03 Dec NIKE’s New Innovative TW ’14 Golf Shoes
Nike Golf’s timing could hardly be better, as the company revealed the details of the latest edition of its Tiger Woods golf shoes the day after Woods won The Players Championship while wearing the shoes in competition for the very first time.
The TW ’14 shoes, like those that preceded them, were designed with testing by and input from Woods himself. The result, Nike says, is a shoe that further enhances the fit, feel and function of the TW ’13 model.
”I train with Nike Free technology all the time,” said Woods, referring to the extremely light weight and flexibility in some Nike running shoes that mimic the feel of running barefoot. ”I love training in it, running in it, lifting in it. So I asked, ‘why can’t I play golf in it?”’
And with that, Nike designers set to work creating a Nike Free-inspired golf shoe tailored to maximize Woods’ game.
”In the TW ’14, he wanted more stability with mobility and we’ve accomplished that by using Nike’s Dynamic Flywire technology which moves with him, but stabilizes his foot when he swings,” said Tobie Hatfield, Athlete Projects Innovator in Nike’s Innovation Kitchen. ”We also increased breathability of the shoe by using a full mesh tongue.”
The outsole of the TW ’14 is designed to mimic and conform to the natural motion of the foot and still deliver the protection and traction of a lightweight performance golf shoe. This outsole allows the golfer to maintain contact with the ground longer, better harnessing the energy of the foot to the shoe and, therefore, the shoe to the ground.
”These shoes provide freedom of movement and allow me to release more power through my swing,” said Woods.