Welcome to the Functional Tennis Podcast.

I'm your host Fabio Molle and I bring you insights and lessons from players, coaches, parents and experts who are ingrained in the world of high level tennis.

While in Australia, I caught up with Asics Rene Zandbergen.

Rene has been previously on the podcast where he chatted about working with Novak Djokovic to develop the court FF3 Novak.

Today he's back on, chatting about the new flagship shoe from Asics, the Resolution X, where he played a role in helping to develop the shoe.

He chats about his role working with players and the new features of the Resolution X.

If you have any questions about this new shoe or any other of the Asics shoes, feel free to reach out to me at any stage and you can find me at the Functional Tennis Instagram account or you can email me@aceunctionaltennis.com Finally, I hope you enjoyed all our practice content I featured on the Functional Tennis Instagram account from the Aussie Open.

It was a great trip and super thanks to Asics for flying me down.

Finally, in the 12 days I was there, split between practice sessions and activities with Asics, I managed to get no practice footage of Zeref or Madison Keys.

I usually try and get the practice schedule which tells me who is on what court, what time, and unfortunately this year I couldn't get my hands on it.

So it made navigating all the courts really tricky because I didn't know who was on where and when.

But some practice info was available, though not all.

As I mentioned, the site is actually very big and going from Court 15, which is the back of one end, all the way to the back of the other end where the practice courts are near the indoor center which I think is court 27 if I remember right, takes nearly, I'd say 15 minutes of walking and it takes a lot of energy going back and forth.

So I sort of had to commit my time between what side I was going to be at that and I think on average I covered about 20,000 steps going from court to court.

So it was great exercise but overall a great experience.

And if you do get your opportunity to go down to the Aussie Open, I really recommend it.

It's a once in a lifetime trip for anybody, especially if you come from Europe or the us.

Anyway, here's Rene.

Hope you like what he has to say about the new Resolution X and as I said, any questions, let me know.

Rene, nice to see you again.

How are you?

I'm very good anytime I see you something Exciting is happening.

That's good to hear.

So congrats on new shoe.

It's.

It's great that we're not talking about the cord FF today.

That's all we used to talk about.

But yeah, the shoe's great.

Really.

Enjoy.

I've been lucky enough to test the prototype for a while.

And yeah, for me, you come from a solution speed background.

And I found this really good, like, inherently, it was always heavy for me, you know, just as a shoe, it is a heavier shoe, the more weight, comfortable shoe.

But I find when I put it on, it feels nice.

Comfortable is the word.

And then two, then it feels light.

When I have it on, I don't feel like I'm dragging my feet.

So congrats.

So maybe I've talked a bit too much.

Now you can tell me your role for people who don't know who you are, your exact role.

That's a difficult one, man.

Not really.

But, yeah, my role is.

My important part of my role is that I'm working a lot with athletes now, so working close together with the top tennis players, making sure that I get the latest insights from them, but also trying to explain the new products to them to.

So that they also understand when a shoe feels a little bit different when they.

They have a new shoe.

Right.

Because we have learned now through experience that that is something which is really important because you can imagine if you.

If you get a new shoe and the shoe feels different, then many times you will probably think like, oh, that's wrong.

Right.

But if you understand why it feels different, then it's actually a benefit that that will make you more confident and so on and so on.

Right.

So that is becoming more a main part of my job.

And yeah, that's really, really nice to do that because you learn so much from players who play at such a high level.

Right.

Because they use the shoe day in, day out.

And yeah, some of them even they put a shoe on and within seconds they could tell you like, oh, that feels different or not good or really good.

And that's really, really nice to work with.

Just a question.

While I thought about it, nothing really got to do.

The resolution.

But who just what are your athletes?

Destroys the shoes the quickest.

Like, who's your biggest tester?

You could say that absolutely minces them.

You're like, how did you do this?

Let me think.

Because I think that's.

I think one of them is actually bona college.

Yeah.

And.

But it's a little bit difficult because some players, they don't Wear the shoe too long.

Right.

So some players really have a shoe and they.

After just a couple of games already, or after a couple of matches, not games, they already change into the new shoe.

Do they?

Yeah, because they're very sensitive on the grip and.

And.

But we also have players who basically burn down the shoe completely and still wear it.

Right.

Because they're just in a winning streak or you know how it works sometimes.

Right.

Sometimes they fit better, but that's a good sign.

That means that if player can change a shoe after two or three matches, it means from day one, like they're broken in, you know, they're not like some other brands in the past where I couldn't wear them.

They just take too long to break in.

So that's a good sign.

Yeah.

So we have players who basically have the shoe.

They just practice one time and then they play the game.

So that's of course a compliment.

Right.

And from.

We know, we have the other chats about how Novak helped you design his shoe.

How did it work with this shoe?

Do you work with multiple players?

Was there one specific player and how long did it take?

When was day one of.

Let's work on the resolution 10.

When did that start?

That's probably now.

I would say almost one and a half to two years ago.

That depends sometimes a little bit on how much insights we already have from players.

So for instance, now with Resolution 10, this is for us a little bit the moment or this coming month to get feedback already for the resolution 11.

Oh, crazy.

Because now they have still in their mind the resolution 9, the change to the resolution 10.

So they will feel differences.

And then we would like to know, okay, what does feel good, what doesn't feel good, what is maybe something we could look after even more or less, that this is almost the moment.

Right.

And that this is.

That is quite early for the next Resolution 11, of course.

But this is just the perfect moment.

And then you turn into the design phase and the concept phase and then you go to first sample and that's again a milestone because that's the first moment you can really test the shoe.

So then we send them out or we actually go to the players.

And so for the resolution 10, for instance, we have been doing this actually for the first time quite early already with players and not just one.

So we have.

So Borna Koriich has done it and Dominik Striker has been wearing them.

Bea Aditas has been playing with it.

Jasmine Paolini.

And we have, of course, now, just now, Lorenzo Musetti of course, not that long, but still, we gave him the opportunity to test and give feedback as well.

So.

Yeah, with lots of them.

And then you go from first sample, because that's the one where we can still do drastical movement of changes.

So that means outsole midsole construction, because they are built with molds.

Right.

Okay.

So you need more time.

And then when you move to second sample, you're already looking at details or the upper construction.

So the upper construction is something you can still change at a later stage.

But of course, we try to be as early as possible.

So then second sample, and then you move to final product almost.

But in between there, you have the mass production, and that's why that takes a little bit longer.

Right.

So that's in total from the first time we start talking about the shoe until it's in store, I would say two years.

Wow.

Crazy.

And did players ever say to you, I want to wear these now?

Renee, That's a good sign, by the way.

And you're like, no, you can't wear it out.

That happened with bia, actually.

Did it.

Yeah.

Yeah, that was fun.

So I met her in March last year.

I went to Palm Springs in New Wales, and I had a meeting with her with the first prototype, actually, basically in the color you have seen now as well, because we had a photo shoot also.

And I said, like, okay, can you please try the shoe on first?

I would like to talk to you about this.

And so she tried first, she said.

Oh, I love this color.

So the color was already.

Already strike one.

Right.

And then she.

She put the shoe on.

And our storytelling is, of course, about comfort.

Right.

That was our goal with the shoe, with a stability shoe, to emphasize the comfortability, the comfort of the shoe.

And then what happened is she put the shoe on.

And the first thing she said.

So she was basically doing this a little bit.

And then she said, like, ah, that feels really soft and.

And comfortable.

Yeah.

So we were just sitting there.

Where's the camera?

Where's the came?

Yeah, so that.

And that was.

And that's what we.

We tried to do, of course, with.

With them.

And.

Yeah, that's what you like to hear, of course.

And.

And that was with her was immediately like, strike.

And.

And still now she.

She's very, very happy with the shoe.

So that's really good.

That's good.

And so tell me, what's the.

The major changes?

As far as I know, there's a nice soft cushion at the back for when you're loading up for a shot.

You've this higher arch part here.

The D lacing is different.

And there's one other thing.

The sole.

Is it.

Yeah, it's.

So it's basically three most important things are the.

What you said is the dyno wall.

The dyno wall.

And we made it.

We changed the design.

So it's.

The forefoot became more flexible and we are using a softer density material, which means it will also feel softer inside the shoe.

So it gets more comfort, which I've.

Which once you put them on, you feel that straigh.

Okay, that's.

That's good.

Of course.

And then the second thing is, like you said, is the.

Is the foam.

So the special flight foam plus blast foam, because that.

That foam is while you're loading up is actually the area where you want to have more cushioning.

And there we really got good feedback.

Yeah.

Like with.

With.

With B.

Right.

So the first step is you feel it.

And then the third part is the.

Like you said, it's the dyno lacing.

When you pull the laces, you get more support here.

But on top of that, we have extra eyelet holes and you can change the configuration of the lasers and have more.

I'm scared to try those, you know.

Yeah, yeah.

I just.

I have a narrow foot, so they probably work for me.

Like, I have been using shoe.

I like to tighten it.

Yeah, but I think when you tighten it, then I.

I'm also looking aesthetically at the shoe, you know, But I think they'll actually work really well for me.

So it's a nice feat.

It's a nice, simple feature.

This was actually the one thing which we did with Lorenzo and that solved the issue.

Whose idea was that?

That's pretty innovative in a way.

Yeah.

So that was one of our Japanese developers, actually.

He came up with the idea.

And what I like about it is the simplicity.

It's such a simple.

You just look at the shoe, it's like, oh, yeah, of course.

I'm sure the brands are like, why.

Do we never take it, probably?

And that's of course, the fun part of it.

And that's why I love it.

It's so simple.

And then like you said, we have some other additional things is that we of course, have the full length outsole because that fits to the baseline playing style.

Right.

To have more rubber, more grip, more stability.

And like you said, the inside is a little bit higher because more players are now sliding.

So they're dragging basically the second leg.

Right.

And because of that, we offer more Protection.

And you can see that also through the lacing.

There's no laces at all here anymore.

They're hidden behind so they won't break.

No more players looking for new laces.

This happens quite a bit.

Yeah.

And that has been changing since they moved and basically from.

Basically moved into sliding on hardcore.

No, no, it's a really.

It's a really good shoe.

And what other.

Do you know what other colors it's available in, by the way?

So it's this color.

That's a good question.

I've had too many questions today.

Yeah.

It's a busy day for you.

I need to look into the colors.

I haven't seen.

I haven't seen it.

I know the.

We will have.

We will have core colors and basically the more seasonal colors like this.

So core colors are more like the blue or the black and white.

Those kind of colors as well.

And finally, like, we obviously, when I post on the podcast about, we do our small ads for Asics and talk about the three shoes.

I always.

This, for me is a really good coach shoe because they're comfortable.

You have them on all day and coaches have to be on court all day.

So that's.

Do you agree with that?

Yeah, I fully agree.

And that's actually what we also hear from most of our coaches, obviously.

Yeah.

From our Essex Tennis Academy, is that most of them actually prefer to have this shoe.

Because like you're saying if you're standing for a longer time, then you need to have a bit more stability, a bit more support.

Because what happens is that basically the foot collapses a little bit more.

Right.

Because you just get tired, so it collapses more.

And then.

Yeah, you need to get some support somewhere else.

And then you will feel it in the back and things like that.

If it's too soft, think about doing shopping on flip flops.

Right.

Yeah.

End of the day, you'll be.

You'll be destroyed shin splints at the end of the day if I do that.

Exactly.

Yeah.

So.

And that is if you have that bit more of support.

And the good thing now is that we can also offer more comfort.

Right.

So.

And I think that's also.

That will be.

Yeah.

Really beneficial for those coaches as well.

Nice.

And finally is.

Well, I get a lot of messages.

People ask this, ask that.

Great.

But they always say it's not wide enough at the front.

But as far as I know, these are a little bit wider.

They accommodate a little wider, don't they?

Yeah.

And.

And that's especially coming from the fact that we changed the Dyna lacing as well.

So we had.

In the previous one, we had the Dyna wrap, for instance.

Dyna wrap means.

Meant that there's some extra material inside the shoe.

So basically means an extra layer inside, and that narrows the shoe as well.

Right.

So we have adjusted this, and by doing that, we now deliver a bit more space there as well.

So if you've been moaning about these shoes aren't wide enough, problem solved.

Problem shoes.

No, they are wide.

I don't have a wide foot, but I definitely feel that it's wider in that shoe.

It's also the feedback we got.

Yeah.

So people feel the difference.

Yeah.

So, great job.

Thank you very much.

Good speaking to you.

It was really nice talking to you, man.

That was.