Revived Volley Player summer's big hit 'Cool because of the colours', says former junior pro competitor Johanna Morrison of the new Volley Player. Picture: Aaron Francis. IN 1977, when Volley was looking for a name for a new tennis shoe, "Player" was an easy fit. It simply signified somebody who participated in, and possibly even excelled at, competitive sports. These days, players -- or "playas" if you speak ghetto -- don't confine their games to the court, and compete for street-style kudos instead of match points. Which is why the revived Volley Player, reinvented with splashes of bright colour and priced at $30, is probably going to be the big hit this summer. Volley design manager Jason "Jazz" Bonifacio, 35, says the Player, redesigned for casual wear, is right for the times. "Look at people's feet these days -- the louder it is, the better," he says. Everyone wants to be an individual, everyone wants to stand out. Bonifacio knows his market. He started collecting sneakers as a kid, and was hired fresh out of university in 2003 by Melbourne-based international skate-shoe company Globe. After seven years there, he was lured to Volley to oversee the brand's reinvention as a fashion label. In 2011, Volley launched the Well Worn campaign, which sought images and feedback about long-forgotten Volley models from the public, filling in the gaps in the company's own archive. The Player, with Bonifacio's signature bright colours, as well as better quality canvas, leather and lining, is one of the outcomes. Former junior pro competitor Johanna Morrison, 24, says the Player has solid fashion credentials. "They're cool because of the colours," she says. People get sick of fashionable things that last a season. Volleys are classic, and you never get sick of them. Their functionality shouldn't be dismissed either, she says. "My dad got me into them when I was 12," Morrison says. They are the quickest way to get round a court, and you can slide in them. One of the best ways to teach kids to slide on clay is to get them in a pair of Volleys.