Iconic Aussie shoe brand Volley teams with The Upside
Australian iconic shoe brand Volley has teamed with athleisurewear brand The Upside to create a limited-edition shoe to coincide with the launch of the Australian Open this week.
The iconic Volley tennis shoes were developed over 80 years ago by Grand Slam pioneer Adrian Quist and have been worn by tennis royalty through decades of major tournaments. Volleys, which reached peak popularity in the 1980s, have gained a cult following among Gen Y, Millennials and Gen Z.
As part of the partnership, the custom-made tennis shoe VOLLEY UP will be promoted at Melbourne Park during the Australian Open championship this month.
The collaboration aims to tap into the nostalgia of the iconic shoes and help increase Volley’s style credentials among a new generation. The partnership will also expose The Upside to a new audience of sports fans who may not be familiar with the Sydney-based clothing brand.
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Volley’s content & marketing manager, Anna Geason, said, “Tennis has a timeless appeal that definitely lends itself to reinterpretation, however there’s a sense that with a new, emerging rollcall of young, exciting and highly watchable tennis players, that tennis is exciting again and attracting an entirely new audience, bringing tennis into the lifestyle-centric-wear realm rather than just performance wear.”
Jillian Greig, head of digital at The Upside, told The Drum the partnership was driven by The Upside’s founder Jodhi Meares.
“The brand holds a lot of nostalgia for her (and lots of Australians), and she was passionate about Volley’s authentic link to Australian tennis history - being worn by many of the tennis greats for decades. Plus, it’s such a classic shoe that goes with everything. It’s a partnership that just made complete sense in all regards.
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“Our guiding principle is to produce pieces that help our customers be well and feel gorgeous in their pursuit of a joyful and healthy life. The partnership with Volley is no different – ultimately, we hope to inspire movement. If we can reach new people with this partnership and inspire them to get involved and be active, then it’s a job well done,” said Greig.
To promote the partnership, The Upside has created a short film directed by Romy Frydman and starring ex-ballet dancer Ally Burrows.
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The film will be promoted by a digital marketing campaign and across The Upside’s owned channels. The collaboration will also be promoted via in-store events at retailer Stylerunner
Greig said the collection would help maintain The Upside’s position as a leading athleisure brand in the local market.
“We’re an incredibly active, sports-loving nation with a revitalised focus on health and wellbeing post-pandemic there’s no reason to anticipate a slowing in the category. Of course, there are plenty of new entrants to the market, so it is a competitive place. But there will always be a demand for high quality performance pieces that also look amazing."