Dunlop Volley
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Dunlop Volley is a brand of sandshoe popular in Australia, similar to the Plimsoll shoe. It is now made by Dunlop Sport, part of Pacific Brands.
It is constructed of canvas with a rubber sole. The distinctive herringbone tread is famous for its excellent grip, making the shoe a favourite among roofing contractors and canyoners. It was introduced by Dunlop Australia in 1939, and has had only minor changes to its design in over sixty years. Originally plain white in design, a green and gold stripe was added to the heel in the 1960s. Today, the standard design is white with a double-blue stripe on the heel, while the green and gold stripe and an all-black version are also available.
In 1998, Dunlop released a new style of Volley named the Volley International. The new model offered a variety of colours and a more cushioned sole.
In 2007, Dunlop announced that they will be releasing 3 new styles of Volleys including a Trevor Ward pro model as apart of their new volley skate range.
[edit] Usage of the Dunlop Volley
The Volley was originally designed by Dunlop specifically as a tennis shoe, and was famously worn by Mark Edmondson in the 1976 Australian Open. However, they can be used for almost any activity, the most common being running or jogging, hiking, boating and sailing, wading, bushwalking, canyoning, or simply as casualwear. This shoe is also commonly used by various tradespersons, especially roof tilers, as the shoe has very good grip in most conditions. Dunlop Volleys were standard issue by the Australian Army until the late 1980s.
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 pinkie-toe will subsequently be exposed. Such holes are rarely thought to be a condition to retire the shoe, however, they may be relegated to less fashionable uses.
