Rickie Fowler has often used his apparel and footwear to pay homage to the history of the game and the players who came before him. The latest example of this is the custom pair of high-tops he will lace up at the Arnold Palmer Invitational this week as a tribute to the memory of Arnold Palmer.
The bespoke kicks were designed, created, and hand-crafted by artist and custom footwear designer Roland Patron of Nomad Customs. Patron, a native of Miami, FL has created custom cleats for many Major League Baseball players and personal golf shoes for NBA players Chris Paul and Ray Allen. He even created the Kobe Bryant tribute shoes Tony Finau wore at the TOUR Championship last fall.
For Rickie’s Arnold Palmer shoes, Patron took Puma’s IGNITE Hi-Tops and added a ‘Dancing Umbrella’ design to the upper. The all-over print features Palmer’s famous red, yellow, and green umbrella logos. The upper also includes Puma’s familiar Formstripe in a green to yellow fade along with a green heel, collar, and strap. Printed on the heels are messages personally requested by Rickie. “LONG LIVE AP” appears on the left heel and “THE LEGEND LIVES ON” is printed on the right.
Other subtle details and messages can be found on the shoes, as well. Mr. Palmer took great pride in the legibility of his signature and Patron worked it into the front of the strap. On the back of the strap is “9/10/1929 – ∞” (Palmer’s birth date and the infinity sign). The sockliner is etched with Palmer’s PGA Tour victories and the pink lining on the inside of the collar is a tip of the cap to the King’s famous pink shirts.
Hi-Top & PWRADAPT Sweepstakes
So, how can you own a pair of Rickie’s custom API IGNITE Hi-Tops? First, make a donation to Arnie’s Army Charitable Foundation. Next, hope for a bit of luck. Only two pairs were made and Fowler will be wearing one pair at Bay Hill this week. The other pair, which will be autographed by Rickie Fowler, will be the Grand Prize in the Hi-Top & PWRADAPT Sweepstakes. To get in on the action, click here to get your donation in before Thursday, March 22nd at midnight.
Even if you aren’t the lucky winner of the Hi-Tops, a donation enters you in a secondary sweepstakes to potentially win one of 62 pairs of Limited Edition Arnie’s Army Puma PWRADAPT pairs of shoes or one of 175 Limited Edition Arnie’s Army Puma Snapback caps.
Much like the custom API high-tops, Arnie’s Army Puma PWRADAPT shoes are loaded with subtle tributes to the King and his career. The fresh white and green colorway highlights each year that Palmer captured a PGA Tour victory and the number of times he won in each respective year. The inside bootie of the shoe features a silhouette of a young Arnie and #LifeWellPlayed appears on the sole. A leather accent stamped “Arnie’s Army” has been added to the back.
The same silhouette of the young Palmer has been worked into the green and white design of the snapback cap. The underside highlights each year Palmer won and the number of wins in each year.
Major Wins Auction
In addition to the sweepstakes prizes, Arnie’s Army is auctioning seven unique pairs of the PWRADAPT shoes. Each one will be autographed by Rickie Fowler and highlights Palmer’s seven major victories—the 1958 Masters, 1960 Masters, 1960 U.S. Open, 1961 Open Championship, 1962 Masters, 1962 U.S. Open, and 1964 Masters. This auction also benefits Arnie’s Army Charitable Foundation and ends Thursday, March 22nd at midnight. Click here to get your bid in.
Just remember, a pair of Rickie’s custom Arnold Palmer high-tops fetched $23,500 last year for Arnie’s Army.
Besides the shoes, look for Rickie and fellow Puma brand ambassador Bryson DeChambeau to rock Palmer’s iconic umbrella logo on their accessories and apparel throughout the tournament.
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