The Diadora Borg Elite Italia Trainer is the Crème de La Crème of Casual Footwear

It might be over 40 years since Bj_rn Borg's dominance on centre court but the Diadora Borg Elite Italia trainer still carries a certain panache.

The swanky penthouses in Monte Carlo, the Ferrari's & Fila's flamboyant White Line created a new era of designer sportswear that every young Casual kid of the 1980s would literally do anything to get their hands on it. The elitist appeal of Borg's super stardom and style was nothing quite like the tennis world had ever seen. Tennis gear became cool, with its continental connection of European brands and premium price tags it was a no brainer that the Casuals would lap up the styles worn by the centre court champions. The Diadora Borg Elite trainer wasn't just your average tennis trainer though. It was literally the "Crme de La Crme" of casual footwear, the trainer that every 80s Casual wanted on their feet. Yes there was all the Continental adidas stuff but the Borg Elite had something different about it. It was just about as premium as you could get for a court trainer at the time. The truth is the Borg Elite Italia trainer looks just as great today, some 40 years since its original release. Above: The Diadora Borg Elite Italia Premium trainer in white/gold now available from 80s Casual Classics. Before the Borg Elite trainer came on the scene in the early 80s, there was already a bit of a buzz in the tennis trainer world. The Stan Smith from adidas had paved the way for court trainers moving into the 1970s. closely followed by other all time tennis classics like the Nike Wimbledon, the PUMA Top Spin, the K-Swiss Classic and the Diadora Elite trainer from 1976. The Elite would later go on to become Borg's signature silhouette, the Borg Elite. As famously worn by George Michael in the video for 'Careless Whisper' from 1984, the Elite was also worn by Guillermo Vilas before he teamed up with PUMA in the late 70s. A mixture of Casual panache and premium materials saw Diadora create one of the most expensive trainers available at the time. The Borg Elite was lightweight and gripped to the court like nothing before it thanks to a unique carbon injected sole & self adjusting speed lacing system. Above: The Diadora Borg Elite Italia Premium trainer in white/gold now available from 80s Casual Classics. The Diadora Borg Elite now returns to its spiritual home with the introduction of the Italia trainer. Giving a nod to the original sought after Kangaroo leather version, the Borg Elite features original gold vector branding to the sidewalls with the addition of the famous Diadora logo to the tongue tab and heel tab also in gold. Also featuring white uppers in premium treated leather and of course the signature perforations to the toe vamp and the sides. Made in Italy just like the original release from the early 1980s this limited premium version isn't expected to stay around for too long. The classic 80s court trainer is now available from 80s Casual Classics via the links above.