Dunlop Volley
Encyclopedia
Dunlop Volley is a brand of sandshoe popular in Australia, similar to the Plimsoll shoe
. It is produced by Dunlop Sport
, part of Pacific Brands
.
It is constructed of cotton canvas with a thermoplastic rubber sole. It was introduced by Dunlop Australia in 1939, 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
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.
, 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 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
won the Australian Open
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. 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. 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.
announced that the Dunlop Volley would be included as part of the Australian Olympics team's official uniform for the 2012 Summer Olympics
.
Plimsoll shoe
A plimsoll shoe, plimsoll, or plimsole is a British English word for a type of athletic shoe with a canvas upper and rubber sole, developed as beachwear in the 1830s by the Liverpool Rubber Company. The shoe was originally, and often still is in parts of the United Kingdom, called a 'sand shoe' and...
. It is produced by Dunlop Sport
Dunlop Sport (Australia)
Dunlop Sport is a division of Pacific Brands of Australia. The company is not connected to Sports Direct, which owns rights to the Dunlop brand outside Australia and New Zealand.Dunlop Australia first manufactured sandshoes in 1924...
, part of Pacific Brands
Pacific Brands
Pacific Brands is a major Australian company marketing Berlei, Bonds, Clarks , Dunlop, Everlast, Grosby, Holeproof, Hush Puppies, King Gee, Malvern Star, Sheridan, Slazenger, Sleepmaker and Tontine . It once held the Asian Pacific licence for British Knights footwear. It was formed as a division of...
.
Green and gold
The national colours of Australia are green and gold, as proclaimed by Sir Ninian Stephen, the Governor-General of Australia on 19 April 1984...
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
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.
Usage of the Dunlop Volley
The Volley was originally developed in 1939 as a tennis shoe by Adrian QuistAdrian Quist
Adrian Karl Quist was an Australian male tennis player.-Biography:Adrian Quist was born in Medindie, South Australia. The tennis legend grew up in Adelaide and once played Harry Hopman, however he lost, only because he gave Hopman a head start...
, 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 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
Mark Edmondson
Mark Edmondson is a former professional Australian male tennis player....
won the Australian Open
Australian Open
The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court...
catapulting the Volley back into the spotlight.
The distinctive herringbone
Herringbone
Herringbone can refer to:*A layout of airline seating – see Herringbone seating*A bonding pattern of brickwork, also known as opus spicatum*A weaving pattern of tweed or twill cloth – see Herringbone *A cross-stitch pattern...
tread is famous for its excellent grip, making the shoe a favourite among roofing contractors and canyoners. 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. 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 CommitteeAustralian Olympic Committee
The Australian Olympic Committee is the National Olympic Committee in Australia for the Olympic Games movement. It is a non-profit organisation that selects teams, and raises funds to send Australian competitors to Olympic events organised by the International Olympic Committee .-Background:The...
announced that the Dunlop Volley would be included as part of the Australian Olympics team's official uniform for the 2012 Summer Olympics
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
.