- Dunlop Volley
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Launch year 1939 Company Dunlop Sport Dunlop Volley is a brand of sandshoe popular in Australia,[1] similar to the Plimsoll shoe. It is produced by Dunlop Sport, part of Pacific Brands.
A moderately worn Dunlop Volley
It is constructed of cotton canvas with a thermoplastic rubber sole. It was introduced by Dunlop Australia in 1939,[2] and has had only minor changes to its design in over 71 years. Originally plain white in design, a green and gold stripe was added to the heel in the 1970s. Today, the standard design is white with a 3 stripe woven tape on the heel, while the green and gold stripe and an all-black version are also available.
In 1939, the Volley OC was released[3]
In the 1970s, Dunlop released a new style of Volley named the Volley International. The new model featured a new design upper and injection moulded rubber sole.
From 1978 to 1985, there were large volume sales of Volley in Australia.
In 1998, Dunlop Footwear moved production offshore.
In 2004, Dunlop Sport became part of the Pacfic Brands group.
Contents
Usage of the Dunlop Volley
The Volley was originally developed in 1939 as a tennis shoe by Adrian Quist, a famous Australian tennis player & employee of Dunlop. Adrian borrowed a pair of boat shoes (with Herringbone sole) during his Davis Cup tournament win in the USA and upon his return, convinced Dunlop to develop this high grip sports shoe. The original shoe was called the Volley OC (Orthopaedically Correct) and was famously worn by Rod Laver, Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Ken Rosewall etc. The Volley OC continued up until the 1970s when it was replaced by the Volley International which featured the 3 stripe woven tape around the heel, side quarter panels which secure the tongue, and new look injection moulded rubber sole.
In 1976 Mark Edmondson famously won the Australian Open[4] catapulting the Volley back into the spotlight.
The distinctive herringbone tread is famous for its excellent grip, making the shoe a favourite among roofing contractors and canyoners.[4] The Volley is commonly used by tradespersons, especially roof tilers, as the shoe has very good grip in most conditions. This has led to the development of Volley Safety shoes with steel caps, to meet worksite safety requirements.
Dunlop Volleys were standard issue by the Australian Army and RAAF until the late 1980s and are still issued to date by the Royal Australian Navy although are sometimes substituted with the Spalding imitation shoe.
A pair of Volleys subjected to prolonged wear-and-tear will develop two distinctive holes.[1] Firstly, where the canvas meets the rubber sole at the big toe, and secondly, at the widest part of the shoe where the little toe will subsequently be exposed.
As Australian Summer Olympics team 2012 footwear
In March 2011, the Australian Olympic Committee announced that the Dunlop Volley would be included as part of the Australian Olympics team's official uniform for the 2012 Summer Olympics.[3]
References
- ^ a b http://quezi.com/8016
- ^ http://www.dunlopsport.com.au/content/06_01_b.html
- ^ a b Atkinson, Bruce (29 March 2011). "Volleys in as Olympics go casual". ABC News (Australia). http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/03/29/3176279.htm. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
- ^ a b Harms, John (17 January 2004). "Why I love... Dunlop Volleys". The Age (Melbourne). http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/01/16/1073878021639.html?from=storyrhs.
External links
Categories:- Athletic shoe brands
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