What’s the story?
Jordan Spieth will unveil his new golf shoe “ Spieth One” in Tokyo today. This is the first time Under Armour has produced a signature golf shoe and his visit to Japan will be part of a four-city global tour to promote the launch of his shoe.
"I'm going to be heading into Tokyo from here early next week to release my first shoe," Spieth said at the Sony Open last week. "It's going to be really cool. I'm going to start wearing it right after that.
"Been working hard with Under Armour for awhile on finalizing it, really. It's been a year or over a year in the making. Really excited about what it's going to be. So we're going to go over there. We're going to go to Seoul, South Korea, as well, and a few-day trip to Asia before coming back, and I'll also spend some time in L.A., Mexico City and then there will be another launch in London.
"Really excited about Under Armour's commitment to allowing me to kind of help make this with them and to spread it around the world."
In case you didn’t know...
Spieth has made a strong start to his 2017 season with a T-3 finish at the SBS Tournament of Champions and a solo third finish coming at the Sony Open in Hawaii last week. The debut of the “Spieth One” shoe will come after several months of collaborative design and engineering work between Jordan and Under Armour.
Leading upto the release of this shoe, Spieth wore Under Armour’s UA Drive One shoe in 2016 and in July, he sported a pair of “smart shoes” that were custom built by Under Armour for him. They kept track of his steps and fitness even during a tournament round.
In 2015, the two-time major champion signed a new 10-year deal with Under Armour.
Heart of the matter
A two-day event in Japan which will see the "Spieth One's" first public display will also include a 60-second digital spot at a Japanese cultural ceremony before he moves on to visit several other locations across Tokyo.
Jordan will then travel to Seoul, South Korea on Jan 19th where he will showcase his shoe at the special ocassion of the grand opening of Under Armour's first brand house in the region.
Spieth is taking a few weeks off from competitive play but will be keeping busy with the tour in his off window from his golf schedule. The 2015 Masters champion and 2016 runner-up will wear the new shoe when he appears at the Waste Management Phoenix Open beginning Jan 30th.
The Spieth One tour will continue in Los Angeles on Feb. 13th and Mexico City on Feb. 28th .
What’s next?
The Spieth One shoe will be available for purchase on the website of the Baltimore-based brand and also at select brand houses.
Spieth will not be seen on tour until the Waste Management Phoenix Open which is scheduled to begin on Feb 2nd which will also mark the tour debut of the “Spieth One”.
Another launch in London is in the planning stages.
Sportskeeda’s Take
This is Under Armour’s first signature shoe in golf and its alliance with Jordan Spieth has changed the face of the golf apparel and shoe industry. The fact that they chose to release this shoe in collaboration with Spieth goes to show their level of belief and trust in Spieth’s golf game and him continuing to be successful for a number of years in the future.
Under Armour entered the golf industry at the same time as Jordan Spieth burst on to the scene and it doesn’t come as a surprise to see its committment and support towards Jordan.
The alliance has been hugely beneficial for Jordan’s brand too as it has given him the opportunity to grow the game in new countries and interact with fellow Under Armour athletes performing at the highest level in other sports.
Also Read: What's In the Bag: Clubs that Justin Thomas used to shoot a 59 at the Sony Open in Hawaii
Jordan Spieth has cut down on his schedule for the 2017 season with a view to remaining rested for the big tournaments. Although, he won multiple times on tour in 2016, he will be looking to replicate his success from 2015 in 2017.
He has pinpointed greater consistency with his irons as a medium to lead him to greater success in 2017 and if his win at the Australian Open (his win at the Australian Open in 2015 kickstarted his campaign where he won two majors and the FedEx Cup) is anything to go by, he could be set for another remarkable season.
