In 2026, table tennis is a different beast. The once leftfield sport is primed for a new era, and Lacoste is the brand to take it there with Crocoliga in partnership with Highsnobiety and Zalando.

For Lacoste, the move is more heritage than pivot. René Lacoste was an innovator before he was an icon, and that Crocodile tenacity has always existed beyond the baseline. It won’t be the first time that Lacoste translates its founder’s energy for a new game, either. 

In the late 1960s, Lacoste made a dedicated foray into table tennis, engineering specialized technical equipment and high-performance apparel specifically for the ping-pong circuit.

Highsnobiety

Some half a century later, enter Crocoliga. Crocoliga will see teams built from creative communities based across Europe face off in a series of tournaments to determine the definitive kings of the table. It comes at a time when the energy around table tennis is undergoing a drastic evolution. This shift is fueled in no small part by the Marty Supreme effect; Timothée Chalamet’s generational publicity run compounded Josh Safdie’s film to create a world where table tennis sells out limited windbreaker collaborations.

Teasing the project in the wake of Milan Design Week nods to Lacoste’s iconic design lineage as well as the creators set to fuel the Crocoliga competition itself. It’s a reminder that the objects we play with can be considered as the clothes we wear. As table tennis sits ready for its next explosive chapter, Lacoste leads it away from the cold, clinical feel of performance and toward something playful and rooted in culture.

Discover more from Lacoste on Zalando.