Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2023 - 12

GOLF GEAR
Pedi-Care
With new golf shoes entering the market and storied brands
adjusting, you can find a facelift for your feet.
M
arty Lass is the head golf professional at Edina Country
Club and has seen plenty of golf shoes purchased in his pro
shop. He understands slight changes, new innovations and incoming
trends in the industry.
" I'm starting to see some smaller companies pop into the market,
and we look at those, " Lass says on the phone from a recent Las Vegas
merchandise show. " But the big companies, such as FootJoy, Adidas,
G/Fore, Nike, Under Armour and Ecco, are changing toward what
the golfers' needs are. They are doing a great job adjusting. "
Lass says there are basically two categories today: spiked golf
shoes, for golfers who swing the club hard or willingly play in
inclement weather, and spikeless shoes, which are more lightweight,
versatile and fashion-forward. Newer companies offer a
variety of spikeless shoes, and the old guard is adjusting.
" FootJoy has all their classic leather shoes, yet they've really
transformed the company around the modern golfer with more
lightweight styles, " he says. " Some people want to put their shoes
on and drive their car, go play golf, wear the same shoes to lunch
and then drive the car back home and never take the shoes off. So,
they're getting very multi-functional with that. "
Lass insists the core attributes golfers look for in a shoe-fit,
* BY JOSEPH OBERLE *
comfort and function-have not changed, but he sees the desire for
individual style on the course increasing in golf shoe consumers.
" The lightness of the shoes is really incredible these days, " Lass
says. " If you have a fast swing or have what we call 'happy feet,'
you might want spiked shoes. Some people take great pride in what
they look like on and around the golf course. They want funky colors
and crazy designs. But it all boils down to comfort and function
and whether they need traction or not. "
Lass has watched the decade-old company G/Fore start with
younger golfers and increase its market share over time. " They
were kind of a niche market for the younger crowd, but they're
making some indentations in the older crowd. "
The question eventually boils down to spiked or spikeless, and for
men, Lass finds, they are 60-70 percent in favor of spikeless. Women,
however, prefer the lighter, versatile and more colorful spikeless
shoes 90 percent of the time-such as the new Cole Haan line.
" Cole Haan has traditionally been more of a high-end dress
shoe, but they're dabbling a bit in the golf shoe market, " Lass says.
" So, my wife is bringing in a few of the Cole Haan women's shoes
this year. "
Find both form and function in your next pair of golf footwear.
G/Fore for Men
" A multi-functional shoe featuring a
one-piece engineered waterproof G/dry
knit upper for unbeatable comfort . . . and
finished with our staple triple-density
foam cushion footbed for a massage with
every step. " -gfore.com; $225
G/Fore Women's Color Blend Camo
MG4X2+ Golf Cross Trainer
" A multi-functional shoe that takes you
from the street to the course with ease.
Featuring an auxetic lattice midsole for
all-day support, a sawtooth traction pattern
for grip and finished with our staple
triple-density foam cushion footbed. "
-gfore.com; $225
12
MINNESOTAGOLFER Spring 2023
FootJoy Premiere Series for Men
" Introducing our revolutionary VersaTrax+
technology delivering unparalleled traction
and stability in every playing condition . .
. 360° of Traction-specifically arranged,
multi-directional traction elements create
an impermeable defense against swing
forces that can come from any angle. "
-footjoy.com; $200
mngolf.org
http://www.gfore.com http://www.gfore.com http://www.footjoy.com http://www.mngolf.org
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2023

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