The Bite Magazine - Autumn/Winter 2022 - Issue 32

biteshoes F rom tennis prodigy René La- coste’s crocodile tenacity on the court to win seven Grand Slam titles earning him the ‘crocodile’ nickname, to symbolising its logo on his apparel, Lacoste has maintained its sport- ing emblem since 1933. Tennis being the sporting symbolism of the brand, Lacoste has demonstrated its evolution through elegance, character, dialect, femininity and even cheekiness over its 60-year ad cam- paigns from 1933 to 1993. In the 19th and 20th centuries, tennis play- ers wore heavy, cumbersome and long- sleeved Oxford-cloth cotton shirts, trousers and ties for professional playing. A vision- ary, René challenged tradition and revo- lutionised the tennis uniform with flexi- ble, lightweight polo shirts in ‘petit piqué’ cotton. He also patented shock absorbers inserted between the strings of rackets in 1960, followed by a steel racket in 1963 that won 46 Grand Slam titles between 1966 and 1978. Following its expansion into fragrances, eyewear and leather goods, Lacoste part- nered with British shoe manufacturer Pent- land to introduce casual footwear. The early days recalled the René, the first tennis shoe created by the founder in 1963, G80, which embodied the ‘80s spirit, and V-Ultra was an emblem of the beginning of the nough- ties. The chic and pointed reissued René shoe had a cotton Oxford upper, a chevron weave, and a white vulcanised sole engraved with a contrasting crocodile on the heel. Initially designed in 1987 for professional tennis players, the revamped G80 featured a vintage woven Lacoste Tennis label on its tongue. The inner sole has an all-over 'L' print, an improved sole tread, a green croc- odile logo on its quarter and a 'hard court' marking on a tag. The V-Ultra first came out in 2000 with an imposing sole benefit- ting from technology-enabled foot support. The retro-style trainer featured the iconic embroidered green crocodile on its quarter and Lacoste marked on the heel. Other iconic Lacoste shoe designs include Storm 96, inspired by the Storm 96 OG re- leased in 1996, with a redesigned low-top version. The suede uppers were enhanced by a woven mesh accentuating its honed shape, while the leather underlays set off a signature rubber-coated raised crocodile. This decidedly modern shoe remains true Images courtesy of Grove Communications