In Celebration Of The Original And Revolutionary Spikeless Hybrid

At the close of the first day of the 2010 Masters, Fred Couples had shot 66 and was in the lead, but the world of golf was more interested in what he had on his feet.

“The craziness of Couples leading the Masters was a big moment, yet everyone was talking about what he had on his feet, asking if they were real golf shoes,” says Ecco’s head of global golf, Michael Waack. “People wanted to know if they were golf shoes, sneakers, or slippers.”

By Monday morning, ‘Fred Couples’ and ‘Ecco’ were the 11th most Googled words around the world. That unpaid publicity was worth $55 million by Ecco’s calculations. On eBay, the shoes were selling for $500, four times the retail price.

“For the next three years, our hybrid shoes sold out. The world was watching and saw that it was possible to play top-level golf without spikes,” says Waack. At the time, spikeless shoes accounted for only one percent of global golf shoe sales. Today, half of all models are spikeless, and 80 percent of tour pros wear them.

“It was Ecco that started this ball rolling,” says Couples. “The footwear in golf has completely changed in the last 10 years, and that’s because of Ecco.”

In homage, Ecco has launched a 10-year anniversary edition limited worldwide to just 700 pairs. Golf Street 10 stays true to the iconic original hybrid design with the addition of several subtle yet classic details of elegance and luxury:

• A new midsole material, super soft PU Phorene increases shock absorption and rebound to a new level of comfort.
• The award-winning Ecco Dynamic Traction System (E-DTSTM) hybrid outsole design provides more than 100 traction bars and 800 traction angles for excellent grip in all playing conditions.
• The leather uppers from Ecco’s own tanneries are crafted from Ecco Fluffy Pebble Nappa, a tumbled, full-grain, pebbled nappa leather with an aniline finish and a plush, silky touch.
• Varnishing details pay tribute to the 10-year anniversary of the original Golf
  Street design, including bronze detailing on the lace ends and two eyelids, a ‘Hybrid 10’ logo in bronze screen print on the heel and a commemorative shoe box and key ring.

Performance-wise, Hydromax® treated uppers keep the leather strong and durable while keeping feet dry and comfortable with enhanced breathability.

The micro-perforated leather lining adds to the aesthetics, while leather-lined inlay soles offer unique moisture management properties, along with long-term cushioning and comfort.

And the coup de grace could be what you can’t see, the Golf Street 10 is crafted with FluidForm technology to bond the upper and outsole unit, creating a one-piece shoe without the use of glue or stitching. Benefits include flexibility, durability and a lightweight construction.