For nearly 60 years, K-Swiss has been a leader in the tennis footwear space — starting in 1966 with the K-Swiss Classic and today with the debut of K-Frame, a new performance technology applied across three performance shoes designed for tennis, pickleball and padel.
While historically, tennis has been K-Swiss’s specialty, the brand is bringing its deep legacy of footwear expertise to other racquet sports. K-Swiss notes that the unique lateral movements in tennis demand specific design, durability, and functionality — qualities that naturally extend to other racquet sports.
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Today, the brand’s roster of athletes includes Liudmila Samsonova, Thomas Etcheverry and Ekaterina Alexandrova — and now boasts ATP world ranked number 11 player Andrey Rublev. Rublev has signed a multiyear partnership with K-Swiss; the duo has designed and launched the K-Frame Speed Rublo as part of this collaboration.
The K-Frame technology uses structural components to reinforce the footwear in the key areas that each racquet sport requires for support, stability and speed. The brand said that the multi-directional movement of tennis — especially lateral movement — is very different from the heel strike and forefoot toe-spring that form the basis of the design approach for most running shoes.
“As tennis specialists, we are uniquely positioned to deliver the support and stability attributes serious court-sport athletes need, giving them confidence and control on court,” Barney Waters, president of K-Swiss, told Fairchild Studio. “Applying a single technology concept across three distinct sports is a fresh and forward-thinking approach — setting a new standard for multisport performance innovation.”
Waters continued that while tennis, pickleball and padel have distinct movements and performance needs, the brand has tailored the new K-Frame technology to suit each one.
The K-Frame Speed Rublo features the K-Frame as a support element beneath the forefoot to enhance stability and propulsion during aggressive lateral movement, enhancing rebound.
The K-Frame Pickleball features a molded TPU piece around the heel to support the agility and flexibility needed for fast movements over shorter distances. The K-Frame Padel integrates the tech under the forefoot along with molded cage-like TPU extensions connected to its lacing system to offer lateral stability during fast-paced matches.
Key features within the performance footwear line also include a lightweight, breathable DuraPrint upper and a HyperFoam midsole — a newly developed, high-resilience foam compound engineered for energy return and bounce in every step.
“As our team of pro athletes grows, so do their demands of us to create world-class performance products,” Waters said. “Rublev is the perfect partner to work with on new product and technology — his relentless drive, precision and passion on court mirror the exact qualities we build into our footwear.”
Rublev’s insights and influence helped to create not only a signature tennis shoe for K-Swiss but one that merges both style and substance. The launch of the K-Frame underscores K-Swiss’s continued investment in tennis and a broader commitment to racquet sports.
“It stands as a testament to the tennis community that we are continually pushing boundaries, developing new technologies and elevating performance standards — while staying true to our roots, on or off the court,” concluded Waters.
To learn more, visit kswiss.com.