This month, Coco Gauff will defend her title at the US Open. It comes less than a year after the tennis prodigy won her first Grand Slam in New York City.

At this year’s tournament, Gauff will use the anniversary to debut her second signature tennis shoe with New Balance. As the second signature model of one of the brightest young stars in tennis, the Coco CG2 is an evolution of her already beloved tennis shoe.

The Coco CG2 combines visually fashion-forward style with high-performance designed for intense competition. It takes inspiration from the 550s – one of her favorite styles – while adding geometric shapes inspired by her love of Paris, France.

The model carries over the same Energy Arc technology that won her a Grand Slam while adding a full-length FuelCell midsole for a propulsive underfoot feel and an Ndurance multi-court outsole for optimal traction.

A #2 on the back of the woven label represents the most feminine number in single digits in numerology, signifying power and grace. The launch colorway combines explosive colors with a fun vibe that only New York can bring, taking inspiration from the Statue of Liberty and the glowing lights of the city.

There is no shoe in tennis quite like the Coco CG2. There’s also no athlete quite like Coco Gauff. Leading up to the exciting announcement, Kicks on SI spoke with Evan Zeder, Director of Global Sports Marketing, Tennis and Baseball, and Josh Wilder, Senior Footwear Product Manager, Tennis.

Evan Zeder, Director of Global Sports Marketing, Tennis and Baseball

How has it been working with Coco?

“She’s the best! When we signed her at 14, we were working with her and her family. But it wouldn’t have mattered at what age because family matters to her, and we are a family-owned company that is privately held.

I think those connections early on were really important. What we said to the Gauffs as a family was we would commit to co-authoring and telling their story with them. Through this entire process, evolving her marketing and building her exposure, they’re with us every step of the way.
The entire process is open and honest.

We told them our biggest goal is to tell her story in an authentic way without being a distraction and only being a support system. It’s literally one of the strongest partnerships we’ve had and will continue to have. She is a special person, and we want to ensure we are doing it right by them.”

How does Coco’s authentic style influence her marketing?

“For us, it’s continuing to meet and speak with her to make sure we are going down the right path with storytelling and product. That’s been laid out really well with the CG1 and CG2. I would say we know each other pretty well at this point. It’s less trying explore who she is and what her style is.

It’s more, drawing from this bank of knowledge we have about her and showing her what direction we are leaning towards. She helps direct that with us.

That’s been one of the best parts of working with her. She is more opinionated, in a positive way, when it comes to her product and storytelling. She is a polite young woman and respects all of the work that goes around her. Now, she is more comfortable to speak candidly thanks to the rapport she has built with us over the years.”

What are you most excited about in the near future for Coco’s marketing?

“Launching this second shoe, still being the only active player on tour with a signature shoe, and showing the industry that we are committed is unbelievably exciting. Showcasing her personality in the ‘We Got Now’ campaign and with bigger events leading up to the US Open is exciting.

Every fall, we sit down with Coco and her family for a few days and walk through what we are doing for the next year. We decide as a team what makes sense. We want to tell her story and make it fun.”

Josh Wilder, Senior Footwear Product Manager, Tennis

Is the CG2 a natural evolution or a step in a new direction?

“When we sat down with Coco 18 months ago, we put in three different options. We basically said mild to wild. What she specifically said is that she wanted this to be an evolution, not a revolution. She knows a lot of her fans are not tennis players and want to be able to recognize her shoes.”

How do you balance versatility, performance, and style with Coco’s shoes?

“That’s one of the hardest things to do. Tennis shoes have gotten to a place where they are not really performance tennis shoes. That has been the hardest thing.

But looking back through the New Balance archive (basketball and tennis shoes), we were able to take design inspiration from the 550, which is a massive hit right now which is also Coco’s favorite shoe, and implement that in a way that it would provide the stability, durability, breathability, and performance that you would need in tennis.

Along with energy, ARC carbon fiber is pulled from running, basketball, and other categories. We were really able to do it in a tasteful way.”

Fans loved CG1 colorways. With the CG2, can we expect familiar stories or new styles?

“As Coco has progressed, it’s been fun. When we first launched her shoe it was about a lot of fun and contrasting colors. As she has matured as a person, she wants to become a little bit more refined her color pallette and design tastes.

With the CG2, you will see a bit more colors that are more subdued and fashion-forward. Less of those really in-your-face performance colors that you see from other brands.”

Further Reading: Coco Gauff’s New Balance tennis shoes rank high among the best shoes worn at the Paris Olympics.