Before Stan Smiths...there were Rod Lavers

To celebrate the success of winter sports teams, today was deemed a Red and Blue Day, Free dress for all! Students and faculty donned blue jeans, a shirt without a collar (yay!) and their favorite SI gear. Though flip flops are okay—even in winter—recently, I have noticed that an old school Adidas shoe isn't all that uncommon. I however opt for different one. I've had these friends since college and honestly it shows. I'll admit, I wear them as a point of pride. Why? Stan Smith's are everywhere these days...and I understand why. This shoe is a timeless classic; but as I sport my worn out, musty sneakers, I want everyone to know that before Stan Smith, there was Rod Laver.

It's not a given that people my age or younger know the man behind the shoe, but I consider myself lucky that I do. In fact, that is probably one of two words that characterize my relationship to tennis. Luck and gratitude. Though I no longer play, I cannot think back upon my teenage years without tremendous affection for this sport. 

I will never forget the day my father signed me up for a 2-week tennis camp at Valley Vista Swim and Tennis Club in Walnut Creek. I was 12 years old and he was deeply convinced I should give this sport—one that he loved—a shot. I did...and the trajectory of my life changed, without a doubt for the better. To this day, I remain grateful.

I was super lucky to have Michael Wayman as a coach. I can't even say that he was "my coach." I wasn't that good (he played professionally and today coaches at St. Mary's College of California), but I had a great desire to learn how to get good. I was also keenly interested in something else that Wayman taught: the history and development of the game. 

Every night, he assigned homework. Though some players considered this strange given that we played for three hours in a summer camp filled with drills, training, competition and more, my father had Dick Gould's book "Tennis Anyone?" and I had a curious mind. I took it all in—learning about the game's origin and who shaped it for the better. I memorized the names and stories of the greats. To be honest, I haven't forgotten that much. Jeu de paume, anyone?

If you knew tennis records you had to know Rod Laver. I'll let the entry from the International Tennis Hall of Fame's website explain why.

The only male or female player in tennis history to win two calendar Grand Slams in singles earned a tad more than $1.5 million dollars during his entire career. Rod Laver won a record 200 tournaments, held the No. 1 world ranking from 1964-70 and his total prize winnings in a 23-year career was half of what the USTA awards the men’s and women’s US Open champions. 

While those earnings pale in comparison to our modern era, consider that Laver was the first to exceed $1 million dollars on tour and earnings are directly connected to winning, which Laver did frequently. 

Sports records are meant to be broken, and many times they are, but it often takes decades. So while Laver’s major singles total was bested, his two Grand Slams, earned as an amateur in 1962 and a professional in 1969, have not been challenged in more than 40 years and simply don’t seem in jeopardy of being broken. Consider this: After Laver won his first Grand Slam in 1962, he turned professional and was banned from competing in the majors until the Open Era began in 1968. Had he not be barred, as all amateurs who turned pro were, it’s highly likely and probable that Laver would have won a third or perhaps a fourth Grand Slam. 

He was that good.

He's a worthy subject of a much more than a shoe, but let's give some credit where credit is due. According to Adam Leaventon's post "The 50 Greatest Sneakers of All Time," the Rod Laver weighs in at #7. Not bad. It is, however, three behind the iconic Stan Smith. Furthermore, the Rod Laver which also comes in a white and navy iteration, was first produced in 1970. Stan Smith's? 1971.

Steve Rushin, a writer I have grown to love and admire for his unique and astute humor penned an entertaining piece in or Sports Illustrated on the man behind the other shoe. In "Stan on Two Feet" he writes

YOU MIGHT THINK Stan Smith is a fictional character spawned from Madison Avenue like Cap'n Crunch or Mr. Clean, a confusion that extended even to his own children, one of whom asked years ago if the Adidas Stan Smiths were named after Stan or if Stan was named after the Adidas Stan Smiths. 

 In the last half century, 50 million pairs of the iconic white kicks have been purchased, making "my Stan Smiths"—as Rick Ross has rapped—better known than the actual Stan Smith, who turned 70 on Dec. 14 and remains our greatest living endorser of athletic shoes. "For longevity, Michael Jordan and LeBron James aren't even close," says Smith, who wears Stan Smiths at home on Hilton Head Island, S.C., where he coaches tennis. When Smith told a reporter that 95% of people probably don't know that he's a real person, his wife, Margie, said, "More like 99%." 

In 1972, Stan Smith was No. 1 in the world, winning Wimbledon 10 months after taking the '71 U.S. Open. And though he won 37 tournaments and eventually entered the International Tennis Hall of Fame, of which he is president, it wasn't until around 2001 that his daughter Austin became aware of her father's renown. "Dad, you're famous!" she announced one day. "Jay Z mentioned you in a song!"

Two thoughts come to mind...and that's part of Rushin's genius. It's true, my Rod Lavers are fashion trainers. As a tennis player, they were never performance shoes. Look to #34 The Nike Air Tech Challenger (mine were not 3/4). Still love those bad boys...err...girls. And second, in spite of it all, I don't think I've ever met a Stan Smith wearing student or colleague I didn't like. My posting Sports, Spirituality and Shoes states that "While social scientists will say shoes are a reflection of our personality, I would like to underscore that they are an extension of our humanity." Certainly my choice to wear and defend my Rod Lavers is a reflection of that truth. Given that each pair of these iconic green and white kicks better known that the athlete, you could easily say the shoe has transcended the man, and his story. But I would like to think that if you are taught the right way, you might not. I am lucky...and I'm grateful. 

Thank you Michael Wayman. You were a wonderful coach and teacher. Maybe all coaches shoes teach us about the history of the game they love....the greats...and even their shoes.

Photo Credits
Tennis Anyone?
Stan Smiths and Rod Lavers
Rod Laver

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Sports, Spirituality and Shoes...

If shoes could talk... Considering the pathways they have tread, the locales they have encountered, the places they have been taken off and where they are needed to be put on, I would like to hear their stories—especially those involving sports and spirituality.

While social scientists will say shoes are a reflection of our personality, I would like to underscore that they are an extension of our humanity. For example, one of the more poignantly painful exhibits at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC is a large room full of shoes. Just shoes. It's hard not to think of the men, women and children who removed them before they walked to their fiery grave. It's one thing to see the numbers of those who were killed and another to see their own shoes left behind. 

I saw Bruce Springsteen play for the 23rd time this past March. A regular to the General Admission section, I decided to wear my running shoes to a concert for the first time. I stood for nearly 4 hours, most of which was spent dancing and raising the "Badlands" fist in unison with the Boss. I wondered if wearing these shoes was a sign of my age or my wisdom. 

One of my favorite songs on "The River Tour," somewhat to my surprise is "Drive All Night." Springsteen weaves a powerfully haunting story of love lost through poetic lyrics and Jake Clemons commands the saxophone to speak what words do not. God it's good. Listen here. 

The line that stands out to me—to most anyone—is when the The Boss sings,

I would drive all night...just to buy you some shoes.

His voice, his body language, the raw emotion make me you believe he would drive all night...but to buy some shoes? It's not intended to be a mystery. In fact, it's as real as it gets. 

I love shoes like many women do, but I don't have what some deem to be "a collection" of them. I don't have any that are super impractical and I don't have any with red soles (or ones with diamonds sorry Paul Simon!) just yet. But, I have some good ones—really good ones—and even more stories that include shoes, sports and spirituality. Here are but a few...

A former co-worker and I would grab a beer after Baccalaureate Mass to share our highs and lows of the year. I miss you Bill! I must share this ritual with another colleague as I already know one of the highlights. It may sound shameless, but one them involves a compliment about my Nike Flyknit running shoes.  

It was spirit week and we had free dress so I was wearing jeans and these new Nike running shoes, which I spent a lot money and effort to buy. Rather than rush out of the classroom at the end of class, three senior boys who had been conspiring for a few minutes surrounded me to let me know what was on their minds. "Ms Stricherz, your shoes are on point today." No stories of personal conversion, no deep connection to the curriculum or challenging questions, just a simple word of praise about my shoes. That's a great day.

In fact, I like these shoes so much that when I read "Perfect Ending" a feature piece in Sports Illustrated about women's NCAA basketball champion Breanna Stewart, I'm not sure that if I met her, I wouldn't talk to her about shoes. (blog post on her coming soon)

She wrote "away from basketball, I like to shop for shoes. I probably own hundreds. There's a pair that I just got, and I love them so much that I don't know if I will ever wear them." Never mind the fact that no other athlete has ever done what she did: win four straight national championships, I want to know why she wouldn't wear those shoes. I feel connected to her in sports and in shoes; that's as human as it gets. 

In the TIME Magazine article "What Your Shoes Say About You," Alexandra Sifferlin writes,

Strangers can tell a lot about you, just by checking out your footwear — at least according to researchers from the University of Kansas and Wellesley College. 

Reading that report reminded me of the first time I met someone a good friend. Along with his older brother, we went to New Orleans' Jazz Fest. He was wearing Stan Smiths LONG before they came back as cool once again. In the same way that Red speaks of Andy Dufrense in the Shawshank Redemption, "it's safe to say I liked Mike [sic] from the start." I got to see Mike in 2010 after diagnosis of my heart condition; I knew my time with running was limited...but I had a new sport, golf. Mike gave me good advice that I still think about today: "leave your sticks but always pack golf shoes." I was headed on a trip where I knew I would play 18 holes, but I wasn't sure what to bring. His words reminded me that there's a turning point for casual participants/amateur athletes. When you make that purchase for sport specific shoes, a page has been turned. And when you travel with them, it's game time.

Our shoes carry hundreds of stories, simply because we do. And my guess is more of them are spiritual than we realize. I can't help but think back to one as written in "Love Begets Love: Thank you Matt Kemp" about former LA Dodger/Giants killer Matt Kemp who met a Joshua Jones, a boy with an inoperable brain tumor at AT&T park. Kemp learned that he was this young man's favorite player and heard of his illness. After the game, Kemp came to give him an autographed baseball, words of encouragement and prayers. But in their meeting, he gave much more: he handed him his batting glove, his baseball cap, his jersey...and then all that he had left to give: his cleats.

Perhaps this is what Springsteen means when he says he would drive all night, just to buy you some shoes. It's speaking to the idea that love asks us to give everything we got. Sports and spirituality isn't much different. 

Photo Credits
Nike Flyknits
Stan Smith