Category: Apparel

Is 2016 the Year of Adidas?

Apparently Adidas was inspired by the dominance Jason Day showed on tour in 2015 and wanted to go on their own run for 2016.   They are the official apparel for the US Olympic Team (see previous post), launched the Tour 360 Boost Shoe and will introduce the Prime Knit Boost Shoe at The Masters next week.IMG_7266

Adidas has capitalized on this early momentum with a very solid spring collection of Apparel.  Adidas golf apparel has done very well positioned as a very sporty and athletic brand but appears to have matured a bit this year. While keeping the sporty fit and colors Adidas has created a soft place to land for the more fashion conscious customer.

A couple features we really like in the early release are the contrast color accent on the collar, placket (button area) and the sleeve of the Climacool line and the new pattern styles of Climachill Shirts.  ClimaChill remains one of the best performing shirts in hot and humid weather and a review on those will be coming in time for the heat.IMG_7265

In Adidas and All Day J. Day (had to get that in there) style the fit is right down the middle. They look good on the athletic player as well as those with a more relaxed fitness regiment.  The more athletic player should look at sizing down though just to see if the fit can improve.

These subtle changes are great touches that make all the difference in looking your best on the golf course.

No Spikes….No Problems

Finally got to play a round in my adidas tour 360 boost! Very comfortable and very stable. That’s despite the fact that my left shoe had no spikes in it because my resourceful Assistant Pro “borrowed” them when we ran out of spikes in the shop and I forgot to replace them (oops.) I didn’t actually notice until I looked at my shoe on the 10th hole, so that says someone about the comfort….or my obliviousness.  I naturally choose the comfort explanation.

Shoes didn’t quite match the outfit but it was a last minute call to sport the adidas shoes for the round. My early thought was that these would be the best shoes of 2016 and I don’t think that has changed. Some reports of some hot spots in the heel but didn’t experience this for myself. Maybe because I was rocking my superior Swiftick Socks.

The Classy Alternative to Joggers?

Ricky Fowler may be getting a lot of press for wearing joggers on the golf course, but I might get a little attention myself rocking the cropped pant on the golf course this summer.

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The issue at hand is really the shoes.  It may be time for me to pull the trigger on a fresh pair of Biion Shoes.  I have been wanting to try them for some time and this may be the perfect excuse to go sans socks on the course.  Its either that or some classic adidas adicross shoes from adidas.

FootJoy makes the best pants of 2016……..but these are not them.

If you are like many who find the prospect of a three hour flight or trip to the grocery store way too daunting in anything other than the comfort of their pajamas….then we may have the golf pants for you!

12800153_1171427459534296_246199653599747391_nThe FootJoy Houndstooth Pant is what my Assistant Pro Michael likes to call “fluffy pants.” It’s a highly technical term for way too much fabric in all the wrong places, especially below the knee. It’s too bad because I like the heavier weight of the pants and the design but the cut is just all wrong. Not to mention the comic length and size of the pockets ending just two inches above my knee (I am 6’1″). I even retuned them for another size thinking that was the problem but it was not. These are 34×32. The 32×34 I ordered first were way to tight in the waist and way too long.

The good news……FootJoy came out with another style of pant that is the best I have seen in years and is my new favorite. I have gotten many compliments (mostly not awkward) since wearing them and I will be reviewing those shortly. Spoiler alert, they are NOT “fluffy pants.”

The Coolest Shoe Ever?

Likely the best piece of footwear to come out of the 2016 PGA show had to be the adidas Tour 360 Primeknit Boost.

The Primeknit features all of the benefits of the Tour 360 Boost with the addition of a super lightweight and breathable knit upper. Now, this is a summer shoe (read: not waterproof) but with the lower areas of the shoe protected it should keep the feet dry of those dew sweepers out there.

IMG_6794While the Primeknit construction creates lightweight and breathability benefits on the performance side it also makes this one of the coolest looking shoes I have seen in years. Based on the positive reaction from those around me I was not alone on this. Primeknit has been very popular in Adidas running shoes and like so many things this year adidas nailed the transition to golf. 

Now that I got you all excited about the shoe……..it’s time to tell you it’s not available until June. But, with so many great release from adidas golf at the show, at least this gives us something to look forward to.

Top Player & Brand combo in 2016.

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Ollie Schniederjans in Matte Grey Apparel.
Last year Ollie Schniederjans (Instagram: @ollie_gtgolf) made his professional debut at the 2015 RBC Canadian Open with a T22 finish. This followed a solid T42 finish in the U.S.Open Championship, and T12 finish in The Open Championship both as an Amateur.

Ollie is a 3 time All-American from Georgia Tech, and former #1 ranked amateur golfer in the world.

Equally as sharp as Ollie’s game, was the decision to sign with apparel designer Matte Grey (Instagram: @whosmattegrey) in his pro debut. Ollie’s classic and clean style was a standout at the RBC Canadian Open, with his outfits getting as many looks as his equally clean performance on the course.
Both Player and Brand are relative rookies this year (Matte Grey launched in 2013 by Travis Matthew Founder Travis Johnson), but are poised to make a splash on the scene in 2016. We look forward to lots of air time for Ollie this year as his great play and refreshing style continue to impress.

FootJoy Pant Review – Rain Delay

False start on my FootJoy Performance Pant review due to a size miss on my part. Sometimes you nail it and sometimes you whiff. Much like golf I guess.

The pants do look sweet though. Much heavier material for this time of year and almost have a wool look to them with that micro-herringbone pattern. Will reload with the correct size to give a proper review after the first of the year.