« Ryan Moore Stays TRUE To Himself »
It all started with a sore ankle.
Ryan Moore, winner of the 2009 Wyndham Championship and PGA Tour fashion iconoclast, was moving from shoe to shoe - from Ecco to Puma and many others in between, and simply could not find anything that wouldn't aggravate an ongoing ankle issue.
Until he tried a pair of TRUEs from TRUE Linkswear - and just a single early prototype shoe at that. That was all it took to convince Moore that TRUE Linkswear had come up with something completely different. While innovation is a claim most every company must make in order to differentiate itself from competitors, more often than not in the golf shoe business, consumers have been offered heavily structured shoes that essentailly nail your foot to the ground, removing any interaction with the terrain.
TRUE Linkswear, whose unique agreement with Moore was profiled here on CNG, is a company of passionate golfers who, through hard work and countless iterations, have created a ground-breaking minimalist golf shoe that allows the golfer to truly feel the course.
TRUEs from TRUE Linkswear, pictured with Ryan Moore's only other corporate association, a Scratch iron.
"TRUEs are lower to the ground than any other shoe that I have worn. I think their lower profile allows the foot to function as it should. I can actually feel the course more than ever before," said Moore.
Moore's search for the right shoe found its happy ending through a referral from Scratch Golf, with whom Moore has a similar investment relationship as he now does with TRUE Linkswear.
"It was someone (from Scratch) who knew someone (from TRUE) who was working on something unique, and thought I should take a look. We sat down for a coffee and I was immediately impressed with both the people and the product," said Moore. "The concept was great - a shoe that is an extension of your foot, and even though any concept can be great in theory, the TRUEs are ten times better when you get them on your feet."
For a period of time during his professional career, Moore went without any manner of sponsorship, for either clubs or apparel, mainly because he never wanted to lie to people about using or wearing a product in which he didn't completely believe. In both Scratch Golf and TRUE Linkswear, Moore seems to have found exactly what he was looking for - so much so that he has invested in both companies.
Wearing TRUEs, Moore has been able to virtually eliminate any ankle issues while gaining significant improvements in comfort and performance. "I have been wearing TRUEs for a few weeks now and honestly, they're so comfortable and light they feel like you're wearing a slipper," said Moore.
A collection of TRUEs. L to R in the photo - Troy Denton, Rob Rigg, Ryan Moore, Jeremy Moore, Mike Moore. (Photo courtesy TRUE Linkswear)Regarding performance, which is a topic that most new shoe entrants must address, Moore was emphatic that TRUEs go beyond expectation, and that TRUEs actually knock down commonly held notions of what a golf shoe must be.
"We have been told what we need regarding traction for a long time," said Moore. "But what the TRUEs do for you is they give you the freedom not to be bolted to the ground."
Moore wore the TRUEs through soggy conditions at The Memorial, and came through the event not having lost even the smallest amount of traction, nor did he have any manner of wetness seep through. Come Sunday evening after finishing tied for fifth, Moore had a choice to make when getting ready to head to the airport - wear the TRUEs or his favorite sneakers? Perhaps not surprisingly, Moore chose the TRUEs for the long trip home.
"Once you put them on you are never going to want to wear anything else," said Moore.
TRUE traction.Back on the issue of being bolted to the ground, the sole of the TRUEs are spikeless, and after having a birdie putt on the 18th hole at The Memorial be directly affected by a spike mark left behind by a metal spike wearing fellow competitor, Moore thinks it's time for the PGA Tour to step in and do something about the issue.
Moore hopes that perhaps one day, when players have come to realize that metal spikes, or even soft spikes for that matter, do not enhance performance in the manner that a shoe like TRUEs do, the issue of spiked up greens will be a long forgotten issue.
But until then,
"If you don't wear metal cleats you should be able to fix spike marks," said Moore.
An idea that sounds both fair and simple.
Chapeau Noir was of course curious about Moore's fashion choices for the US Open, which starts Thursday at Pebble Beach. "Golf clothes have become much sportier in the past few years, and rather than go that direction it's nice to do something fun - but what I wear usually all depends on the weather."
As for TRUE Linkswear, the company strongly believes that traditional golf shoes are severely over engineered with features that actually put you in a position to fail every time you swing a club.
TRUE aims to do put golfers in a position to succeed with products that work naturally with their bodies and provide true technological benefits without unnecessary features, added weight, false claims, or empty promises.
Look to get into a pair of TRUEs in the fall of 2010. Follow TRUE Linkswear on Facebook, and Twitter.
Chapeau Noir
Reader Comments (1)
Just Reformatted my computer to windows XP Professional and i cant hear anything from my speakers or headphones. Ive looked at my computer and it says its all working properly yet i dont have a driver or as some programs call it a mixer and im wonder were i would get one do i need ot buy it or dl it this has never happened before?
__________________
[url=http://jail-break-ps3.blogspot.com/2010/12/jail-break-ps3.html]Jail break ps3[/url]