While Puma Golf is billing its new TITANTOUR shoe as the ‘coolest shoe in golf,’ here at GolfThreads, we think it is out of this world — and we’re both right.
Let’s face it. The golf shoe market is about as crowded as an office building elevator on a Friday at 5 p.m. In an effort to differentiate itself from the other players, Puma went outside the proverbial shoe box to provide a solution to a problem that all golfers face — hot, sweaty feet.
While other shoes boast moisture-wicking linings that move sweat away from the foot, Puma has taken this a step further. What’s better than dealing with sweaty feet? Preventing sweaty feet in the first place, and that’s what Puma has done with the TITANTOUR. In developing the TITANTOUR, Puma Golf partnered with Outlast Technologies® to incorporate its Certified Space Technology® into the insole of the shoe to proactively control the production of moisture before it even begins.
This space age technology was first developed for NASA and used in spacesuits to protect astronauts from temperature fluctuations in space. (I told you it was out of this world.) Not only does the Outlast Technology cool the foot in warm temperatures, but it also works in reverse. If the foot gets too cold, stored heat is released back to the foot, which is great for those frosty days.
To test the merits of the Outlast Technology, I took the blind oven mitt challenge at the Puma booth during the PGA Show. I slipped on a mitt with Outlast Technology and one without. Then, I made a fist with both hands. After a few seconds, one of the mitts felt hotter, and I’m glad to say it was the one without Outlast Technology. Pretty cool!
All of this space age technology sounds good for the Buzz Aldrins of the world, but how about the Rickie Fowlers and weekend warriors?
Well, after having worn the TITANTOUR for five rounds now, I can say that it is flat-out one of the most comfortable golf shoes I’ve worn. I had all but given up on cleated shoes until I laced these up. Now, they are my go-to black shoes, and I’m considering picking up one of the other colorways. There is zero break-in time with this shoe. We are talking about straight out of the box comfort here, so you can go ahead and leave the box of band-aids at home. Also, thanks to the ShapeLock memory foam, the more I wear them, the more they mold to my feet.
The TITANTOUR is a true Tour level shoe that is loaded with technology, like Puma’s PowerFrame. Without getting into a lot of technical jargon about ultra-thin TPU frames, EVA midsoles and TPU Heel Support, what you really need to know about the PowerFrame Technology is that it provides a killer platform for making a powerful golf swing. It is strong, stable, lightweight, flexible and offers top-notch traction. The PowerVamp across the forefoot not only looks good, but Puma claims it reduces the stretching of the full grain leather upper over time and helps to keep your foot locked in.
The outsole features a well thought out mix of removable cleats and molded spikes. Puma has strategically placed seven of Softspikes’ new, low-profile Stealth cleats in the outsole and surrounded them with a secondary traction system that consists of walls of molded spikes. I’ve worn the TITANTOUR in bone dry conditions, morning dew and in the rain, and haven’t slipped once. The outsole also features anatomically positioned flex grooves that provide flexibility and allow the foot to move naturally.
From a style standpoint, the TITANTOUR fuses classic good looks with a modern silhouette and sporty details. It features a top shelf waterproof, full-grain leather upper that possesses a buttery soft feel and a sophisticated, up-market look. Aesthetically, the toe is a bit pointier and less rounded than other shoes. This may take some getting used to for some players, but I think it adds to the sleek design of the shoe and it doesn’t affect the fit of the shoe. I also like that Puma provides the option of dialing up or dialing down your look with tonal or contrasting laces depending on your mood and the rest of your ensemble.
In addition to the black/white colorway that I’ve been wearing, the TITANTOUR is also available in white/vibrant orange for the Rickie fans out there; white/strong blue; white/grey violet; brown/mustang; white/black and the new Flash.
This Flash colorway was one of the coolest things I saw at the PGA Show. As we know, Rickie Fowler is a social media star and he provided the inspiration behind this colorway. The upper features a dark gray reflective micro-fiber upper that lights up when a photo is taken using a flash, making it great for sharing on Instagram and other social media platforms. Does this help the performance of the shoe? No, but it shows that Puma is thinking outside the box, embracing the social media culture and differentiating itself again, from the other players in the golf shoe game.
The TITANTOUR checks in at $190, which is what I would expect to pay for a Tour quality shoe. If this is a bit outside of your budget, take a look at the TITANLITE shoe. The TITANLITE features most of the technology that is built into the TITANTOUR, including the Outlast Technology, Stealth cleat and the EVA midsole foam. With the TITANLITE, you trade the full-grain leather upper of the TITANTOUR for a lightweight waterproof microfiber upper, but the TITANLITE is still a great looking, high performance shoe. It’s also only $100 and is available in five stylish colorways.
One final word on fit. I found that the TITANTOUR fits true to size, so if you are considering making them your go-to shoes for 2015, just order your normal size, slip them on and head to the first tee.
The Puma TITANTOUR is being worn on the PGA Tour by Rickie Fowler and Jonas Blixt.
3 comments