Retired American tennis player and former World No. 1 in men’s singles and doubles, Stan Smith, turns 78 on December 14, 2024. His number-one rankings occurred one decade apart, 1971 in singles and 1981 in doubles. Smith is a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame and a seven-time Grand Slam champion winning Wimbledon and the US Open in singles, and the Australian Open and the US Open four times in doubles.
Smith’s tennis acumen is perhaps less known to the current generation of fans than his iconic brand of Adidas shoes which recently celebrated their 60th anniversary.
Long before Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal were NIKE brand ambassadors, Smith was the original. He has a lifetime deal with Adidas.
The Adidas Stan Smith Shoe
Though his shoes were originally intended for wear on the tennis court, they are now considered recreational shoes. Though the look has stayed relatively close to the original design, enhancements with materials have caused the shoes to evolve over the years.
Happy Birthday to Hall of Famer, 7-time major champion and man on the shoe Stan Smith! 🎂
Get to know the story behind the iconic @adidas 👟 pic.twitter.com/5JZXVfJxCu
— International Tennis Hall of Fame (@TennisHalloFame) December 14, 2024
Smith and Adidas are still focused on improving the shoes with a current goal of using sustainable materials.
Stan Smith made $1.4 million in his 15-year professional career (from 1969 to 1985). His Adidas earnings are far more. The 100 millionth pair of Stan Smith shoes was sold in 2019.
Smith’s visionary partnership with Adidas paved the way for the current players who make more money through endorsements than they do on the tennis court. Today’s Top 10 highest-paid tennis players including Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, Coco Gauff, and Naomi Osaka fall into this category.
