How Kallmeyer Reimagined an Iconic Nike Tennis Sneaker
3 min readWhether it’s showcased in the form of iconic tunnel ’fits à la Naomi Osaka or on-court style like that of Marta Kostyuk, personal style has taken center court throughout this year’s Grand Slams. Of course, the sport’s influence on the fashion industry goes well beyond the stadium, manifesting in full-blown aesthetic trends (ahem, I’m looking at you, tenniscore). For Daniella Kallmeyer, the designer behind the New York-based label Kallmeyer, though, it comes down to what tennis—and women’s sports, as a whole—brings to the community. “I have really fallen in love with what [women’s sports] bring forth in women’s excellence—and excellence in general,” she tells ELLE.com on a phone call. “There are a lot of themes for me in the discipline and power and camaraderie.”
For Kallmeyer—who teamed up with Nike to bring its Café Kallmeyer experience to the WNBA All-Star Weekend in Indiana in 2025—it only made sense to join forces with the brand once again to reimagine its iconic Centre Sneaker as a wardrobe staple.
At first glance, the Nike x Kallmeyer sneaker feels elevated in its simplicity, but the designer will tell you that the starting point—a traditional tennis sneaker—is very different from the result. “I love exploring where form meets function, and taking the idea of this very functional performance sneaker and distilling it down to its silhouette—then rebuilding it up from just its materiality,” she shares. With the tradition of tennis whites in mind, Kallmeyer focused on the concept of letting the style show the wear of its wearer’s lived life. “The shoe we’ve made as a collaboration is not a performance sneaker; it’s a lifestyle sneaker, and that’s really because we’ve done it in this very raw, beautiful, travertine-colored suede. The color was intentionally chosen to hold and carry memories of its use.” As for the style itself, Kallmeyer explains that she and the Nike team worked to remove the padding from the tongue to create an ultra-slim upper and reworked the back with a “craft-forward hand stitch,” resulting in a stripped-down take on the silhouette.
Starring in the campaign for the style is American tennis player Amanda Anisimova. The athlete, who is currently ranked No. 10, tells ELLE.com in an email that she’s seen younger players on the ATP and WTA tours embracing their personal style on and off the court, because “it allows fans to learn more about you; it allows you to be creative and individual.” Kallmeyer echoes this sentiment, saying that athletes—as role models, icons, and public figures—can use their personal style to “express what they’re about and who they are.” For Anisimova, that means working with Nike to create ensembles that not only look amazing but allow her to perform at the highest level. Of course, even an on-court ensemble is not without its accessories. “I’m also enjoying working and partnering with Tiffany to create bespoke looks and make sure that my jewelry matches my outfits,” she says.
The Nike x Kallmeyer Centre sneaker is available to shop for $160 at Kallmeyer, SNKRS, Shopbop, Net-a-Porter, and FWRD.
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