Indifferent stance on feet of technology

Best foot forward: The average golfer places more importance on clubs and balls, but choosing the right shoe is also crucialGiant strides have been made in the development of the golf shoe, writes John O'Sullivan

It's a peculiar attitude to something so essential to the mental and physical well-being of the golfer. Every footballer, professional or amateur, aspires to wearing state of the art footwear. The average golfer's wish is much more mundane.

Golf shoes come way down the pecking order in the list of concerns, a country mile behind the "glamour" items of woods, irons and even balls. The fact that they're compulsory is almost an irritation. For many, the cheapest possible pair that look semi-respectable will suffice. It's ironic that those with this attitude will probably wonder why their feet hurt or why, when the heavens open, they have to squelch their way around the course.

It's very often a case of the golf shoes giving up on the golfer rather than the reciprocal arrangement. At the top end of the market there is a maximum two-year guarantee on a golf shoe, while many offer 12 months. The product has come a long way since the wing-tipped Oxford shoes - basically street shoes with spikes - that were cumbersome and heavy. The average golf shoe - FootJoy Classic aside (20 ounces) - weighs about 15 ounces or less.

Despite some golfers having luke-warm attitudes to golf shoes, the same cannot be said of the major manufacturers. Vast resources are siphoned into their development, a process that generally takes some 18 months from concept stage to shoes being available in the shops.

This is a reduction, by about six months, in the time it used to take to develop a shoe. The process starts with the compilation of research data which embraces fashion trends. Computer generated models become physical prototypes and then the process takes a more practical trend. Golf professionals are asked to test the new designs and provide feedback.

Their evaluation is noted and more prototypes are made and tested before the general public has access to the finished product. It is similar to the production of new clubs and balls. It just doesn't fire the imagination as much.

Golfers have unique concerns and needs that designers must address. "Golf shoes are engineered precisely for swinging a golf club," said Ted Almy, category director of Etonic Golf (America). "They need a lot of structural support so the feet don't move around inside."

The priority is to also guarantee comfort when walking 18 holes over varying terrain - roughly eight kilometres for the average round. To achieve this, a firm plastic (thermoplastic urethane) or flexible rubber has replaced heavy leather soles. In addition, some shoes feature a cushioned-effect "midsole" and heels, padded with foams, gels, or air packs conforming to the shape of a foot.

Weight becomes a factor and the global trend of soft spikes or cleats instead of the old metal spikes has helped in this respect. Eliminating the spike receptacles apparently reduces the wear and tear on the feet.

Golfers still demand traction, and in this respect strategically arranged ridges and other gripping tools are included to guarantee balance and stability. Nike's T@C soles have 130 points of contact with the ground but only seven cleats. So why have cleats at all?

"You need them in really wet conditions," said Brett Joyce, adidas's product marketing manager for shoes in the United States in a recent golf magazine article. And on dry grass, cleats maximise footing when you're trying to crunch a drive.

Apart from maximum purchase on the ground, golfers demand comfort and protection from the elements. If there is going to be a leak, it's most likely to occur at the junction of sole and the upper. Most brands weatherproof the seams that connect the top and bottom of the shoe.

Perspiration is another problem that shoe designers have taken to task. Many golf shoes are ventilated and lined with breathable-membrane fabrics such as Pittard's AQUAf.l.e.x. (in FootJoy shoes), Gore-Tex (Nike), eVent (Etonic), and Sympatex (adidas), all claiming to keep feet cool.

According to one leading manufacturer, a golf shoe produces the most heat on top and around the ankles. Their response has been to introduce Lycra, a breathable synthetic, into the shoe tongue to reduce temperatures.

Just like the trend in the golf club market, there is a greater emphasis on trying to custom-fit golf shoes. In this respect FootJoy have a pronounced advantage with their laser fitting system. A revealing statistic, according to the company sources, is that 80 per cent of golfers wear shoes that are too short and too wide. The laser system scans and electronically maps 10,000 measurements of your foot, such as toe length and arch height, and recommends a specific type of shoe and size.

The problem for Irish golfers is that the laser system is not available here. There are only several retail outlets in the United States at which it is available and one in the United Kingdom.

To further guarantee a snug fit, a selection of shoes come with removable insoles that make room for orthotics, special insoles. If your feet are not able to function normally due to conditions such as pronation (rolling in) and supination (rolling out), the insoles can be prescribed by a podiatrist. Anyone who wears them in street shoes should do the same while wearing golf shoes, according to medical experts.

Adding further to the comfort factor is the Vari-Fit heel cradle system, three-colour coded heel supports that provide a snug, standard, or generous fit depending on the heel's width.

The manufacturers may have made huge advances in the development of the humble golf shoe but what about Irish golfers' attitudes towards them?

Conor McCormick from Leonard Owens Professional Golf Shop in Royal Dublin GC admits: "Most people have a rough idea about what they're looking for, but in a very general way.

"They are likely to focus in on the colour first and foremost and would adhere to a price range. We would pretty much be the same as any shoe shop assistants in terms of guiding people."

While golfers would think nothing of spending €1,800 on a set of irons or €500 on a driver, the same spending power is not devoted to the golf shoe. McCormick concedes: "Not many would want to be spending more than €100 on a shoe."

The Ferrari of the golf shoe market, price-wise, is the FootJoy Classics range, an all-leather sole and upper which retails for about €300. The FootJoy range begins at about €70 (Greenjoy, Softjoy), stretching to the Classics.

Other popular shoes in Leonard Owens' shop are the adidas 2 Traxion Tour (€170), adidas Stripe Competition (€100) and Golf Copenhagen's Bristol and London ranges (€190).

Brian Toal of McGuirk's Golf - they stock Footjoy, adidas, Nike, Etonic, Stylo and Mizuno - points out that the Nike Tour Accel (€59) is very popular. "People generally want a black shoe that is waterproof and fits comfortably. The two most popular ranges would probably be Nike and FootJoy."

Also in the Nike range are the Tour Le (€75, gortex, two-year guarantee) and the Air Accel 2002 (€99). Their FootJoy stock ranges from the Aqualite (€99) through Dryjoy (€138), FitDog (€139) and Dry Ice (€189).

The Etonic and Stylo brands are popular for year-round playability. Both retail outlets confirm the majority of customers know very little about the latest shoe technology, that they are reasonably easily led towards a certain shoe (particularly if it is a well known brand), and that price rather than comfort is more often the barometer for purchase.

The golf shoe may be technologically at the cutting edge, but its attraction remains lost on the average golfer.