Pickleball is the fastest-growing participation sport in the United States, and everyone from city planners to entrepreneurs have taken notice. Players have tripled since 2020, and public courts in major cities have increased by 650% in the same period. Professional athletes like Kevin Durant, Naomi Osaka, and Patrick Mahomes are just a few celebrities who own Major League Pickleball teams. Even brands are getting in the mix, and earlier this year, Italian sportswear company Lotto joined the Brooklyn Aces ownership group, becoming the first to do so in the MLP. The move was one part of a larger effort to relaunch in the United States that began in 2023.
Lotto was founded in 1973 as a tennis brand, and over the decades, it has provided athletes with footwear, apparel, and equipment across soccer, volleyball, basketball, track and field, running, and aerobics. Its deep roots in tennis made the expansion into pickleball a natural one, but creating products for the emerging sport is not as simple as repurposing its past designs. ‘When building our shoe for pickleball, we used some of the performance technology in our shoes while also relying on research from our stable of athletes on both the tennis and pickleball side to provide the necessary technical properties for maximum performance,” said Jameel Spencer, Chief Marketing Officer of Fashion and Athletic Verticals at WHP Global. “Our pickleball shoe was built with all the considerations specific to pickleball versus just being a takedown from our tennis shoe collection.”
Lotto’s deep archive is rooted in sports performance, but thanks to its Italian heritage, fashion has played an essential role in the brand since its inception. Lotto began releasing activewear collections to match its footwear in the 1980s, and the category quickly became a growth category for the company. The same dedication to Italian style and craftsmanship that made the apparel popular in the 80s is alive and well with its pickleball collection today. “The gear typically worn while playing the sport is very on trend for how people dress off the court as well,” said Spencer. “Pickleball apparel and footwear are a natural canvas for Lotto to flex our creative muscles and execute our Italian sense of fashion and style.” According to Dimension Market Research, the global athleisure market is valued at 393.7 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach 902.4 billion by 2033. Despite being distributed in over 100 countries, Lotto needed the right partner to reach the United States consumer, home to the largest global revenue-generating market for athleisure and athletic and casual footwear.
In 2023, Lotto announced a partnership with Dick’s Sporting Goods to become its U.S. anchor retail partner for soccer and racquet sports products. The partnership expanded in 2024 to include pickleball equipment, footwear, and apparel for men and women. While fashion and casual wear play an essential role in Lotto’s business, it was important for its products to be found where athletes shop. “Most importantly Dicks is a destination for consumers looking for performance products,” said Spencer. The decision puts Lotto in a unique retail position, displaying its footwear, apparel, and equipment on the same floor. This differs significantly from modern athletic footwear doors, where performance equipment beyond shoes and apparel is not always available in store. Dick’s provides a space where consumers can shop for game-ready soccer and racquet sports footwear and equipment, as well as on-trend casual footwear and apparel.
The Brasil Select remains one of Lotto’s staple designs and pays homage to the 1990s soccer boot. It becoming available in the U.S. via Dick’s Sporting Goods comes at an opportune time. Blokecore, a style inspired by UK soccer fans, remains hot in the States, with many brands seeing similar pitch-inspired apparel and footwear in high demand. “The on-the-pitch, off-the-pitch functionality provides everyday consumers with the ability to feel like they are true performers while looking stylish at the same time,” said Spencer. Although the Brasil Select fits perfectly into today’s style trends, it’s hard to compete in today’s sneaker culture without collaborations. “We are working on multiple brand mash-ups that afford Lotto the opportunity to partner with modern-day brands while leveraging our massive archive from our 50+ years of existence, said Spencer when asked about collaborations. “The Brasil Select will be one of many of our iconic silhouettes we look to “reimagine” through clever collaborations with other brands and properties.” Lotto may be in the process of developing a modern collaboration strategy, but it’s been partnering with professional athletes for decades.
Over 300 professional athletes are signed to Lotto globally, and its U.S. roster is growing, too. Lotto announced the signing of Brooklyn Aces star Pablo Tellez alongside the launch of its pickleball collection at Dick’s earlier this year. On the soccer front, Lotto made headlines when it added former Nike athlete and Chicago Fire FC star Kellyn Acosta to its roster in September. “Lotto was one of my very first ever cleats growing up, so being able to partner with the brand is a full-circle moment for me, said Acosta. According to a report from For Soccer, the number of new fans in the United States is up 400% year-over-year. The United States Men’s National Team midfielder sees the value in introducing Lotto to a growing consumer base. “It’s a world-renowned brand, and I want to help in their efforts to grow their soccer presence and influence in the US.” When asked about his favorite Lotto products, Acosta lists the Autograph sneaker collection, Solistas, Brasil Select, and Stadios.
Lotto’s arrival back in the U.S. lands in the early stages of a new sneaker era where brand diversity on and off the courts is on the rise. Between the rapid growth of pickleball, increased interest in soccer, and brand diversity in sneaker culture, the Italian sportswear brand is creatively and logistically prepared to contend. A glance at any “Sneaker Of The Year” list will show a stark contrast between the winning styles of 2024 and those from the last decade. “This year saw a dramatic shift in consumer demand for sneakers, said Dejan Pralica, SoleSavy CEO. “Styles inspired by running and soccer have gained serious momentum. These trends have been bubbling for years, and 2024 proved they were here to stay.” This era of sneaker culture and consumer buying behavior is as welcoming as any new or relaunching brand could hope for. Lotto is in a unique position to introduce its 50-year legacy to an audience that may be discovering it for the first time. This represents a rare opportunity to offer the two kinds of stories consumers crave: nostalgia and newness.