FILA Tennis Now Into Pickleball • Sponsoring The National Champs In Indian Wells • Check Out The Shoes

FILA Launches into Pickleball Category with First-Ever Performance Footwear and Apparel Collection
Will Serve as Official Athletic Apparel and Footwear Supplier of 2019 Margaritaville USA Pickleball National Championships

FILA announced its presence in the fast-growing pickleball category with the launch of the Volley Zone and Double Bounce, two new pickleball shoes designed specifically for players of the popular paddle sport. The Volley Zone and Double Bounce are the brand’s latest addition to its growing portfolio of performance footwear. Both styles are available for purchase on-site at the 2019 Margaritaville USA Pickleball National Championships, to be held at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden from November 2-10, 2019. The Double Bounce will be available later this month at retailers across the United States, while the Volley Zone will be available for purchase on FILA.com and at specialty retailers in January.

The Volley Zone incorporates many features of FILA’s popular Axilus 2 Energized, the brand’s lightweight, flexible performance tennis shoe that has been heralded by both professional and recreational players for its seamless blend of comfort, performance and style. The Volley Zone is FILA’s first-ever performance pickleball shoe, featuring a herringbone rubber outsole for added traction and durability, pivot areas in the forefront of the shoe for added traction, and Energized midsole for extra cushioning.

The Double Bounce is FILA’s opening price point court shoe, offering the same forefront circle pivot areas with a high abrasion rubber outsole and mesh upper panels for breathability. Both the Volley Zone and Double Bounce incorporate the brand-new FILA Pickleball logo, which pays homage to the brand’s classic visual identity, while creating an entirely unique logo design for the pickleball category.

“We see an incredible opportunity in the pickleball marketplace to deliver apparel and footwear that is specifically designed to the needs of this sport,” said Mickey Rivera, Director of Sales for Tennis & Pickleball, FILA. “We know that pickleball players are amazingly passionate, and we wanted to create a line of products and a FILA Pickleball identity that reflect the uniqueness of the sport.”

The Volley Zone will be offered in two colorways for women and three for men, with a retail price of $100. The Double Bounce is available in two colorways for both men and women, and retails at $65.

FILA’s launch of the Volley Zone and Double Bounce is part of a larger focus for the brand on the pickleball category that also includes serving as the Official Athletic Apparel and Footwear Supplier of the 2019 Margaritaville USA Pickleball National Championships. The event – which expects to draw more than 2,200 players and nearly 20,000 spectators – is the premier sanctioned tournament of the United States Pickleball Association (USAPA) and is organized by sports and entertainment management company Desert Champions LLC. As part of the partnership, FILA will have a retail presence on-site at the event, with the Volley Zone and Double Bounce available for purchase, as well as a variety of special-edition U.S. Nationals apparel, including a selection of FILA Pickleball branded apparel.

Next spring, FILA will debut its first-ever pickleball apparel line, offering a Pickleball Racerback Tank and a Pickleball V-Neck tee for women in a variety of colors, as well as the Pickleball Scallop Hem HT Crew and the Pickleball Polo for men. A specialty Pickleball Bag featuring the FILA Pickleball logo will also be available in early 2020.