Own these one-of-a-kind customized FILA sneakers designed and painted by Paul Lempa. They are an original for tennis fans, sneaker buffs, and art collectors alike.
Artist: Paul Lempa
Title: Custom Björn Borg FILA Sneakers
Year created: 2021
Medium: Paint on sneaker
Hall of Famer Björn Borg polarized tennis in the 1970s. Known as the “ice man” for his frosty temperament on court – never, ever letting his opponent get a hint of what was boiling inside him – Borg was the epitome of cool. Everything from the way he walked onto the court, to his long hair that flowed to his shoulders to the signature FILA headbands and pinstripe look he always wore created hysteria. At Wimbledon, where he is a 6-time champion, his 92.7 winning percentage based on a 51-4 record from 1973-81 won’t likely ever be broken.
Borg’s name stands among the greatest of all time in the sport. He won an impressive 11 major singles titles in just seven years without losing a set (1974-81), before dramatically shocking the tennis world by retiring at age 26. Even in such a short time span, Borg left an indelible legacy on tennis history. He won six French Open championships (second best in history behind Rafael Nadal’s 11) and four consecutively (1978-81).
Artist bio:
Paul Lempa is an award-winning artist born in Bayonne, New Jersey in 1970, who currently lives and works in Jersey City, New Jersey. A lifelong sports fan and avid artist, Paul was inspired to pick up a paintbrush as a way of celebrating the beauty and grace of athletes and sport. It is through the canvas that he breathes new life into players and figures whose images have been woven into the fabric of our nation. In the past 3 years, his art has been awarded in juried shows, seen in national publications such as ESPN and featured on Topps baseball cards. Beckett Sports Card Monthly, the leader in sports collectibles, called Lempa one of the “TOP 12 Artists to Collect”. Paul’s work has been seen in galleries across the country and has had numerous solo exhibitions in Hoboken and New York City, as well as permanent installations in the Bergino Gallery and the National Art Museum of Sport.