Fashion Insider: Hybrid golf shoe solutions gain traction
By Man In The Black Hat
One of the earliest references to a spiked golf shoe was published in 1857 in the Scottish periodical 'The Golfer's Manual'. The manual simply advised those new to the game to "wear stout shoes roughed with small nails or sprigs to walk safely over slippery ground."
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Concerns over the quality of putting surfaces resulting from shoe "sprigs" soon followed.
Metal spikes have endured, outlasting hickory, persimmon, and a myriad of other performance related technologies, it comes as no surprise that the debate over metal spikes versus soft spikes/no-spike hybrid sole alternatives remains an issue on the PGA TOUR. Just last month at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard, Ian Poulter took to Twitter to share his frustration with players who continue to use metal spikes.
"The greens got crusty out there this afternoon baked in the heat & wind & plenty of spike marks. why do people still use spikes," Poulter wrote.
In a follow-up tweet directed at Rory McIlroy, Poulter went on to estimate that between 10-15 players still use metal spikes, and that there is no reason for them to do so.
For those that do continue to wear metal spikes, the root of the issue may not lie in performance, but in the perception of performance. They know nothing different, and are not prepared to make the change as long as metal spikes continue to be permitted on tour.
United States Golf Association tests support the concerns of Poulter and all others who have encountered spike marks blocking the line of putts over the years. Published in 1983, "Golf Shoe Study II" confirmed that metal spikes did cause more damage to greens than the alternatives available at the time. Though the study predates the introduction of soft spikes, the conclusions presented within remain relevant.
Proponents of metal-spiked golf shoes remain, and their apparent benefits were espoused during the Masters telecast this past weekend. Proper grip, it was said, could only be achieved on Augusta National's ultra lush, undulating fairways through the use traditional metal spikes.
In the field of 99 only two opted for shoes that bore no spikes, be they of the soft or metal variety. Ryan Moore in TRUE Linkswear and Fred Couples in ECCO Golf Street.
Moore, a founding member of TRUE Linkswear, has played his last eight competitive rounds at Augusta National in TRUE Tours. The shoe features an "Ergo-Traction" hybrid platform that maximizes surface contact and grip both while walking and during the golf swing. Not surprisingly, Moore is an ardent believer in his product, and the general concept that metal spikes, and even soft spikes, are unnecessary and unfair to professionals and amateurs alike.
"We have been told what we need regarding traction for a long time," Moore said. "But what the TRUEs do for you is they give you the freedom not to be bolted to the ground."
ECCO Golf hasn't issued metal spiked shoes to its TOUR staff for for years, and as a company ECCO is a big believer in the hybrid sole golf shoe as the future of golf. ECCO Golf has a significant leg up on the movement with one of the tour's all-time most popular players, Fred Couples giving the Golf Street valuable television exposure.
"From the tests we have done there is not a big difference between soft and metal spikes. The traction of hybrid shoes is fantastic," said Jesper Thuen, Marketing Manager at ECCO Golf. "Hybrid shoes are much more green friendly than both soft and metal spikes."
But what about solving the problem once and for all?
Ryan Moore offered a solution that is both reasonable and fair: "If you don't wear metal cleats, you should be able to fix spike marks."
Save for a bold move from the USGA and the Royal and Ancient Golf Club to allow this, time and patience is likely what stands between TOUR players and greens free of spike marks pulled up by metal cleats. Or is it?
Perhaps new ideas yet to come to the golf market will provide the ultimate solution. Consider for example, KickSpike. Launched by a Class A golf course superintendent, KickSpike currently supplies industrial boot companies with an easy to deploy and retract metal spike mechanism for use in slippery conditions that, when elegantly integrated into a golf shoe, would rid courses of any and all manner of spike mark. The waffle iron effect for which soft spiked and hybrid soled shoes are purported to leave behind would be virtually eliminated.
The putting utopia promised by such an offering would then place any and all responsibility for missed putts on the individual wielding the flat stick.
Foisting blame upon an external influence can be an important emotional release for a player, and with an innovative solution like the KickSpike, the opportunity to vigorously tamp spike marks down when a stroke goes awry is forever lost -- a very small price for players to pay for consistent putting conditions for all players in tournament fields, regardless of early or late tee times when players typically deal with diminishing putting conditions.
Black Hat Ticker
Apparel scripting is a common practice these days for many companies looking to promote new product releases. Interesting to note that Masters champion Charl Schwartzel did a bit of freelancing last week on the way to victory ... ECCO Golf announced a multi-year extension for Fred Couples to continue to be their marketing and advertising front man this week. Terms of the deal were not announced ... During the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Palmer himself announced a partnership with between Arnold Palmer Enterprises and Quagmire Golf clothing to develop a new apparel line under the brand name 'Arnie.' ... In case you missed it during ESPN's coverage of the first two rounds of the Masters, take a few minutes to learn about the story behind Jack Nicklaus' yellow shirt, which is quite possibly the best golf apparel story of all time ... Rickie Fowler ran afoul of the hat sensibilities of an Augusta National member during an early-week presser ... If you're thinking these new fangled hybrid shoes are just for young bucks, you'll think again when you see Jack Nicklaus teeing off in ECCO Golf Street shoes.
The Man in the Black Hat is a freelance columnist for PGATOUR.COM. His views do not necessarily represent the views of the PGA TOUR.
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