When Jordan Spieth tapped in the winning putt at the Valero Texas Open back in April, his first win for nearly four years, I can imagine that there were a few people at Under Armour HQ breathing a large sigh of relief.
Spieth has been the brand's poster boy for their golf range ever since he first burst onto the scene in 2013, and so the fact that he has re-emerged from his slump and is back towards the top of the game is big news.
It has come at just the right time too, as Under Armour has announced the launch of the fifth generation of Spieth's signature golf shoe, which this year features a 'spike-like grip and spikeless feel'.
The Spieth 5 SL shoe introduces a new Fourth Dimension of Traction which provides all of the stability and comfort of a spiked shoe, but with the easy lightweight feel of a spikeless model.
The shoe has been developed again in conjunction with the world leading bio-mechanist Jean-Jacques Rivet, and this has led to a new Interior Traction technology. This consists of a new 3D moulded footbed, with an additional wrap over the medial side and top of the foot.
This wrap is said to eliminate 'gapping' between the foot and the shoe from the inside, creating a fit which is tailored to your individual foot shape and reducing undesirable movement during the swing.
Put simply, Spieth 5 SL changes the game for what golfers can expect from spikeless footwear performance.
Jake Haley, Senior Product Line Manager for Golf Footwear, Under Armour
The new spikeless outsole design uses a durable, lightweight TPU with injected rubber spikes in targeted areas, ensuring that you get a secure, locked-down feel throughout the swing.
The outsole also features flex channels that Under Armour say make the most of the performance insights they have gained from bio-mechanic research, increasing traction and stability whilst also generating better energy return from the ground into the swing.
This is most evident in the shoe's forefoot, where the flex channels have been redesigned to separate the big toe from the rest of the shoe. This is done so that it can remain grounded for longer in the swing, producing more stability.
Comfort is provided thanks to a full-length Hovr cushioning platform, giving both comfort and energy return whilst staying low to the ground as Spieth himself requested.
The Spieth 5 SL is available now at an RRP of £170.
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