You say you want a revolution
Well you know, we all want to change the world
You tell me that it’s evolution
Well you know, we all want to change the world
The Beatles–Revolution
EVOLUT10N
In 2009 only 1% of golf footwear consisted of spikeless shoes. Currently, hybrid offerings account for half of that market. ECCO Golf opened the door for footwear to evolve with the game.
REVOLUT10N
Fifty-year-old Fred Couples snapped more than a few heads back as he strolled around sockless in tennis shoes and did an old soft-shoe on the course for a six-under-par 66 to take the first-round lead.
Larry Dorman, New York Times April 8, 2010
Ten years ago, on April 8, 2010, Fred Couples led after the first day of The Masters with a round of 66. He did so wearing shoes that did not have spikes or cleats. That day started the hybrid revolution.
Playing alongside Sergio Garcia and Shingo Katayama at Augusta National Golf Club, Fred was wearing Ashworth apparel and walking sans socks, as he is known to prefer.
(Interesting side note, did you know that Bobby Orr never skated with socks during his professional hockey career? Maybe these two Hall of Famers were on to something…..)
Anyhow, on this particular day, the golf world was buzzing about Couples opening round performance as well as his shoes! These ECCOs didn’t look like traditional golf shoes. People quickly started referring to them as “street shoes.” That moniker would appropriately stick.
Perfect 10
Fred Couples describes wearing the ECCO Golf Street as, “walking on air.” He quickly fell in love with the styling and versatility of golf shoes that he could wear on and off the course. “For me, the comfort level is a 10, it’s perfect.”
Once I’ve laced my shoes up, and they’re on my feet, they almost feel like a second skin.”
Fred Couples
In addition to going without socks, Fred laces his shoes really tight. During his ten years walking in ECCO hybrids, he has never once had a blister.
Re-Release of an Icon
In celebration of the tenth anniversary, ECCO has re-released the original Golf Street for a limited time ($150). These shoes feature the same superior pebbled napa leather uppers atop the E-DTS outsole’ which features 800 traction angles for superb grip. Available only in the original colorways, including the iconic Licorice/Coffee/Fanta that caught the attention of the golf world on April 8, 2010. In addition, these shoes are treated with ECCO’s HYRDROMAX to keep your feet dry while walking in the footsteps of golfing history.
Re-Imagination of an Icon
“The revolution is back,” Couples says of the limited-edition ECCO Golf Street 10. Similar to the original but with fresh and subtle details that give them a luxurious, contemporary appeal. They are golf shoes that don’t look like golf shoes. These come in an off-white color that is edgy enough to be worn with joggers and elegant enough to pair with your classic trousers.
In true recognition of the limited-edition status, the ECCO Golf Street 10 is marked on the heel with a ‘HYBRID 10’ logo in bronze print. The updated model also features a new midsole material, PHORENE: ultra-light and soft, while offering outstanding shock absorbency. The Golf Street 10 is presented in a commemorative shoebox and comes with an anniversary key ring.
It is a really cool way to recognize a piece of golf fashion history; the shoe that disrupted an entire industry.
These shoes are so good. I wish I lived in a drier location where I could wear these more often.