Masters week has a knack for awakening golfers and inspiring golf brands to hit their peak as well. Designers of golf apparel, footwear and accessories deploy bright green base-colors and Georgia-inspired staples like peaches or palmetto prints to let golfers' eyes connect the dots. The swag shop at Augusta National is legendary, sure, but golfers need not attend the Masters nor seek official Masters-logoed gear to catch the magnolia vibes.
One such brand inserting a hefty dose of green onto their product palate this week is Adidas. They are big in golf but have a longer history in other sports from soccer to tennis. So for their limited edition release this week, Adidas didn't call on their own star golfer and defending champion Dustin Johnson, but instead Stan Smith, the former No. 1 tennis champ and winner of the U.S. Open and Wimbledon. The Stan Smith Golf shoe dropped April 7 and the bright, PRIMEGREEN color and throwback style caught viral fire.
Most of us have a golf game more akin to Stan's than DJ's, and this golf shoe delivers a casual, street vibe compared to the athletic shoes DJ wears in competition. The insides provide additional cushioning and support for golf, while the bottoms are filled with tiny lugs for traction on the course. They'll work just about anywhere at the club.
Adding to Stan's street cred for golf, he is actually the touring tennis pro based at Sea Pines Resort on Hilton Head Island, where golf and tennis share the limelight like at few other destinations. Adidas made these Stan Smiths available only to members of its Creators Club (free to join) and reportedly promptly sold out. Stan still has plenty of fans on the court and course.
