adidas is bringing back the Billie Jean King tennis shoe, and the Bright Royal pair is the one that carries the history.
In 1974, King became the first female athlete to receive a signature shoe from adidas. A blue suede version of the model was on her feet the year before, during the match against Bobby Riggs that most people know as the Battle of the Sexes. She won in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3, in front of an estimated 90 million viewers worldwide. That original pair now sits with the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
The 2026 version keeps the construction close to the era. Curved overlays shape the toe box, serrated Three Stripes run down the side, and a low-profile rubber sole finishes it off. The commemorative details do the rest of the work. A leather tongue tag carries an updated portrait, her signature appears in gold near the lateral heel, and the back tabs carry the final match scores. Insoles are printed with “Pressure Is a Privilege,” her longtime motto and the title of her 2008 memoir.
This signals adidas understands what it actually owns in tennis. The brand has plenty of terrace shoes and plenty of Stan Smith variations. It has exactly one shoe tied to a moment that changed how women’s sports were covered. Running it back in the original blue rather than a fashion colorway is the right call.
Release details: $110, releasing August 24, 2026, style code KH9856. Expected in women’s sizing.
Where to buy: adidas and select adidas retailers.
More adidas coverage here.
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