players who only play tennis once or twice a year, might use cross-trainers.

But 99% of regular tennis and squash players will buy footwear specifically designed for that sport, says Andrew.

Durability is a big issue. Tennis courts in South Africa are generally very abrasive, and therefore players would use tennis-specific products that are more durable.

Most good squash clubs also prohibit the use of shoes that are not squash specific. Squash players who venture onto the court without a non marking sole, may be kicked off the court, says Steve Gallienne, of Dunslaz Distributors, distributor of Dunlop and Slazenger brands.

A person who ventures onto a tennis court or squash court once a year to fool around with his mates, wouldn’t necessarily have a specific tennis or squash shoe and might wear a cross-trainer, adds Robert Blom, managing director of Thornbird Trading, local distributor of Lotto tennis shoes. “Your more advanced or regular player would be fully aware of the benefits of specific shoes.”

Aware of advantages

How aware are consumers of the advantages of sport specific court shoes?

Well, remembering that you have to make an investment of several hundreds of rand, most clients would certainly ask the shop assistant for some technical support and advice on the pros and cons of the shoe before purchasing it, says Nairn.

“Better players go through shoes very quickly if they do not wear tennis specific shoes, and that can become very costly,” says Gallienne. “A tennis specific shoe with support and toe cap protection will save them money in the long run and improve their performance.”

The toe drag is a factor — especially when a tennis player serves — that could really compromise the durability and hence players would look at the protection in the toe area that is given by a tennis-specific shoe.

Gallienne believes that between 60-70% of all tennis court users make use of a court shoe, while the rest — mainly occasional social players — won’t mind using a cross-trainer.

Greg Moran, co-owner of Roscoe’s Tennis in Durban, runs a tennis academy and a retail store that specializes in mainly tennis footwear. He says that they almost always enforce the rule that members must use tennis-specific court shoes. “We make them aware of the advantages, like the fact that it prevents injuries.

“If you wear slightly lesser shoes than a court shoe, you might encounter knee problems or even back problems.”

The established customers frequenting Thinus Rakette know what they want and ask for the specific shoe they want, says Daleen van Rooyen, who earlier this year became sole owner of this racket specialist store in Vanderbijlpark.

Normally they specify what type of court shoe they want. “They primarily ask about the price, and then about the protection around the front toe, as well as whether there is protection for the heel,” says Van Rooyen.

Asked what more can be done to make end users and customers more aware of the advantages of court shoes, Blom said: “Marketing strategies would entail empowering internal sales people with knowledge at the point of sales.”

Andrew agrees. “We need to do more in store training with store staff, keep our sponsored athletes updated on new technologies and keep on advertising the benefits,” he says.