Naomi Osaka's NikeCourt Air Zoom GP Turbo Is Ready for the US Open
With a denim construction inspired by Andre Agassi’s famous US Open shorts from 1988, plus personal details that nod to Osaka’s style and heritage.
The 2021 US Open is set to kick off at the end of August, and the world’s best tennis players will soon descend on the USTA Billie Jean King Tennis Center in Queens, New York to do battle on the venue’s hard courts. Naomi Osaka, currently ranked #3 in the world, is one of those players, and she’ll be ready for the tournament from both a competitive and a sartorial standpoint thanks to her new Nike shoes: a special take on NikeCourt‘s Air Zoom GP Turbo.
Inspired by Osaka’s heritage, personal style and an iconic US Open fashion moment — namely Andre Agassi taking to the US Open court in 1988 in jean shorts — the shoe is a colorful hodgepodge of materials and embellishments, but it still boasts some serious tech. Uppers are made of acid-washed light denim material and feature a Japanese flag on the lateral side plus a Haitian flag on the medial side for a nod to Osaka’s heritage. There’s also a gold chain-inspired lace deubre above the toebox, plus large leather Swooshes and a circular “NY” badge on the medial half.
From a performance standpoint, a large rubber overlay on the medial toebox protects the wearer from the scuffs and scrapes of sharp cuts and forceful serves. A full-foot Zoom Strobel cushioning setup provides responsive, Nike Basketball-inspired cushion, while sticky rubber outsoles promise lasting grip.
Naomi Osaka’s NikeCourt Air Zoom GP Turbo “US Open” is available now via Nike exclusive access — all you need to do is sign in to your Nike.com account to buy a pair. MSRP is set at $150 USD.
Looking for more new sneaker releases? Be sure to check out the latest installment of HYPEBEAST’s weekly Best Footwear Drops list.
