Adidas’ new adizero Tour golf shoe has made history at the companies’ headquarters by becoming the lightest shoe they have ever produced weighing only 10.6 ounces. It’s 38% lighter than the previous high-performance golf shoe, the Tour ATV, allowing the company to boast by sending members of the media a display that suspends the shoe in midair.
But hang on a second — golfers don’t jog around the course, so is there a real benefit to a lightweight golf shoe?
According to Dav Mattuicci, global marketing manager for Adidas, there is. Mattuici said, “a golfer that walks the duration of 18 holes lifts his legs between 15,000 and 17,000 times. That means the variance between the Tour ATV and the adizero is about 6.5 ounces per step, or if a golfer takes 17,000 steps, about 6900 pounds” Sounds like a less tired golfer to me.
The major weight savings on the adizero come from the outsole. The shoe’s “SprintFrame” outsole weighs only 3.4 ounces, and is created from a high-performance elastomer called Pebax that is strong and supple. The shoe’s upper is wrapped in what Adidas calls “SprintSkin,” exclusive microfiber leather that is lightweight and waterproof. And despite its solid appearance, the adizero is also slightly wider in the toe section than the Tour ATV, providing added comfort in that area.
Lightweight? yes! Waterproof? yes! More comfortable? Yes. Now how about the outsole?
Unlike most golf shoes, the adizero uses no “secondary traction,” meaning it doesn’t have any of the large nubs or nobs that are used in the majority of spike and spikeless golf shoes, adding extra traction. The lack of secondary traction increases the interaction of the shoe’s 10 traditional spikes, which Mattuici said provides a better grip and more balance. There’s also a durable rubber heel pad that offers an improved heel strike for walking, as well as rounded sections of the outsole that encourages better weight transfer through the swing.
The shoe will be released in various different styles and will be available for purchase at www.function18.com.
