The golf industry is in flux with an infusion of new technologies, aesthetics, and styles creating a series of dichotomies in the marketplace. Apparel vendors are offering multiple lines with one focused on the technical and the other on the traditional. Footwear companies are offering the traditional brown and white saddle shoe look, but pairing that with new fashion-forward designs. Finally, the hardgoods companies are offering, well, square and not-square.
The technology story in apparel remained a key selling point as more vendors jumped on board or expanded SKU counts. At Cutter & Buck, the brand has expanded its offerings with CoCoNa fabric treatment as well as growing its Annika collection with more of a flirty look. In addition to the growth in the two established brands, the company launched its CBUK collection that is geared towards a younger demographic with slimmer fits and irreverent designs. Filas added an eco sport line to its apparel range that utilizes bamboo, which is naturally anti-microbial and helps to keep products odor free. Ashworth has added to its Ashworth Weather System with the Grand Prix line that will hit retail in mid-September. The line adds colder weather capabilities to the brands technical offerings.
adidas Golf took inspiration from the snow sports industries in creating outerwear that performs in harsh conditions, but managed to maintain a golf look. Further, the company added performance attributes to its pants in the form of mesh paneling, but hid those panels beneath a vented outer to create a performance pant that looks like a slack.
In addition to the product shown on its technical attributes, a new European-influenced style hit the show floor. Slimmer fits both in shirts and pants are dominant here with companies like J. Lindeberg, the “top-selling brand in golf at Harrods in London,” leading the charge. Another European influence snuck onto the show floor as well, though not in fit, but rather in color schemes. Specifically, brands looked to golfs past with lines inspired by the Scottish Highlands. Pumas line featured the oranges and greens of the Scots, paired with their distinctive European flair. Cutter & Buck also drew on the highlands as inspiration in both its CBUK and Signature lines.
The same traditional/fashion-forward dynamic at play in apparel was also on display on the shoe wall. Ecco supplemented its offering, which already featured separate lasts to offer looks other than the typical loafer, with new colorways. Most noticeable was its Casual Cool Hydromax, which now comes in green and blue versions. Though not a completely different color, adidas unveiled its new Powerband shoe that features a more athletic silhouette with a focus on providing a stable platform to swing off. In addition, the shoe demonstrated another trend on the floor, where vendors are offering shoes that come with permanent tread patterns and no replaceable spikes.
Like adidas and Ecco, Etonic also had offerings of more than just a brown and white saddle shoe with unique and stylish profiles. The real news at Etonic was two-fold, however, with the extension of its G-Sok logo into gloves and the news that Tom Seeman, current president of Etonic, was actively seeking his own replacement. Seeman told SEW that he would remain as a director with the company, but that as part owner and coming from an investors background, he felt the company would be better served with someone else in the role.
Finally, the big buzz in product on the show floor was Callaways Ft-i driver with the square face. The design is said to create an incredibly straight shot to the point that the pros will have to carry specific draw and fade clubs to be able to hit something other than a line.
