When the modern game of tennis began to take shape in the late 1800s, players used black or white balls covered in melton. It wasn’t until 1972 that tennis balls took on their bright neon hue, largely because optic yellow balls were easier to see on color television. Now, with the European clay court season in full swing, Blackstock & Weber is teaming up with Palmes for an exclusive version of their Ellis penny loafer crafted from white felt. Copenhagen-based Palmes designs contemporary menswear inspired by classic tennis apparel. Echoing the texture of the melton covered balls, the Palmes Tennis Ball Loafer features an upper made with felt sourced from a family-owned tennis ball factory in southern England, sitting on a Goodyear welted double leather sole. Each pair is made in Portugal and co-branded with gold embossing. The shoe box includes a bag of red clay. Buyers can emulate the look of old-school clay court game balls by rubbing the clay into the white felt uppers.
Blackstock & Weber for Palmes Loafer ($375.00) – blackstockandweber.com
