Think about the polarized objectives
inherent in a modern golf shoe. We avid
golfers want:
·
Great traction for those side-hill lies on wet
grass, but no dents or scuff marks on the greens.
·
Serious support and stability for an aggressive
rip at the ball, but lightweight comfort over a 3-5 hour walk.
·
Styling that looks athletic and updated, but
respects the traditions of the game.
·
Waterproof technology that locks out water, but
high quality leathers that look classic, breathe and take a shoeshine.
As you see, it’s not an easy
formula. Golf course superintendents
around the U.S., whose jobs depend on preserving smooth putting surfaces that
roll at 11-14 on the stimpmeter, lament the way aggressive new “soft” spikes
and other aspects of “techno-traction soles” leave thousands more marks and
much greater green damage than the old 11 point metal spikes that were outlawed
long ago. Many “spikeless” shoes have
hard plastic nubs on them that also damage greens worse than metal spikes ever
did.
Then there’s the styling,
support, comfort and “leathers” of most new shoes. Who really wants to see a golf shoes look
more and more like skateboarding or NBA basketball shoes? Are we
running a marathon out there, or are we looking to swing aggressively at the
ball and get the distance we need?
So, since a bunch of us in the
management of Allen Edmonds are avid golfers and we wanted to “bring classic
back” to the time-honored game, we thought there’d be one man uniquely
qualified to partner with us – golf’s greatest champion, Jack Nicklaus. Working closely with Jack throughout the
design and testing of our new golf shoes, we think we’ve come up with the best
answer to the contradictions on the market today. Let us know what you think…. Here’s the link to our Jack Nicklaus
Signature Golf by Allen Edmonds page on our website.
http://www.allenedmonds.com/jack
Hit it long and straight (but
don’t scuff up the greens)!
Paul D. Grangaard
Allen Edmonds Shoe Corporation
