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Wilson Sporting Goods pays homage to several of sports and tennis’s greatest cities with its new Limited-Edition Global City Collections. The brand’s second drop celebrates both Pro Staff and New York City’s undeniable influence on tennis. Wilson introduced its Global City line earlier this year with collections recognizing Paris, France, and Tokyo, Japan.
About the New York-inspired Pro Staff Collection
The Wilson Pro Staff franchise has captured the attention and adoration of players for generations. With a cult-like following and an unmatched legacy in tennis, the classic look of Pro Staff is back, with a fresh, New York City-inspired twist.
Drawing from the pure energy and tennis heritage of “the city that never sleeps” and one of the most popular slams of the year, this collection fuses modern tennis with the timeless Pro Staff look.
- Pro Staff Classic Men’s Jacket: a full-zip, warm-up jacket with a baseball collar and front pockets. Its bold navy colorway is finished with an embroidered red “W” on the front and “Pro Staff” logo on the back (MRP $80).
- Pro Staff Classic Men’s Tipped Polo: a modern, three-button shirt with vibrant red rib-knit cuffs and collar. Made for performance and equipped with moisture wicking technology for cool comfort (MRP $60).
- Pro Staff Men’s Shoes: This all-white shoe with a leather-upper and 4D chassis supports and cushions player movements on the court (MRP $129).
The New York Pro Staff Collection is available on www.wilson.com or at select tennis retailers worldwide.
While the 2020 Pro Staff Classic re-release may be a lovely looking shoe, that, I am afraid, is where all the praise ends. Firstly, the Duralast version of this sole is far to soft, and will wear through in a very short time, except perhaps on clay, but Wilson advertises it as an all-court shoe. Secondly, the mid-sole material is ridiculously soft for any sort of performance shoe. I’ve rarely ever had a pair of running shoes that felt so soft, nor would I want them too. A mid-sole this soft could well be a cause for possible injury during the quick start and stop nature of racquet sports in general. Thirdly, the plain, almost entirely flat, cushion insole is really a bit of a joke, when it comes to what one would expect in anything remotely approaching a performance shoe, and Wilson even had the nerve to attach an advertising hangar to the shoe mentioning it. It adds even more cushioning, which is not remotely required, and offers no arch support whatsoever. Fourthly, those who have complained about the short tongue are absolutely correct. It just barely reached above my top laces (after lots of pulling on it), and I have a relatively low volume foot. I had thought about saving them only for occasional tournament matches, but after seeing just how soft both the out-sole and mid-sole are I am not sure even that would be a safe option. The only reason I will likely keep them is to occasionally wear them as a casual fashion shoe. These should have only been distributed through companies like Foot-Locker, who have up selling serious sports footwear a long time ago, and now only sell fashionable look-a-likes, with no performance value what-so-ever, at outrageous prices. Wilson really sold out when they re-released this version of the Pro Staff Classic.