Golf Shoes for Playa's & Dudes!

Now you know PUTTFashion is not like other blogs...we don't tell you what the guys on the tour are wearing. You can see that for your self anywhere!! No at PUTTFashion we take you out to the edge of cool golf and we introduce you to the future. If we were playing music with this article it would be James Brown with 'get on the good foot'!

Now, say a big hello to Kikkor Golf Shoes!! These are for all those who don't want to wear the same shoes as their dad when playing golf. At last you have a hero in the shoe world.

KIKKOR has been created by James Lepp, a former All-American at Washington who won the individual title at the 2005 NCAA Championship, now designing great golf shoes.

James reckons he know what young people wear, and how uncool golf shoes have been over the years. We know this and some companies are getting a little more interesting with some of their designs, but they still end up looking like running shoes! James has created Kikkor to fully attacked that West Coast style that so many younger players like. And he has got it spot on as far as we can see.

And don't be thinking these won't be as good as my X, Y or Z shoes because they are not from one of the large golf shoe companies...oh no! Kikkor shoes are ram jam packed full of technical features such as Sure Foot Stability, one year waterproof warranty, Komfort Foam Technology, Champ Q-Lok Spikes and all made from premium action leather.

Two styles in the EPPIK and the CIRCLE 3 and both come in four different colorways. The shoes will be hitting stores this spring and we think lots of people will be dumping their old messy dad shoes and getting some KIKKOR sports deluxe premium golf kicks.

See more at www.kikkor.com

Jamie Cross & Andy Carroll

PUTTFashion is a FACE in the CROWD production

Galvin turn on the style!

We always think of Galvin Green as a rainwear brand but it has, for a few seasons now, been doing polo shirts with variable results. However, having just seen its new spring summer shirts and they have added a nice little bit of style to now. Gone are the crazy vertical multi coloured strips in favour of subtle details and strong branding. Its not a large range with just nine styles but they have got a lot offer with this.

Our favourite is the Maddox as it has a fantastic bright yellow colourway with panels cut into the body using slightly textured fabric and adding a white high light. This is quite a simple

idea but the seaming and panelling does create a different garment and a more sports feel. Branding is on the sleeve using sonic welded logos and maybe a bit too much text. After the brand name it reads 'comfort technology' which to be honest we don't like, as its a bit meaningless as who buys a shirt expecting it to be uncomfortable? That apart, we love this shirt, its screams sunshine and golf the minute you set your eyes on it. Very sporty.

The next shirt is Marlon which is a real good

looking shirt but we would have liked more brighter colours than white, navy or black. We chose the white as it made the best of the details this shirt is showing off. Its called the Marlon...maybe its Galvin tipping its hat at Marlon Brando as the shirt has a slight western feel to it due to the styled chest pockets and studs at the end of the stitch detail. Galvin use some strange names for their various shirts and products in general, not to sure they add to the mystique of the brand. This shirt uses large industrial strength press studs on its long and deep placket creating a rather cool fashionable look. Branding is by

way of a small woven label stitched on to the sleeve. Great styled shirts but a bit of colour would have been great. The fit is the standard Galvin boxy fit.

And our third choice is the Milos in Gull Grey. We think this is a shirt you can wear anywhere if you are totally happy wearing polyester. The shirt has long placket stud buttons and a chest pocket with the flap that all adds up to a slight army shirt feel. Which is why we like it, you could wear this with jeans that's for sure. Galvin have added some fine details using different coloured sewing threads on the shoulders and arms and this works very well in contrast to the Gull Grey colour of the fabric. Again we would have liked some brighter colours in this shirts but the Gull Grey is the best as it has a streetwear feel to the garment. The sleeves on the Milos are a little shorter than the other two showing Galvin is aware that sleeves on all polo shirts are getting much shorter now as it adds a different look to the garment. Overall the fit is boxy but not overly so so you may want to buy a size down if you want a more fashion look to this great shirt.

Great stuff from Galvin Green. We didn't mention the fabric because its the usual technical, technical, technical but what is great is to see the brand go beyond this and design some good looking shirts. Now add some more colour and that would be just tickety boo!

Jamie Cross & Andy Carroll

PUTTFashion is a FACE in the CROWD production

Puma - can you BEER it?

We know it not a golf product but if we don't tell you about who will?

Puma have launched their own beer! Maybe this is what they have been drinking when creating young Ricky's Tango uniform. This is actually a cross-promotional idea for the football world cup and we applaud it as a truly outstanding idea but we think they should do it for the Masters as well or all golf majors really. Puma have teamed up with artisanal brewers Collective Sao Gabriel to concoct this World Cup brew meant to promote unity. Which is a nice idea and very laudable but the key thing will be what the beer tastes like and they are keeping this under wraps until closer to the main event.

Lets hope they take up our idea of having this beer at a major golf event. Congratulation to Puma on a truly great promotional idea we love it!

Jamie Cross & Andy Carroll

PUTTFashion is a FACE in the CROWD production

Why Puma is not a golf brand!

They say every picture tells a story or as Telly Savalas(Kojak)would say 'a picture paints a thousand word' and this surely does. The question is who would wear this golfing Puma that isn't getting paid a lot of money to do so?

This kid looks like he's been Tango'd!!!!

Jamie Cross & Andy Carroll

PUTTFashion is a FACE in the CROWD production

Golf - Still Fashionable

These are called the Carrack and they are made by Onitsuka Tiger which was the fore runner to the brand we now know as Asics. Founded in Kobe, Japan by Kihachiro Onitsuka they have been fashion cool ever since. These Carrack are a cross between a deck shoe and an old school golf shoe. These low profile shoes have a removable tongue flap decorated with brogue-like perforations which pays homage to the golf shoe but Onitsuka bring the shoe right upto date as they are made of light weight smart suede. The decorative leather lacing woven around the ankle and pinching on the heel expresses a liking for the deck shoe classics of the 80's...where are Crocket & Tubbs!

So these shoes take golf back onto the streets show the sport still has iconic products that influence the young fashion companies of today. Maybe they should stick some spikes on the sole for those who may want to wear them on the course.

Available in cream, white and a striking two-tone navy and all topped off with a roaring Tiger tag on the heel. Take golf back onto the fashion high street.

Jamie Cross & Andy Carroll

PUTTFashion is a FACE in the CROWD production

The Fashion Leader

There is no doubt in our minds that this is the one and only 'fashion leader' on the golf tour...by miles! Now many may disagree and some may think its not important. However, to anyone involved or interested in golf fashion then Ian Poulter is very, very important indeed. The golf apparel business is in need of some more Ian Poulters rather than players who have no interest in their appearance like Stuart Cink who played in the same event. How he can let Nike make him wear that grey polyester jogging suit or what ever it was I'll never know. I mean a blind man on a charging horse would have seen that this is not a good look.

You may not like Poulters own clothing range but that really doesn't matter, what matters is that he is out there, championing the cause for fashion on the fairways. Poulter is more than just style conscious he loves his clothing, who else would take such a massive risk with their own money and created their own clothing line. This win also proves he hasn't taken his eye of the real ball...the golf ball.

With Poulter his clothes are a fantastic expression of his character and confidence which many other players simply do not have. Having seen lots of young players up close they tend to be very self conscious and go for a black shirt, black trousers...maybe white shoes just to show they are still hopeful of one day becoming a star. Poulter has never taken this road, he has always been confident and this is obvious by his love of golf fashion and his often 'peacock suit' sense styling. Long may he continue to strut his stuff on the golf fashion fairways and we defy anyone to name a more fashionable player on the tour...on any tour for that matter.

The importance of golf fashion is more obvious than ever before and a look at any good golf retailer will show you why. It was only 5 years ago when golf stores were loaded with equipment, sets of irons, wedges, drivers and putters but the only people making money from these are the manufactures. You go into many golf stores now and the percentage of floor space given to equipment has been dramatically cut to somewhere between 30 and 50%. The floor has been take over by apparel and shoes because there is much more margin in these products for the retailers and they are less expensive for the customer to purchase and so they sell through quicker. This provides golf retailers with much improved cash flow. The fact that there are more and more golf apparel stores now going on line, also indicates that golf apparel has become a fashion business in its own right.

Well done Mr Poulter the Pink Panther of the PGA tour.

Jamie Cross & Andy Carroll

PUTTFashion is a FACE in the CROWD production

A is for Abacus Golf

Abacus is one of the most improved brands in golf. Their gear has been around for while now and the quality was always good but they have really moved up a number of gears in terms of design now.

Their latest collection is very modern and it looks very wearable on or off the golf course. This is an important point because now all golf brands have woken up to promoting their range as 'can be worn on and off the course'. Well they can all say it but not many can actually achieve it but Abacus does. They have a good mix between functional fabrics and the natural wonder of cotton which is used in over 60% of their polo shirts such as the Barnham pictured here.

Their technical shirts are great looking pieces with cover seam stitching adding a nice touch and creating a very sporty looking polo as the Millwood pictured. Using cotton polyester dry cool fabrics in a pique structure helps enhance the wearability of these technical shirts and justifies the 'on or off the course' belief we have in this brand. Abacus believe in technical garments but not to the determent of the style and every garment must work on both fronts.

The new collection is made up of four groups, rain, wind, warm and tour and all offer great style and comfort as standard . The level of colour is also very wearable 'on or off the course', which is a mistake some other brands make, who is crazy enough to go to the super market in a lime green trousers? The block and overall fit has a relaxed casual look about it, giving it more variety than most and the shape is not too slim which is good news.

We first remember Abacus as being more a ladies line but they certainly have changed that now and the men's collection is very wearable, as is the ladies. The feel of this brand is essentially very European which is no surprise as it is Swedish but it is one of the most modern of brands currently around.

As Abacus say you can 'count on it' and we totally agree with that. Abacus, a great fashionable golf brand for those looking for something a little bit different and very wearable, count on it!

http://www.abacus-outdoor.com

Jamie Cross & Andy Carroll

PUTTFashion is a FACE in the CROWD production