First Look: adidas shoes for 2017
Every sport has unique footwear – from skates to ski boots – and you can’t interchange them. They’re designed to do three things: look good, feel good and deliver performance.
In golf, most people tend to think of comfort and fashion first and don’t always realize that their golf shoes are an integral part of their equipment. Gaining added stability and control through the swing can shave strokes off your score.
I know I’m not alone when I say that certain shoes make me play better. I walk every chance I get and love the softness and comfort of a running shoe style of golf shoe. However, I also know that when I wear a more traditional style of shoe with enhanced support and all the latest technology, I feel more stable over the ball and have increased confidence when I swing.
That confidence translates into increased performance and is no different than the confidence you gain when you play a certain ball or hit a specific club. It’s hard to measure but think of all the positives and negatives you encounter in a round of golf. Any time you can eliminate some of the negatives or enhance the positives, it’s going to result in improved performance.
The fine folks at adidas know this better than anybody. After all, they deal with elite athletes in multiple sports all over the world and have to deliver performance that can sometimes mean the difference between a big cheque and no cheque. Confidence in your game, your technique and your equipment is paramount to playing well and winning.
Golf shoes are still very much a matter of personal preference. Not every golfer needs or wants the stability I crave. Just look at a couple of the adidas staffers on the PGA Tour. Dustin Johnson, currently World #1, loves the Tour 360 BOOST, the company’s most technologically advanced shoe, which provides incredible stability, support and control during the swing. Sergio Garcia, on the other hand, also ranked in the World Top 10 wears the adipower BOOST 3, which still has exceptional support and stability but also offers more cushioning and a softer, relaxed style.
Both golfers hit the ball awesome distances and make aggressive athletic moves, yet their footwear is quite different.
You may have noticed that both golfers’ shoe styles include the word BOOST in the name. BOOST is adidas innovative foam cushioning that is comprised of thousands of TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane) energy capsules fused together by way of a high pressure steam molding system. Their purpose is storing and releasing energy efficiently throughout the swing to deliver maximum energy return as the athletes perform.
According to adidas, “while traditional EVA foams hardens and softens dramatically when temperatures fluctuate, BOOST foam retains consistent cushioning and is incredibly responsive in both hot and cold conditions.”
In 2017, BOOST technology will be a key component in multiple categories for both men and women.
Another innovation that you will be seeing more of this year is BOA. The technology has been around for a while but will be offered on additional adidas models in 2017. BOA is the wire system that allows golfers to tighten and loosen their shoes with a round control button instead of laces. (See image at top). BOA adds increased stability over traditional lacing by adding more connections throughout the shoe to give golfers a snugger feel.
No discussion of golf shoes would be complete without mentioning fashion. Unlike other sports, golf encourages self expression with lots of style and colour offerings. It’s unlikely that you have more than one pair of skates (black) or one pair of ski boots. That footwear is designed solely for performance and comfort.
In 2017, adidas has a style and colour to complement every fashion choice. The women’s story in particular not only has lots of combinations, many of them are designed to match their apparel collections too. If you look good, you feel good. And if you feel good, you’ll play better. Let your inner fashion guru loose.
Golfers are always looking for a fix. If you’re not getting the most out of your golf game, maybe you need to pay more attention to your feet.
For more information, please visit www.adidasgolf.ca
