Alshon wears Gucci sneakers, still comes away with singles win
Christian Alshon is already grabbing attention at the Veolia Atlanta Pickleball Championships, but not for pulling off a big upset.
Instead, it’s his choice of footwear that’s turning heads.
Facing Mouaad Alhouni, Alshon ditched his usual Mizuno court shoes and wore Gucci high-tops instead.
It turns out this wasn’t some bold style choice from Alshon. He’d been locked out of his Airbnb and couldn’t get to his usual gear, leaving him stuck with whatever he had on at the time.
Fortunately, the Gucci sneakers were at least playable. Had he been wearing something less suitable, like rubber slide recovery shoes, Alshon likely would’ve had no choice but to withdraw from the match altogether.
That’s when Matt Manasse, coach and broadcaster for Pickleballtv, stepped in to save the day.
“I saw Christian warming up and I noticed his shoes. I thought it was odd that he was wearing Gucci, but then I saw him tie the shoes even tighter before the match and I thought it was insane,” shared Manasse. “Then he starts playing and he’s down like 7-4, and I’m sitting right behind him and I say, ‘Dude! Do you not have any shoes?’ And he tells me he’s locked out of his place.”
Manasse happened to be wearing K-Swiss court shoes, so he asked Alshon what size he wore.
“He says he’s a size 12. I’m size 11, but my K-Swiss run a little big. Either you lose, or you put on shoes that can help you win. So he took them and ended up flipping the script in Game 1 and came back. Then, he won Game 2,” mentioned Manasse. “In the end, I got my sweaty shoes back.”
It was a perfect example of the tight-knit pickleball community stepping up, helping a player get into proper footwear and avoid potential injury.
After the match, Alshon reflected, saying, “I’ve never missed my Mizuno shoes so much.”
Either way, the fact that Alshon managed to secure a straight-games win while switching between two different pairs of shoe is impressive. It highlights his skill and his ability to adapt, regardless of the circumstances or the footwear.
While it wasn’t an intentional luxury fashion moment, it does make you wonder if Gucci should consider designing court shoes for pickleball. It’s easy to imagine Alshon and his former coach Leigh Waters, often seen courtside in Gucci, embracing the chance to bring that style onto the court itself.
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