Where are golf shoes heading for the upcoming season? I think it
is safe to say that the argument concerning "spikes vs. spikeless" is
becoming a non-issue. The number of courses nationwide who have
banned the use of spikes is rapidly approaching 2,000. While many
manufacturers offer shoes with spikes, they can easily be
retro-fitted with many varieties of green-friendly cleats.
So...here's the dirt on what the latest choices are!
Niblick Shoes
According to C.B. Tuite, General Manager of I.G.F., Ltd., who
manufactures BackBay and NIBLICK shoes, "Earthtones will be the
colors of choice this fall, heading into 1998. Most of the patterns
are more elaborate saddles with a variety of overlays and underlays.
The classic styles reflecting the casual shoe market continue to be
the styles of choice..." A perfect example of this style is the
NIBLICK (Australia's #1 brand) SYDNEY. It features a full grain
leather upper, multipurpose outsole, tri-trax rubber inserts and
more.
On the other hand...Bite,
LLC has a different opinion. They offer a young, fresh line of
alternative golf shoes in the following categories: Neo-Conservative
- comfortable, hip variations of traditional styling; Utility - hiker
and casual inspired for on and off course wear; Sport - retro, skate
inspired looks; and Sandals - cool, comfortable and casual. All Bite
shoes and boots have waterproof leather uppers and linings. They come
ready to wear with replaceable non-metal spikes and retail from
$69.95 for the sandals to $119.95 for Deep Rough Boots.
NIKE Golf covers all bases
when it comes to shoes. Their line starts with the hand crafted
Italian Classic/Club Series, combining traditional styles in fine
leathers with retail prices from $300.00; the Classic/Competition
Series provides technologically advanced performance in a combination
of classic and casual looks, priced from $50.00; the Sport Series,
starting at $53.00, feature what NIKE is best known for - sports
shoes - specifically for golf. The latest golf shoe NIKE has
introduced is the Air Zoom Traditional SSL ($110.00) Featuring their
new green-friendly NIKE Waffle Spike™ combined with the New
Performance rubber outsole to maximize traction surface area.
Nike
Etonic recently introduced The Difference ($130.00),
offering the first Softspike™ golf shoe which integrates its
outsole design with a replaceable, non-metal DSS-1™ spike
system. This combination offers comfort, stability and green-friendly
traction. Etonic has also added two men's and two women's models to
their popular Dri-Lite Series. According to Bill Kirkendall,
President, Etonic Worldwide Corp., "The Dri-Lite Series offers
consumers the finest combination of stability and waterproofing in a
lightweight golf shoe." The men's and women's models retail for
$115.00.
Tri-vertible isn't a kind of car or a newly discovered
dinosaur. It's the latest innovation from Mizuno. The Soft-Trax
Tri-vertible ($125) comes with three sets of spikes: six millimeter
metal, Tread-Lite II soft plastic and street caps, allowing one pair
of shoes to be worn on or off any course in any conditions. Mizuno's
Bill Wilson stated, "They might not go with your tuxedo, but they
will certainly make it easier for golfers to wear their favorite
shoes at conventional and spike-free courses alike, with the added
economy of converting the shoe for casual wear."
Lady Fairway, located in
Tampa, manufactures golf shoes that are designed and engineered
specifically for women. Recently introduced shoes include: The
Canterbury, a white/cabernet modern oxford saddle with a plain toe
bal and The Waverly, an all white, semi wing-tip blucher. Both
feature uppers made of Permair™ leather, which is completely
waterproof and never needs polishing. The Waverly comes with either
standard 6mm steel Wafer-Lite™ spikes or synthetic
Tred-Lite™ II spikes. Additional new offerings include The
Medinah, a full leather wing-tip in a new color- white/black, and The
Colonial, a spikeless, plain toe saddle oxford with a seam-sealed
leather upper in a new white/tan color combination.
And
now, a word or two on
spikes.
