Today's Highlights

• Adidas footwear stepping up a notch
• Ready Or Not, Here It Comes
• Pink Tee comes to girls’ apparel rescue

NEWS

Dunning introduces new fall line

Dunning Golf introduces fall 2008 performance apparel collection.

FT Performance highlights Callaway collection

Callaway Golf Apparel introduces its fall 2008 offerings, which are led by the introduction of its FT Performance, a new proprietary fabric developed exclusively for Callaway Golf Apparel's men's collection.

FEATURE

Adidas footwear stepping up a notch

By Janice Ferguson
GPA Correspondent

Two innovative golf shoe styles lead Adidas footwear into 2008 — the Tour360 LTD for men and the Powerband Sport for men and women. And both offer performance features and technology that push golf footwear to another level.

Revolutionary advances in what golfers put on their feet to go out and play a round rival those in golf equipment. While some may think that those 6-year-old round toed, black and white saddle shoes are just fine, it might be time to update the train of thought. C’mon, you got over the advent of soft spikes — you can do this.

At first glance the Powerband Sport looks like a running shoe with its mesh upper. But Adidas has added a proprietary new technology called 50/50 Protect, a water-resistant TPU shield with membrane-lined mesh that surrounds the lower half of the shoes to protect the foot from mud, dirt and wet grass.

“Powerband Sport is a breakthrough in athletic performance golf footwear,” said Dave Ortley, global director of footwear design for Adidas Golf. “Mesh shoes have enjoyed limited success in golf due to water penetration and inherent instability. We believe that we’ve overcome both of these challenges with the 50/50 Protect and the powerful Powerband platform.”

Ortley compares the shoe to owning a second vehicle.

“On average, people don’t own two SUV’s, or two of the same sports cars or two mini vans simultaneously,” he said. “Folks prefer to own vehicles with complimentary functionality, and we apply that same concept to golf footwear.”

The Powerband Sport also features a FitFoam sock liner with molded PU that conforms to the foot’s contours, promoting improved lateral stability and comfort. The GripZone locks the foot in place during the swing to enhance control, while the clog-resistant DTAC Cleats provide improved ground grip.

“Every golfer needs to experience the benefits of this new shoe for his or herself,” Ortley said. “It adds another layer of performance to your game, where for the first time ever, the benefits of lightweight, breathable, comfortable mesh will function at a very high level on the golf course.”

The shoe is available in three color combinations for men — white/energy orange, black/deep red, and sun yellow/black — while women have a choice of white/blue freeze, silver/indigo, and white/pink. Both retail for $120.

 The Adidas Tour360 LTD is a little like having your cake and eating it too. This shoe combines advanced performance technologies with the kind of premium materials and craftsmanship most would expect to find in top-shelf men’s footwear.

The use of Thin-Tech, a new low-profile shoe construction with 10 cleats that literally brings the golfer closer to the turf for improved stability is what separates the Tour360 LTD from the rest of the pack.

“It’s said that golf is a game of inches, but we disagree,” Ortley said. “It’s a game of fractions of an inch. That’s the difference between a solid shot and a miss-hit.”

Tour professionals advised us that they wanted to get closer and more connected to the ground to increase the consistency and purity of their ball-striking. Thin-Tech creates a remarkably solid, responsive and stable shoe that makes hitting a golf ball a more tactile experience. It lowers the athlete’s center of gravity to increase stability, and channels feedback from the ground more efficiently to promote improved footwork. That helps the athlete hit the ball more solidly, more often.”

At the recent PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, one of Adidas’ pros, Justin Rose, had comments about the shoe. 

“The Tour360 Limited, the technology in this shoe, obviously we can all agree, looks incredible. It’s very cool. The off-center stitching, the monotongue, the look and stability of the shoe is incredible,” Rose said. “Me, personally, one of the biggest areas of my game is my leg action. If that’s nice, solid and stable, that’s ultimately what I work on day in, day out. I think it’s going to be a huge product for Adidas in 2008.”

The Tour360 LTD is no slouch on performance or looks. Hand-burnished full-grain leather uppers, refined waxed laces, vented perforations, and the asymmetrical mono-tongue construction with leather lining make the shoe as handsome as it is impressive.

Available in mustang brown, black, and white/black, the Tour360 LTD retails for $250.

Two very different shoes at opposite ends of the spectrum, but both promise to kick down the door of golf shoe ingenuity, and give consumers what they expect from footwear.

“We rely on global market insight, experience, heritage, and a deep understanding and passion for the game of golf to light our way as we barrel down the path of product innovation every year,” Ortley said. “We understand that risk is an inherent part of what we do and we never shy away from something we believe in. It is this whirlwind combination of factors that has led us to where we are today. Tour360 and Powerband have changed golf footwear forever.”
 
For information, go to www.adidasgolf.com.