There have been a couple of interesting reveals in the world of golf clothing this week, and it begs the question: Has golf clothing gone a step too far?
At this week’s Hyundai Tournament of Champions the ever-bright Rickie Fowler garnered big attention when he turned up in a pair of high-top shoes. To finish off the outfit he donned a pair of jogging pants, making a strange crossover in sports gear between golf, skateboarding and basketball.
‘I’ve always kind of been who I am out here. I like kind of pushing the limits, having fun and enjoying myself and that’s what we’re doing. Puma has been great with me being able to work with them, kind of doing a little bit of my own stuff, design a little bit and I basically went to them and said, hey, I want to do high tops and joggers and they were able to do it,’ he said after shooting 68 in Hawaii on Thursday.
Fowler, known for his bill-peaked caps and bright orange Sunday outfits, has taken a further step towards the boundaries of acceptability, and the response has been mixed.
‘I think on the younger side it’s more positive,’ he said. ‘I think on the traditionalist side they’re not too pumped on it. Some people say, hey, you know, cool, I wouldn’t wear them or some people are hating on them, some people love them.’
Grant Knudson, Head of Footwear Puma Golf, added his voice to the conversation: ‘Each season we work closely with Rickie throughout the apparel and footwear development and design process to ensure we’re pushing the limits when it comes to both performance and style.’
Controversial golf clothing has gained big momentum over the last five years, with brands such as Loudmouth Golf using bold prints to garner attention on the course.
The latest concept clothing to make headlines was revealed at Dutch Design Week (pictured left), where Jason Page has revealed his take on refreshing golf outfits. In an article shared on geoffshackelford.com the designer explained that the clothing will be attractive to the everyday golfer.
‘I realised that many of the companies weren’t really taking adventurous steps,’ he said. ‘They were maybe making very kitsch loud pants, but nothing which normal people, outside of golf, would want to approach or be involved in.’
The bid to make headlines seems to be paying off, at least in the case of Fowler, who got the Twittersphere chatting. Whether or not his new style is good for the image of golf is redundant. It’s happening, and the world is talking about it.
