Golf Shoes are Renewed Thanks to Streetwear and Sneaker

Streetwear, long the origin of New York hip-hop and California surf culture, is making its way onto the green grass of golf courses.

Sneaker YouTuber and golfer Jacques Slade said that there is a need for more golf shoes that reflect the sneaker. culture.

Ankur Amin, owner of New York streetwear boutique Extra Butter, said that hip-hop culture and sneakers have always had a close relationship, but the tie between hip-hop and golf might not be too tight. He said the inspiring appeal of golf helped his style connect with his clients.

“So much of what we do in street culture is about the pursuit of the good life,” he said, “and so much about golf represents that, as Moët & Chandon or Louis Vuitton do.”

Tiger Woods, a Nike-sponsored golfer, brought many new fans to the sport in the late 1990s, but a decline in interest in his products in the 2010s paved the way for streetwear’s transition to golf. Nike and its subsidiary, Jordan Brand, began releasing collectible silhouettes such as the Air Max 1 and golf shoes like the original Air Jordans.

The sneaker heads drooled. “There are people who grew up with the Jordan Brand,” said Macklemore, the rapper and golf entrepreneur who has had sneaker collaborations with Jordan. “It makes sense that people would go crazy.”

And the sneaker culture’s passion for golf has only continued to grow. According to the NPD Group, a market research firm, the pandemic has devastated a number of institutions, while increasing participation in golf as well as other activities conducive to social distancing, such as jogging, walking and cycling.

NPD Group vice president and sports industry analyst Matt Powell said attendance had also increased slightly prior to the pandemic.

Many people bought golf sets at entry-level prices in 2020, he said, which is an indication that newcomers are getting into the sport. “None of the newbies who buy a $400 golf set will drop $120 on their golf shoes,” he said. “They’ll be playing with sneakers.”

Sneakers have always been an inclusive part of millennials’ fashion choices, but now some adults in their 20s and 30s have the disposable income to play or at least try golf. Where Top Golf and Five Iron Golf are in some ways the sport’s equivalent to bowling alleys have also sprung up across the country, making elements of the sport more accessible in urban areas where courses are hard to find.

“Golf is a very traditional game, but if you look at millennials and all the generations that have followed them, they’re never afraid to do something a little different,” said Gentry Humphrey, Jordan’s former vice president of footwear. The brand that pioneered the company’s entry into sports.

Humphrey spent time leading Nike’s golf business before retiring last fall. Part of Humphrey’s philosophy has been to transform the Nike and Jordan sneakers coveted by collectors into shoes that can actually be used on the lawn. “The kids want to go there,” he said, “and they’d rather go out there with something new.”

While making these golf sneakers may seem as simple as adding high-traction soles, there are other considerations as well, such as changing the waterproofing and cushioning.

“We didn’t want this to be just a basketball shoe for the golf course,” said Humphrey, adding that Nike is developing new shoe technologies, such as an integrated traction sole. .

Another part of Humphrey’s strategy was to provide a broader platform to start-up golf brands through product collaborations. For example, the Eastside Golf brand, founded in 2019 by professional golfers Olajuwon Ajanaku and Earl Cooper who played together at Morehouse College in Atlanta, aims to increase diversity in the sport and introduce younger youth.

“Who said you can’t play golf in a T-shirt?” said Cooper, the first African-American all-state golfer in Delaware. “When they created these rules, minorities weren’t even allowed to play. People are trying to hold on to a tradition that is already broken or flawed.”

Ajanaku, who designed the brand for Eastside Golf’s clothing line, which consists of a black man wearing a blouse, gold chain and baseball cap and waving a bat. He said the prominent placement of a person of color in the company’s products was a milestone.

“The fact that we have the logo of a Black man playing golf on our clothing appeals to anyone who is not welcome in the sport,” he said.

Eastside Golf’s logo is prominently featured in the language of the Air Jordan collaboration, which uses the silhouette of the original Air Jordan IV, a retro sneaker revered among sneakerheads. Golf spikes were removable so sneakers could be worn off the course.

Convertible or easily transitioning from green to clubhouse, shoes are one of the most important innovations that helped open the sneaker culture in golf. For the fashionista, the half-inch spikes on the bottom of a sneaker can dramatically change the aesthetic of the shoe. That’s why brands are increasingly opting for a slimmer grip on the bottom of their golf shoes, rather than flat spikes.

“There were a lot of people who bought golf product collaborations, but they didn’t even play the game,” Humphrey said. “My phone was ringing more for the Eastside Golf collaboration than for some of our projects with Christian Dior. Sport is looking for another source of energy and this was a great way to bring something new to the sport.”

On tour, eagle-eyed golfers or sneaker collectors may have seen these shoes on the feet of Bubba Watson, 43, or Harold Varner III, 31, but even younger pros on the PGA Tour, Slade, bring a different vibe to sneakers. “YouTuber,” he said. Many players currently on tour have “grown up listening to Travis Scott or Creator Tyler. They come to this world with a completely different perspective.”

Last summer, Amin’s boutique, Extra Butter, collaborated with Adidas on a streetwear golf collection inspired by the movie “Happy Gilmore,” which includes golf shoes, sneakers, balls and head covers. The store is also adding new golf-based brands such as Radda, Whim, and Manors Golf to its inventory.

“From the beginning of hip-hop culture, there has always been an air of wanting to represent what you desire,” said Bernie Gross, creative director of Extra Butter. “We come from backgrounds that don’t represent that, but that’s what we hope to achieve one day. Golf is part of that.”

Rappers are getting into the golf business, too. Drake launched a 10-piece golf collection with Nike, worn by Brooks Koepka, a four-time major champion. Seattle-based rapper Macklemore launched his own golf line called Bogey Boys in February 2021.

Macklemore started playing while on vacation just two and a half years ago and was hooked immediately. But even before he hit his first 5-iron from the fairway bunker, he was saving for the classic 1970s golf looks. He founded the independent golf brand because he saw a market in new players who wanted to bring a unique style to their appearance on the course.

Since its launch a little over a year ago, Bogey Boys, whose looks have inspired the mood of golfers like Arnold Palmer and Lee Trevino, has sold its first limited-edition product collection, partnered with Nordstrom, and opened its first retail store. You’re in Seattle in September.

Still, beyond collectibility, style and functionality, Eastside Golf’s founders believe there are greater wins for the traditional sport.

“Golf can learn from sneaker culture,” Cooper said. “Sneaker culture is all about individuality. That’s what golf lacks.”