Top Fashion Moments of 2022: When Coco Gauff broke the mold and unveiled her signature shoe

FLASHBACK: ZipRecruiter Player Resume: Coco Gauff, New Balance star, now has a signature shoe

Coco Gauff has had a season to remember, having reached her first Grand Slam final, qualified for the WTA Finals and achieved a career-high Top 5 ranking—all for the first time. But while her tennis game is getting plenty of buzz, there’s been just as much attention on whatever Gauff wears on the court, too.

One of the faces of New Balance, who famously signed the teen phenom when she was just 14, Gauff has set herself apart this year with the release of her signature shoe: the Coco CG1s.

The Look

Debuting at an ATP event in Gauff’s hometown of Atlanta, the Coco CG1 was initially available in contrasting “Pompey” and “DigiCoco" colorways that dropped during the lead-up to the US Open.

“I signed with New Balance at such a young age and I am so excited to know that I will continue to work with them for a long time into the future!” Gauff said ahead of the release. “The Coco CG1 is a vintage-looking shoe with a modern twist, and I am so excited to get this in stores and see how people style it!”

The mid-cut shoes took their inspiration from classic basketball silhouettes—a nod to Gauff’s family and off-court passions—and thus hit higher on the ankle than most tennis shoes. They’re also full of personal touches, including Gauff’s autograph on the tongue, her dad’s mantra (“You can change the world with your racket”) inscribed on the right toe, and more.

The Lore

After the release of the CG1s, 18-year-old Gauff became the only women’s tennis player with her own signature shoe. And she definitely used them to leave her mark on court, going on to record her best US Open to date by reaching the quarterfinals for the first time.

Gauff, who had also reached the Roland Garros final, kept tennis style watchers guessing throughout the rest of the season.

She recently dropped a new CG1 colorway called “All In The Family” in October, and has rocked a few custom designs for special occasions. When she made her long-awaited WTA Finals debut in Fort Worth, Gauff wore a Halloween inspired lightning ensemble—complete with custom CG1s. And during the Billie Jean King Cup, the American was spotted in red, white and blue.