Wilson Intrigue: Full inside & outside tour of their first women’s specific tennis shoe
Wilson’s first women’s specific high performance tennis shoe, the Intrigue, has now landed on court. Tennishead take a full inside and out tour to see if it lives up to the hype!
Marta Kostyuk, Wilson’s star head-to-toe pro player joins forces with footwear legends Tate Kuerbis and Shivam Bhan (formerly from Nike) who joined Wilson in 2023 to create a tennis shoe not only for Kostyuk (with her personalised input), but all women – as part of their first major project.
Amazingly, the team were tasked with producing a top performing shoe in just one year, rather than the industry common two year period, whilst working around Kostyuk’s hectic WTA schedule.
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Let’s first delve into the tech of this unique silhouette and highlight 3 key elements:
Sliding into the all new ‘SwiftStep’ sockliner, it has far more responsive foam cushioning than your average tennis shoe.
Next, up is the ‘FootFrame’, a lacing system that provides dynamic support to lock your foot in place whilst moving on every court surface. The laces are connected to the structure of the Intrigue shoe which is designed to let you play at the top of your game.
Last but by no means least is the exclusive ‘UltraShield’ a durable yet lightweight, breathable singe layer mesh – which is able to stand up to the physicalities of the game.
Wilson proudly promotes “Intrigue is perfectly designed with over 1,000 scans of women’s biomechanics.” The shoe’s ‘last’ is contoured and tailored for the female foot – who tend to have higher arches, narrow heels and wider feet.”
Matt Hart, MSc, BSc (Hons) MCPod, an independent Sports Podiatrist who has worked with professional athletes on an international level, explains “A female specific (tennis) shoe would allow for improved fit for women, allowing greater comfort and improved performance as a result.”
“This should allow female tennis players to move around the court faster, feel more stable and allow for improved change of direction. This would likely have greater benefits in-terms of feel on court, and potentially greater performance with a reduced risk of injury.” adds Hart.
The styling of the Intrigue, the aesthetic is no-nonsense, simple and super clean cut. Everything down to the classic shape fused with the mesh upper gives the look of these trainers a fabulous modern feel – that will for sure appeal to female eyes.
Looking at the midsole, it has a depth to it that will provide a player with excellent shock absorption, the overlapping medial side raised outsole grip – is a protective side wall perfect positioned for sliding into shots.
Together with the integrated lacing set-up and solid heel counter, there should no quibbles, just optimum lock down for your foot.
The wave pattern on the outsole is split in two, you’ll notice a difference either side with tighter and wider air channels. These grooves have been reversed for responsive grip and go on a variety of different playing surfaces. Clever moves from Wilson!
Marta Kostyuk reveals “I want something like a running shoe, fast and light but I want to drive it like a race car, agile and responsive, just like me.”
“I don’t just want this shoe to be good for me. I also want this to be good for other players and people who are going to wear it, who are going to test it, who are going to use it.”
The Intrigue name has a special Wilson history dating back to the early 90’s when they incorporated a shoe for women into their range. This is a rather clever connection to their past. More importantly, bringing a fresh, vibrant and exciting future to the fore.
Speaking to Footwear News, Shivam Bhan, Senior Director of Products and merchandises said “In men’s tennis, serves are so big, they’re so fast, it’s a given that when you’re serving, you’re going to win. But breaking serve is really important in women’s tennis”.
“There are more shots per set in women’s tennis than in men’s. And at Grand Slams, women only have three sets to win their match, and men get five. When you play the stats, it’s more high stakes in women’s tennis, and they have to do more work per point.”
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Personally, I’m quite amazed that no other major sports brand has targeted this gap. Is this a bold move into the unknown by Wilson or have they hit the sweet spot with the Intrigue? My bet is on the latter.
Kostyuk adds “These shoes had to be good, comfortable and durable, and that is what these guys achieved.”
The new Wilson Intrigue tennis shoe is £140 and available in a selection of different colour ways. Give them a try on court and watch out for our full play test review!
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