Melanie Oudin, the 17-year-old whose performance at the U.S. Open so far has prompted terms like "Cinderella story" and "America's sweetheart," was the name on everyone's lips this weekend, and not just because of her impressive win over former U.S. Open champ Maria Sharapova. The shoes on her feet during said win (and all of Oudin's games) garnered their fair share of attention, as well: pink, yellow and black, custom-designed Adidas kicks, complete with the word Believe scripted onto the heel.
The optimistic message combined with Oudin's spectacular triumph is the sort of uplifting material that the world needs these days. The shoes served as more than just fashionable and sporty footwear, but also a pleasant reminder of the power of positive encouragement (excuse us to get cheesy for a moment there, but we do love an underdog).
And after her win over Nadia Petrova, Oudin now qualifies for the U.S.Open quarterfinals (the youngest American to advance that far since Serena Williams). With victories over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Elena Dementieva, and superstar Sharapova already behind her, Oudin has faced and conquered some pretty daunting Russian competition. Of her win over Petrova, Oudin said, "I didn't think I started off to well. I stayed in there with her in the second set . . . and gained my confidence, believing I could do it and I did it." Must have been that little word of encouragement splayed across her heels.
Oudin is next scheduled to play Caroline Wozniacki and Svetlana Kuznetsova.
Get your game on in these sporty duds, all available right here at the StyleCaster Shop. We think Oudin would appreciate the pink and black Nike shorts, the grey and pink Asics or even the magenta adidas by Stella McCartney flats. A Prancing Leopard Sports bra is essential for comfort, as are basic Fila sweats and a Nike jacket to keep your body heat up. Or check out this unconventional version of classic tennis skirt.
