Korean dramas love retellings of fairytales from the cursed immortal Goblin to the nine-tailed fox Gumiho to a riff from Greek mythology, Habaek’s Bride and ofcourse grist to the media mill, Pinocchio. But there’s a modern Cinderella story of badminton that’s happened for real in their midst. It features one of shuttle’s most dominant figures, An Se-young, and the scramble to find a shoe that fits.
Crystal slippers can be bought from any fancy stores. By anyone. Prettying up is passe. But a badminton shoe that fits snugly, to aid one of the most perfect shuttlers of these times? Now, that needed more than a Prince or charm.
Badminton’s Cinderella tale goes back to Paris Olympics. Or further back, still. At a highly regimented, shockingly patriarchal establishment which used to once be the Korean national camp, the prodigiously talented Se-young had ended up – literally – doing laundry for her male counterparts. It was something about keeping players in “their place”, cutting them to size under the garb of some cynical disciplining.
Se-young had been winning for a while, and was very obviously poised for dominance that might be ending the multi-starring reign of a golden generation with Marin, Sindhu, Tai Tzu-ying, Okuhara, Yamaguchi, Ratchanok, Chen Yufei and He Bingjiao in the mix. But the start of a winning streak that would swamp every opponent, as long as she felt fit, was inevitable. Her footwork, her game sense and powerplay were the perfect package, and she slogged her toes off, training like a maniac.
Though the titles kept ringing with fair amount of regularity, Koreans were properly jolted and made to realise just how big a deal she was, when badminton equipment majors, Yonex (Japanese) and Li Ning (Chinese) got into a bidding tussle to sign her up.
Chaebol-land, with its world-wowing dramas and K-Pop groups truly realised the import of their badminton gem, when a four-year 10 million USD bidding war for kit sponsorship, took off this June, where Yonex were relieved to keep the game’s biggest star, in their portfolio.
While some peg it at USD 7.2 million as a base, Yonex extended contracts to Korean doubles stars, Seo Seung-jae and Kim Won-ho, both males, with the former rumoured to make USD 6.4 million from the equipment deal.
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FILE IMAGE: South Korean shuttler An Se-young in action. (Photo: BAI)
It was stupendous – because doubles heartthrob Lee Yong-Dae had been Korea’s mightiest celebrity, and still only 23, Se-young had overhauled all his past sponsorship numericals.
More crucially, she had liberated Korean badminton from that cloying rule where national team shuttlers were obliged to align with the team sponsor, commanding her individual contract.
Through 2025, the world was her ballroom, as Se-young danced her way to 3 Super 1000 titles, striking consistency that marked her virtually as all-conquering. There was a problem though. An ankle twist in the fairytale. The shoes didn’t fit snug. This Cinderella was determined to find her own perfect shoe, even as pumpkin chariots with endorsement deals bustled.
Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, reported a peculiar problem in October. Departing from Incheon International Airport to compete in the BWF World Tour Super 750 Denmark Open, it was revealed that even with an individually negotiated massive contract aligning with the national team I place, Se-young would wear Asics shoes, a fit she had preferred since Korea’s National Sports Festival.
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Moving away from the usual requirement of wearing official sponsor’s shoes, was odd but entirely justified given she had expressed discomfort with the allotted shoes, prompting the Badminton Korea Association (BKA) and Yonex, to allow an exception. An exception that was earned.
The BKA declared Se-young had been granted “temporary, limited autonomy regarding her footwear starting from the Denmark Open on Oct. 15,” As per Korean Times. “This decision will remain in effect until negotiations regarding the change in sponsorship agreements with Yonex are finalized,” the publication wrote.
It was made clear that public sentiment following the 2024 Paris Olympics, feedback from a National Assembly hearing, and consultations with sports officials and Se-young herself, had been taken into account.
At a National Assembly hearing on September 24, a photo of Se-young’s blistered feet was shared, and the BKA President swung into action to get the strict terms mandated by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, revised.
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Cinderella needed precisely fitting footwear, and the country’s biggest experts began working to develop custom shoes that would ensure she played comfortably.
More precious than glass heels, An Se-young confidently strode into Denmark and French Open, winning both, with shoes of her choice. She had competed in the badminton preliminaries of the National Sports Festival at the Miryang Badminton Stadium in South Gyeongsang Province on October 9, wearing her preferred pair, even as the badminton world scrambled to make her customised shoes. Shoes she could play and win in.
P.S: A Russian theory suggests Cinderella’s slippers were actually made of squirrel fur, though the French insist glass slipper is perfection because they fit precisely and can’t be stretched. An Se-young chose Asics Court Control FF3 and Mizuno separately for cushioning and grip.
