Well, we are only a few days into the New Year and we already have some fresh gear hitting the fairways. Rory McIlroy and Jason Day are two of the biggest sneakerheads on Tour and both debuted new shoes from Nike at Kapalua.
Rory took to Instagram to show off his new kicks. In what seemed to be a calculated and planned post, a series of images showed the shoes being unveiled from a shoe bag. While McIlroy stopped short of naming the model, it appears to be Nike’s Air Zoom Victory Tour, which is expected to release this spring. This is a shoe that sits in Nike’s Classic Range. It blends traditional and sporty looks and features a leather upper and a cleated outsole.
(Btw, how sweet was Rory’s shoe bag from Seamus Golf with a waxed canvas exterior, Hawaiian print lining, and leather name tag.)
Reaction to Rory’s new shoe was mixed on social media. Many thought the all-white colorway with a raised silver Swoosh would be more appropriate for the staff at a nursing home and I have to agree. The white and navy blue colorway Rory laced up during the first and third rounds received more favorable reviews, though.
Frankly, I don’t see either colorway hitting my rotation this season, but Jason Day’s kicks? Just tell me where to place my order. Day quietly teed it up at the Plantation Course in a golf-specific version of Nike’s iconic Air Max 1 silhouette. Nike has been doing golf-specific takes on its classic streetwear styles over the last few years, most notably with the Roshe, Air Force 1, and Air Max 90. In fact, Rory debuted the golf version of the Air Max 90 at the Players Championship back in 2016.
Day’s Air Max 1 is the latest to hit the course and it appears to have subtle upgrades over the Air Max 90 model from a few years ago. Two of the biggest complaints I heard about the Air Max 90 were wet feet and a lack of lateral support. Nike seems to have addressed these issues with the Air Max 1. The upper appears to be constructed from leather or synthetic leather. This should offer some level of water resistance and more lateral support compared to the knit upper of the Air Max 90. There is also an aggressive molded traction system.
Anyway, that’s all for today. Stay tuned for more on the Air Zoom Victory Tour and the Air Max 1. Michael will be back later this week with a complete recap of the fashion scene from the Sentry Tournament of Champions.
Great to have you back doing a weekly report.
Both the white and white/blue rory had on were sharp. I like a clean shoe. I can’t wait for the weekly wrapup, some sharp new nike print shirts.
Jason and Jim, thanks for reading and commenting.
Looks like the AM1’s have a tongue and not the slipper deal the last take on these had. I’m in for the white pair for sure.