On’s The Roger Pro Releases In A Clay-Court Version

The first time we saw On’s The Roger Pro performance tennis model in 2021 it was only for Roger Federer. Then it came to the masses. It took even more patience for the clay-court version he wore at the 2021 French Open to get retooled and released to consumers. But here it is, with On expanding The Roger Pro line for the first time by adding a clay version to the mix, both for men and women.

“We, alongside Roger, wanted to introduce the shoe ahead of the clay season,” Katariina Tuohimaa-Mendel, On’s The Roger franchise lead, tells me.

The addition of a clay-court model includes an initial colorway for women and for men. For women, the white and Savannah colorway includes black accents and the tan-colored Savannah outsole. The men’s version mimics the colorway Federer wore during his last French Open. Officially white and flame, the orange plays on the heel counter and outsole.

And it’s that outsole that makes all the difference in the shoe’s design.

“The main change to the clay version of The Roger Pro is the full-length herringbone outsole,” Edwin James, On product manager, tells me. “It is engineered to move clay through the grooves so you can execute consistent and controlled slides without compromising on grip. We follow the herringbone pattern as we know it is what players prefer and need on the clay surface.”

The new outsole covers more of the midfoot and the tread opens at the toe, designed to allow a cleaner transition from movement to slide.

Tuohimaa-Mendel says really the only change needed to get the shoe ready for clay was the clay-specific outsole. The design continues to feature the same stability and breathability technology as in the hard-court version.

The Roger Pro uses a midsole of what the brand calls high-performing foam and a midfoot cage for foot security. A rounded sole design is meant to support smooth transitions while players move on the court. As with other The Roger models, On’s Speedboard plate between the midsole and the upper, made from 100% carbon fiber, is meant to enhance energy return while absorbing impact from landing.

Federer, now retired with 20 Grand Slam titles to his name, partnered with On as an investor in November 2019. His first product, The Roger Centre Court, debuting in July 2020, offered our first look at The Roger franchise in a tennis-inspired lifestyle silhouette. Since that launch, On has released differing versions of the franchise, including the lifestyle offerings of The Roger Clubhouse and The Roger Advantage. The Roger Clubhouse launched in a high-top version in 2022.

The roll out of The Roger Pro started exclusively in 2021 with limited availability. Since that time the launch colorway of white and indigo has become more widely accessible. A special-edition white and black version of the shoe has not made it to the mainstream market. The release of the clay-court model marks the first major commercial expansion of The Roger Pro line.

On’s Sarah MacNeil, global marketing lead for tennis, tells me the brand is continuously working with Federer in the lab and to expect more to come in The Roger franchise.