Guest Blog Written By Masun Denison, Global Footwear Director, adidas Golf
I love the challenge of coming up with something new, especially when it comes to footwear. I’m always thinking about ways we can continue to break away from the norm; push the boundaries in what people think a golf shoe can be. I also love where the golf footwear market is today. 10 years ago, it was all about spiked shoes, traditional looks and premium leather. Those things can still influence what we do, but there’s an exciting change happening in what golfers want on the course.
That takes me back to 18 months ago – roughly the amount of time it takes us to bring a new shoe to market. At the time, the idea of introducing a shoe with two Boa dials was, I’ll be the first to say it, a little out there. But that’s what I liked about it. That’s how products come to life. We’re always thinking about ways to bring better performance to the golfer and the idea that we could give them a more customized fit was intriguing. So, we started tinkering.
When I saw the initial designs come back, I knew we were on to something. We had to check with the team at Boa to see if it was possible, but the idea of giving the golfer an even more locked in feel from heel to toe was exciting to explore. Boa came back to us with how they felt they could bring the shoe to life and that’s really the only validation we need. Knowing that they felt just as confident in the idea as we did meant we had something special.
We knew the TOUR360 XT would be a perfect shoe for this. It’s our flagship model. We introduced a new X-shaped outsole for better traction, and this new closure approach would make the shoe more comfortable for the wearer without sacrificing anything in performance. In the past, the Boa dial was really seen as simply a shoelace replacement. I don’t mean that in a bad way, either. Over the course of a round a traditional laced shoe can get loose depending on how much you walk, how hard you swing, etc., so the Boa closure system assured a consistent fit throughout the round. However, we knew it could do more.
That’s what’s unique about this shoe. The TOUR360 XT Twin Boa features two dials to not only provide a more customizable fit, but also act as an added source of support. We do a lot of testing to know where golfers put strain on their feet throughout the course of a round. We’re not just thinking about the swing, we’re thinking about after you put the club in the bag and walk up the fairway. We’re also thinking about how your feet should feel after walking off the 18th green. With that, we decided to put the lower dial in between the midfoot and forefoot so that it could combine with our 360 wrap and provide a locked-in feel during lateral movements. We put the second dial in so that it could tighten around your heel, really securing your foot so that you don’t lose any power, making the shoe part of your equipment. When combined with our BOOST technology, it gives all who wear it everything they need, from comfort to customizable fit.
adidas Tour360 XT Twin Boa is available now in select stores and online.