By Scott Kramer
At a cocktail party in L.A. last night, adidas Golf introduced its TOUR360 Boost golf shoe. It combines the top technology and looks of two of the company’s popular sub-brands — the decade-old TOUR360 and the more-recent Boost that’s been in the company’s running shoe repertoire before emerging in this past year’s golf line.
The new shoe is very familiar-looking to adidas fans, and it’s loaded with key technologies, such as full-length cushioning for comfort, a new-and-improved 360-degree midfoot support wrap for stability, and a dual-density 10-cleat TPU outsole for gripping the turf.
“TOUR360 broke ground when it hit the market in 2005,” says Masun Denison, adidas Golf’s director of footwear. “Our challenge creating the next generation was living up to the TOUR360 name. We took everything we’ve learned in the last 10 years — including visual cues from prior models while utilizing materials and construction innovation — to take it to the next level. It’s a culmination of years of technology, testing, insights and athlete feedback.”
What struck me most was a TPU bridge, so to speak, that connects the independent heel and forefoot sections of the outsole. It’s put together so that when you step down, those two sections kind of cave in just a touch so that they better grip the ground. This yields independent flexibility and control between the two, with the added benefit of enhanced arch support and traction.
Officials say that PGA Tour stars Dustin Johnson and Jason Day — let alone many other of its staffers — will wear the new shoes in the 2016 season. The shoes, which are already hitting the market today in a white model with black and red trim, run $200. Five more colorways will emerge in early January, and in February, a BOA dial cable lacing system version comes out for $30 more. This particular BOA system was made specifically for this new shoe, and is much more advanced than previous versions — with respect to its capabilities and ease of tightening and loosening shoes.
Scott Kramer is veteran, Southern California-based writer primarily versed in golf and personal technology. Studying Computer Sciences in college, and then working as a programmer/software engineer for about a decade, triggered my passion for today’s high-end, high-tech gadgets. I can’t help myself whenever I see any kind of cool new personal technology. I feel compelled to further check it out and see what it’s all about. And even if I have no use for it personally, I’m always thinking who it might best suit. There are exciting new innovations emerging daily that are shaping the future and simplifying life. And I hope to be your eyes to that world, through the words of this column.