NEWS
Pukka Headwear, designer and manufacturer of golf headwear, announces its acquisition of upstart headwear brand Seven7under from John Bond. As a part of the acquisition, Pukka adds Bond as vice president of sales.
FootJoy introduces its new FJ SuperLites, a new category of men’s golf shoes. They are developed to be the lightest category of shoes in FootJoy’s lineup. The suggested retail is $90 and will be available this month.
AllGolfTV and GreenFees launch a nationwide contest for high school girls to compete for a chance at being involved in a national campaign aimed at junior golf and the golf apparel industry.
Hi-Tec launches a women's version of its earth-friendly shoe, the Enviro, as part of its new Fusion Collection.
Trigelle collection turns out en masse at the Kraft Nabisco Championship.
FEATURE
Crocs - not your grandfather’s shoes
By Vartan Kupelian
GPA Correspondent
These aren't your grandfather's golf shoes — at least in appearance and materials — but your dad might find them useful.
Stephanie Koon figures the new Ace golf shoe from Crocs might be a good fit for her dad, an avid golfer who plays five times a week. Her reasoning is sound.
"These aren't for his 18-hole round, but they may be perfect for practice," said Koon, a spokesperson for Crocs.
Of course, nobody at Crocs, a 6-year-old company based in Niwot, just outside Boulder, Colo., will complain if the new shoe turns out to be for many more people than the customary Crocs consumer base.
The Ace is made from the company's proprietary Croslite material, a closed-cell resin, lightweight, soft, odor-resistant and highly durable material that allows feet to bend and expand naturally. The material conforms to the feet to create a custom fit over time to reduce fatigue, among other benefits.
Instead of laces, an adjustable heel-hugging turbo strap is used. Circulaion nubs in the footbed stimulate blood flow.
The Crocs golf shoe eliminates cleats and laces without sacrificing stability, grip and the proper weight balance/shift required on a golf course, according to Koon. There are eight nubs in the bottom of the shoe.
"Croslite is the proprietary material in all of our shoes," Koon said. "For years we've had people say they want a Crocs golf shoe. They say, 'It's so comfortable, why don't you put spikes in it?'"
So they have.
The shoe hits the market this spring and should be on the shelves by the end of April. The price is $39.95. Just as in the regular street Crocs, the Ace will be available in a wide range of colors, including black with black accents, white with navy accents, white with cotton candy (pink) accents, cotton candy with chocolate (brown) accents, and khaki with chocolate accents.
The Ace has ventilation ports to increase breathability. The shoe is designed without holes on the sides, common in other Crocs footwear, for protection against morning dew.
"The Ace has the same look and feel as the original Croc," Koon said. "It's very light.
"We're realists. We realize it's not going to be the golf enthusiast's favorite shoe but it's a great shoe for warming up, for practicing putting, chipping, out on the range. If you're not going to play but want to have golf shoes when you go out to practice, the Ace is a very good idea.
"But it can be a really great 18-hole shoe for the casual weekend golfer. It's also a good shoe for travel. Who wants to travel with big, clunky shoes? The Ace will not weigh down your bag."
The nubs are not removable so once they have been worn down, the Ace must be replaced but at the $40 price point, Koon doesn't see that as an issue. How long they last will depend on usage, whether they're worn to and from the parking lot and around the clubhouse, or whether they're just used on the course.
"This is just the beginning," Koon said. "I think the material is the story. It's the start of Crocs' entry into golf."
Crocs' golf offerings include the Bite Collection, which was purchased by the company in late 2007.
Crocs' Bite Collection is more traditional in appearance but offers lightweight options in a patented co-molding process which fuses the Lite Ring, spike receptacle and phylon midsole together as one unit.
Crocs' golf portfolio includes a PGA Tour licensed shoe, a presence at some PGA Tour and LPGA events this year and partnerships with several tour caddies. Crocs caddies include Kevin Fasbender (Rory Sabbatini), Mark Loser (Paul Stankowski), Greg Bitterly (Tag Ridings), Mark Miller (Jeff Maggert), Michael Maroney (Michael Allen), Brandon Parsons (J.B. Holmes) and Dave Patterson (Mathias Gromberg).
For information, go to www.crocs.com.
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