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A new signature pickleball shoe is on the market, and it practically happened by accident.
Eric Porter is the founder of Stria Sport, and his biggest hit, up until recently, was one of his basketball shoes being worn by 95 professionals and even in the Olympics.
But Porter said he began to receive emails from his customers that the basketball shoes had actually been a go-to for pickleball.
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Gabriel Tardio is the first pickleball player with his own signature shoe. (Stria Sport)
So, the Stria Sport team went to work.
“Being a smaller brand, we have the opportunity to be intimate with our customers. So once we see customers buying five, six pairs of shoes, and they’re telling us they’re wearing them for pickleball, I’m picking up the phone, other team members are calling these people, ‘Hey, why are you wearing this shoe for pickleball? What do you like? What don’t you like?’ And they gave their feedback,” Porter told FOX Business in a recent interview.
“And pickleball, obviously, is so hot. It’s been hot. There’s been continued growth in participation in the last five, six years. And we said, ‘You know what? Let’s take the attributes from our first basketball shoe, and let’s take the attributes at pickleball, and let’s just combine a core shoe.'”
Thus, they landed on a prominent pickleballer to represent them.
Gabriel Tardio plays a backhand. (Stria Sport / Fox News)
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At just 19 years old, Gabriel Tardio is the third-ranked men’s doubles pickleball player in the world (12th in singles). In their discussions, Tardio would also give his feedback to the team.
“They basically just reached out to me through Instagram. I sent them my agent’s number. The main reason, the fact they were able to make any type of shoe feel awesome, they had an idea of coming out with a signature shoe, which I liked. So the idea of having a signature shoe and having a company that listens to me, they can make any type of shoe, I thought it was amazing,” Tardio told FOX Business.
Thus, Tardio’s signature shoe was born.
“There’s obviously a ton of lateral movement in pickleball, a lot of pounding on that court surface where you want rebound in your foot where it doesn’t hurt, and obviously a wide base. So we created this first shoe, which is taking all those attributes and going after the pickleball market. I think working with Gabe helps that. Gabe’s an unbelievable player, he gives us a new reach and credibility that is second to none,” said Porter.
And that basketball shoe in the Olympics? Porter said this is even better.
Pickleball paddles at the BioFreeze USA Pickleball National Championships at the Brookhaven Country Club on Nov. 8, 2023, in Dallas, Texas. (Bruce Yeung/Getty Images / Getty Images)
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“Having Gabe join the STRIA SPORT brand is clearly up there at the top of the list, but we’re so proud of all the small steps of progress along the way and the athletes that have formed our incredible Stria community,” Porter said. “Seeing it go from a concept to the feet of friends and family to pros and eventually Olympians has each had its own special moment for us.
“But having a top-five pickleball athlete in the world wear our shoes is truly a dream for the brand and proves the vision that our shoe is made for athletes at the peaks of athletic competition. We are proud of what we’ve created with Gabe for pickleball players and athletes at all stages of their athletic journey, and just like Gabe, we know we are ready for the opportunity to elevate our own game to the highest level.”
