FootJoy rolls out new footwear, outerwear, glove at PGA Show
After two years away, Acushnet returned to the PGA Merchandise Show this week in Orlando, Florida, and its brands, Titleist and FootJoy, had plenty to showcase.
Here is a look at a few highlights from FootJoy’s offerings in 2023:
HyperFlex
FootJoy has considered its HyperFlex shoe a big success over the past couple years. “We just couldn’t get it on Tour,” said Patrick Trubiano, director of product management for footwear.
Now, FootJoy has updated the HyperFlex model with Tour-quality enhancements, making a shoe with more structure and stability than its predecessor while keeping the comfort qualities that HyperFlex is known for.
The most noticeable change is the upper, where a ThermoPlastic Saddle Strap increases lateral and medial support throughout the golf swing. Also, a TPU coating allows for better management of dirt and allows HyperFlex to employ a more practical white colorway. The bootie collar construction remains, though features more padding.
The Power Stabilizer continues to provide a secure foundation while the outsole also features OptiFlex, which adds flexibility to create comfort without sacrificing stability.
The HyperFlex Carbon is part of the evolution of this shoe, with its molded carbon-fiber power plate upping the stability and responsiveness. Additional underfoot cushioning is offered in the Carbon model via an OrthoLite Impressions FitBed. Boa options for both HyperFlex and HyperFlex are available.
“This product will excite current HyperFlex wearers and those looking to add more power to their game,” added Trubiano.
HyperFlex and HyperFlex Carbon are available beginning March 1.
Price: HyperFlex – $175; $210 (Boa); HyperFlex Carbon – $220; $250 (Boa)
Premiere Series Isette
The Premiere Series lineup isn’t just for men, the women also will have a new offering from the collection starting March 17: the Premiere Series Isette. This fashionable, full-grain leather shoe includes a VersaTrax+ outsole, OrthoLite EcoPlush FitBed, Pulsar LP cleats and an optional kiltie.
“This has been very, very well received on the LPGA,” said Patrick Trubiano, director of product management for footwear.
Price: $200
HydroLite X
It had been about 10 years since FootJoy had done much to redesign its HydroLite rain jacket. “It needed a refresh,” said Chad Crocker, FootJoy’s director of apparel.
Enter the HydroLite X.
The HydroLite X offers all the benefits of a high-performance rain jacket – waterproofness, stretch, breathable – while also being lightweight and easy to pack. Its 2.5-layer fabric construction was optimized by FootJoy testing, which implemented a black light and special garment that changed colors when stretched to help identify areas that received the most strain. FootJoy then used a different knit material in those areas to improve stretch.
“It’s still waterproof,” Crocker said, “but what you get is a quieter, more comfortable, stretchy jacket to play with in the rain.”
Available for Summer/Fall 2023.
StaSof glove
Two years ago, FootJoy’s new and improved StaSof glove was, as senior product manager DJ Zabkar puts it, “ready to rock and roll.” However, supply-chain issues delayed the launch not once but twice. Now, as 2023 arrives, that StaSof is finally here – and even better than previously imagined.
“It’s our flagship glove,” Zabkar said Wednesday at the PGA Merchandise Show. “Every time we launch a new model, a lot goes into it. It’s exciting to get it here. … Visually, it looks very similar to its predecessors, but it’s completely built, renewed from the ground up. Honestly, I think it’s the best glove we’ve made to date. Having to delay it, we kept testing it, it forced ourselves to really look internally and make the necessary changes.”
StaSof debuted in 1981 and is currently used by more PGA Tour players than any other glove. The newest rendition is the softest and offers the best fit of any that came before it, FootJoy says. It is hand-crafted of Cabretta leather designed to retain softness longer, and it also features an angled ComforTab velcro closure for better fit and the PowerNet along the outer knuckle that uses perforations and mesh to enhance breathability and moisture control.
Each StaSof glove goes through a fit check to guarantee consistent fit and sizing.
“We have a passion for product and a commitment to quality and performance innovation,” Zabkar added. “We believe that the new StaSof delivers a higher standard of quality and performance that the golfer demands and needs most.”