More than five decades after Billie Jean King made history in her iconic blue suede Adidas sneakers, the legendary shoes are coming back. And King still has plenty of praise for the brand that helped make them possible.
Adidas is bringing back the Billie Jean King Blue Suede Shoe, originally worn during the historic 1973 “Battle of the Sexes,” when King defeated Bobby Riggs in front of a global audience of around 90 million people.
King recalls becoming the first woman to have a signature shoe, praises Adidas for its courage
In a recent interview with Cosmopolitan, King reflected on becoming the first woman to have her own signature shoe.
“Today, people are used to women getting signature shoes, but not in those days,” she said. “I was the very first one, I think.”
King wanted something that would stand out on the newly colorized television broadcasts.
“I told them I wanted a shoe with color instead of just black and white because television was now in color,” she explained. “And I love blue.”
Adidas listened.
“You had to move heaven and earth for any change in those days and they did it,” King said, adding that she has “always been indebted to Adidas, because they have the guts.”
Every time she sees a woman receiving a signature shoe today, she remembers where that history began.
“Anytime a woman gets a signature shoe, I know it started with Adidas and with me,” King said. “And it makes me happy.”
New Blue Suede Shoe
The new Blue Suede Shoe has been reimagined as a lifestyle silhouette while keeping details that celebrate King and the 1973 match. Her portrait and signature appear on the tongue, “1973” is featured on the left heel, and the match’s set scores appear on the right.
For King, however, the shoes represent much more than one historic tennis match.
“These blue shoes will always represent so much more to me than one match,” she said in Adidas’ announcement. “They remind me of the progress we’ve made, but also of the work that is still ahead of us.”
King urges younger generations to know their history—and their worth
King believes the growing financial investment in women’s sports is an important part of the progress she has spent decades fighting for.
“People are starting to think of us, women’s sports, as a great investment—and we are. You can make sales on it, you can sell shoes, everything, but they didn’t pay attention to us. Are they now? Starting to. Women can make you money if you just do what you’ve been doing for the guys for over 100 years…”
Her advice to female athletes can be summed up as: know the business you’re in, understand your worth, and stick together not matter the sport you’re in.
For King, knowing your worth also means knowing the history that made today’s opportunities possible. She wants younger generations to understand the struggles and achievements of the women who came before them and use that knowledge to shape what comes next.
“I hope that women feel they can do anything and that they believe in themselves. And just keep going for it and never give up and have dreams for themselves. I’d also like them to know history. The more you know about history, the more you know about yourself. But more importantly, it’s for the future—you can shape the future, and that’s what I want the younger generations to do.”
That message feels especially powerful at a time when women’s sports are attracting unprecedented attention, investment and commercial interest.
“My dream is finally coming true,” King told Cosmopolitan. “I’m so glad I’m still alive to watch this.”
The Billie Jean King Blue Suede Shoe will be available beginning August 24 on adidas.com, the Adidas app and at select retailers.
