Equipment
Adidas Tour360 Boost: The culmination of a decade of golf shoe innovation
“What is this?” Jason Day said.
On his face was the huge, genuine smile that golf fans became used to seeing at the end of the 2015 PGA Tour season. And on this Tuesday after the Tour Championship, how could he be anything but smiles?
In his last five tournaments, Day had won his first major championship, two FedEx Cup Playoffs events and became the No. 1-ranked golfer in the world. He was technically working, but standing next to Sergio Garcia and Dustin Johnson, the moment felt more like a Tuesday practice round with friends than an Adidas photo shoot.
The topic of conversation among the top-ranked golfers was the items in front of them, Adidas’ Tour360 golf shoes. Day was holding the original Tour360, now a decade old, and couldn’t help but laugh.
“They look like bowling shoes,” he said. “And how heavy they are.”
Off camera but within earshot was Masun Denison, who was on the team that developed on the original Tour360’s. Now the director of Adidas’ Golf footwear, he couldn’t help but interject. Denison was far from offended, but he made sure to say — loud enough so that Day could here — that the shoes were “revolutionary in their day.”
He had a point.
Ten years ago, athletic-styled golf shoes were an oddity. Now they’re the norm, at least partly thanks to the Tour360.
The latest version of the Tour360, officially called the Tour360 Boost, has similarities to the original model, but many more differences. One of the biggest changes is the addition of the namesake “Boost” technology.
Boost solves an important design dilemma — one that most golfers likely don’t even know exists in their footwear. Shoe designers have always had to choose between making a shoe more comfortable by using softer materials and making it more responsive by using firmer materials – which of course, reduce comfort.
Boost is a special, lightweight foam material made up of thousands of pressurized pellets that compress to provide softness, but then “rebound” toward a golfer’s foot to improve responsiveness.
Last year, Day, Garcia and Johnson transitioned into Adidas’ Boost technology with the company’s AdiPower Boost golf shoe, which integrated the material into the heel. With the Tour360 Boost, the material is used both in the heel and forefoot of the shoe.
As the cameras started rolling, Garcia and Day were still chatting with Denison about the original Tour360, but Johnson’s attention was focused on another shoe.
“I loved these,” he said, looking at the black-and-white Tour360 LTD.
Unlike the most-recent Tour360 models, the Tour360 LTD’s were made of a premium, full-grain leather, and they received unanimous praise from the three golfers for their looks.
“I think it was the first really sharp, sporty-looking shoe we had,” Garcia said.
The Tour360 LTD also had a special place in each of the golfer’s memories. Johnson won his first PGA Tour event – the 2008 Turning Stone Resort Championship – while wearing them. Jason Day remembered wearing them to make a hole-in-one at the same event. Garcia wore them to win The Players Championship in 2008.
With the Tour360 Boost, Denison and his team chose to return to the leather construction to pay tribute to the history of the iconic golf shoe. Another homage, however, maintaining the Tour360’s standout feature, is significant to the design because it adds better performance.
The original Tour360’s were given their name because of their “360Wrap,” an independent saddle that cradles the mid-portion of the foot. It adds stability, but improves fit, too. Since it’s connected to the lacing system, the 360Wrap adapts to the shape of a golfer’s foot, moving outward to accommodate golfers with wider feet, or inward for golfers with narrower feet. The 360Wrap works the same way in the Tour360 Boost, but there are two key differences.
For one, Adidas designers built what looks like a bridge (Adidas calls it a Torsion Tunnel) underneath the 360Wrap. Previous Tour360 models had a split sole, or a gap between the heel and forefoot.
In the past two-to-four years, Denison said Adidas has learned an incredible amount about traction through studies that not only measure a golf shoe’s dynamic movements, but the movement of a golfer’s feet inside golf shoes. One of the biggest takeaways from those studies was that a split sole was not optimal for maximum traction.
“To get the most grip possible, we couldn’t have a gap in the middle,” Denison said. “We knew that if we connected the heel and forefoot, we would get addition performance.”
The mission was on to keep the 360Wrap, but find a way to maximize traction. The result was the bridge, which adds rigidity that improves the stability of the shoe, but still allows the heel and forefoot to move independently. And true to its original intent, the bridge’s “nubs” create better traction, between 10-12 percent according to an Adidas study.
The other new feature of the 360Wrap is specific to the “Boa” model of the shoe. The Tour360 Boost is offered in two models – one with laces ($200) and one with a lace-less Boa system ($230), which uses cables that tighten and loosen the shoe through an adjustable dial.
The Boa cables actually weave through the 360Wrap in the new shoes, technology that Adidas co-engineered with Boa, and use a special dial positioned on the shoe tongue. The dial can make micro adjustments, offering 1 millimeter of tension adjustment per click, which allows golfers to lock in in the perfect fit.
Day had just finished changing his outfit for a television commercial when I caught up with him to talk about the new shoes. As he came out of the golf-cart-turned-dressing-room to put on a pair of Tour360 Boost shoes, which happened to have laces, he told me how much he liked Adidas’ new Boa system.
“I don’t have to tie my shoes anymore,” Day said. “I’m pretty finicky about footwear and how tight it should be.”
Last year, Day started wearing the AdiPower Boost shoes with Boa regularly, including during his PGA Championship win. He revealed that he had worn roughly 20 different pairs of shoes – 10 black and 10 white — throughout the year “to keep things looking fresh,” changing shoes the most during his winning spree.
“I was pretty much a nobody before this year,” Day said in a moment of humility.
Garcia and Johnson disagreed. Few golfers are better statesman for the game than Day, who told me he signs the shoes that he no longer plans to wear and gives them away to fans.
Testing Thread: Enter to be part of the official GolfWRX Tour360 Boost Testing Panel
As the photo shoot came to a close, Garcia was asked what he thought of the older Tour360 shoe models. He was the most complimentary of the three golfers, maybe because he remembered what it was like to play a professional golf schedule in shoes that were far less advanced than even the 10-year-old Tour360’s.
“I won [PGA Tour] tournaments before the Tour360’s came out,” Garcia reminded them.
At the time of Garcia’s first PGA Tour win, the 2001 MasterCard Colonial, Day was 13 years old. Johnson was 16.
With all that goes into modern golf footwear, it seemed fair to ask Garcia if shoe technology had changed the way he played. Did he swing harder, or hit different shots?
He thought about it for a few moments before he responded.
“No,” Garcia said. “I’ve always tried to play as aggressively as I can.”
I pictured the famous shot he hit, eyes closed, with his ball dangerously close to the base of a tree at the 1999 PGA Championship at Medinah. Sergio has always been Sergio. No shoe would change that. What Garcia said next summed up what Adidas is really celebrating with the Tour360 Boost and its 10-year celebration of the golf shoe line.
“I’ve been lucky to be with Adidas for 16, 17 years now.” Garcia said. “I’ve never felt like I was at a disadvantage.”
History says golfers will feel the same way about Adidas’ golf shoes 10 years from now.
To learn more about the Tour360 Boost and its availability, visit Adidas’ website.
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Equipment
A shocking Backstryke putter appearance + 7 interesting gear photos from the Zurich Classic
Welcome to New Orleans, where TPC Louisiana plays host to the 2024 Zurich Classic. In between breakfast beignets and nightly Creole feasts, PGA Tour players are also competing in the unique two-man format at the Zurich this week.
Although the vibes in Nawlins are a bit lighter-fare than the recent back-to-back competitions the Masters and the RBC Heritage signature event), the gear news was no less serious this week.
We spotted some recent changes from Rory McIlroy, a very rare Odyssey Backstryke putter, dove into the bag of legendary New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, and spotted Patrick Cantlay continuing to test new equipment.
Get your beads out and crack your crawfish, because it’s time for an equipment rundown from The Big Easy (meaning New Orleans, of course, not Ernie Els).
See all of our photos from the Zurich Classic here
Rory’s on-and-off lob wedge
Since the end of 2023, Rory McIlroy has had an on-again, off-again relationship with a Titleist Vokey K-Grind lob wedge. In his last start, it was on, and the wedge is back in the bag again this week. We got a great look at the complicated grind that McIlroy uses.
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A full look into McIlroy’s bag above also shows that he switched out of the TaylorMade BRNR Mini Copper that he used at the RBC Heritage, and he’s back into the Qi10 core 3-wood. As we discussed last week, McIlroy will likely keep the BRNR around as a course-specific club, trading it in and out for the 3-wood.
See Rory McIlroy’s full 2024 WITB from the Zurich here
Turning Back the clock
Unless Tommy Gainey is in the field, it’s unlikely you’ll ever see Odyssey’s Backstryke technology make an appearance on the PGA Tour.
But then, when you least expect it, Russ Cochran shows up.
For more than a decade – since the 2013 Sony Open in Hawai’i – Cochran has been stuck on 599 PGA Tour starts. This week will be his 600th.
Cochran is in the field at the Zurich this week playing alongside Eric Cole, whose regular caddie is Reed Cochran, Russ’s son.
The Backstryke putter was first released back in 2010, and its unique design helps shift the axis point of the putter closer to the CG of the head. And, the putter is getting a nod this week at the Zurich Classic, thanks to Cochran’s 600th career PGA Tour start.
The putter is certainly awesome, but don’t forget to check out Cochran’s full WITB from this week.
Drew Brees with a Super Bowl winning Scotty Cameron putter
Drew Brees, a legendary retired quarterback for the hometown New Orleans Saints, made an appearance at the Zurich’s Wednesday Pro-Am, playing alongside Zach Johnson, Ryan Palmer, and current Saints QB Derek Carr.
Brees’ bag included a TaylorMade Stealth2 Plus driver, a BRNR Mini 13.5-degree, a Stealth 5-wood, a mixed set of P-790 and P-760 irons, Milled Grind Hi-Toe wedges, and a custom Scotty Cameron “New Orleans Saints” putter, which Scotty made for Brees following his Super Bowl MVP-winning performance in 2010.
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It should also be noted that Brees has his Venmo QR code as a bag tag.
If you’re gambling with Brees on the course, just know that not having cash won’t work as an excuse.
Brilliant.
See Drew Brees’ full WITB from the Zurich here
Stricker’s unrecognizable putter
Steve Stricker has made numerous upgrades to his bag recently, including a new TSR3 driver and T100 irons, but his longtime Odyssey White Hot No. 2 putter is still going strong. It’s the most recognizable unrecognizable putter ever.
Here’s a better look at Stricker’s flatstick, which he started using back in 2007.
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Patrick Cantlay has opened the equipment-switching floodgates
Over on the PGA Tour’s Equipment Report this week, we covered Cantlay’s recent switch into Ping Blueprint S irons, and a Titleist TSR2 driver.
Cantlay hadn’t switched irons for about seven years, so the iron switch he made at The 2024 Masters came as a shock to the norm. He simply isn’t one to change gear very often, so anytime Cantlay makes a switch, it’s news.
It seems the floodgates of equipment testing have opened up a bit for Cantlay, who was also spotted testing a custom Scotty Cameron blade putter on Tuesday this week. By Wednesday, Cantlay was back practicing with his familiar Scotty Cameron T5 Proto mallet, but it’s certainly something to keep an eye on going forward.
Daniel Berger’s custom Jailbird site lines
Berger, who’s currently using Odyssey’s Ai-One Mini Jailbird mallet putter, has a unique 3-dot, 2-line alignment on the crown of his navy-white-navy-white mallet putter. Looking down at the putter, it’s easy to see why this alignment system would help; it just seems impossible to set up to the ball off-center, or misaligned to the target.
Also, for anyone worried, you can rest easy. Yes, he’s still playing the 2013 TaylorMade TP MC irons, which we highlighted in our recent “Modern Classics: Old vs. New” video testing series.
FitzMagic teams back up
Brothers Matthew and Alex Fitzpatrick are teaming up once again at the Zurich this year, and Bettinardi Golf hooked them up with some festive “FitzMagic” headcovers to match this week.
See what else is in Alex Fitzpatrick’s WITB here
And, with that, we say goodbye to the Zurich Classic in New Orleans. Don’t forget to check out all of our photos from this week, including 30 unique photo galleries full of equipment photos.
We’ll see you next week in Texas for the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson!
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Whats in the Bag
Alejandro Tosti WITB 2024 (April)
- Alejandro Tosti what’s in the bag accurate as of the Zurich Classic.
Driver: Srixon ZX5 Mk II LS (9.5 degrees @10.5)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS T1100 75 6.5
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 Tour
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Black 80 TX
Hybrid: TaylorMade Qi10 Tour Rescue (22 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black RDX 6.5 100
Irons: Srixon ZX7 Mk II (4-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Mid Tour Issue X100
Wedges: Cleveland RTX6 ZipCore Tour Rack (50-10 MID, 54-10 MID, 58-10 MID, 60-06 LOW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Mid Tour Issue X100, S400
Putter: Scotty Cameron
Grips: Golf Pride MCC Plus4
Check out more in-hand photos of Alejandro Tosti’s WITB in the forums.
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Whats in the Bag
Drew Brees WITB 2024 (April)
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Driver: TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus (10.5 degrees)
Mini driver: TaylorMade BRNR Mini Copper (13.5 degrees)
5-wood: TaylorMade Stealth Plus (19 degrees)
Irons: TaylorMade P790 (4-8, PW), TaylorMade P760 (9)
Wedges: TaylorMade MG Hi-Toe (52-09, 56-10, 60)
Putter: Scotty Cameron Select Newport 2 Prototype
Check out more in-hand photos of Drew Brees’ clubs here.
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fake yeezy boost 750 triple black
May 12, 2016 at 4:08 am
Excellent, what a website iit is! This websitre gives helpful information to us,
keep it up.
please
Dec 14, 2015 at 11:59 pm
stop kidding around with yourselves. the LTD was 10x better than any other model. re-release it with hidden boost material like the yeezy 350.
Tad
Dec 11, 2015 at 10:57 pm
Thank god these are coming out. I love the boot tech. I have the tour 360 now. I love the 10 spike pattern. so much more traction. can’t wait to use these new ones.
tomuch23
Dec 11, 2015 at 7:14 pm
I believe the Adidas Adipower Boost also had the (boost foam) in the forefoot but it was not exposed like these are. The sport version has the boost only in the heel (which I own and really like) and TPU in the forefoot. So technically last year had a full boost sole also. Good write up none the less.
tomuch23
Dec 11, 2015 at 8:05 pm
Should say EVA not TPU in the forefoot.
Fug-u
Dec 11, 2015 at 5:44 pm
That black stripe down the middle is ugly, and Adidas knows it. The new Pumas are way better
Adidas s
Dec 11, 2015 at 12:21 pm
I have a pair of running shoes with boost and my golf shoes have boost now that they are affordable. Both are extremely comfortable. These look awesome and can’t wait till the end of next year when I can afford them.
Dunce
Dec 11, 2015 at 11:26 am
I was really hoping they’d have the nightflash/yellow color scheme that was available in the UK last year available in the US this year, looks like I’m sticking with the hyperflexes for another year
Scooter McGavin
Dec 11, 2015 at 11:07 am
I’m not a fan of how the WRX home page was one big ad for these. From top to bottom it was: banner ad, article, another ad right beneath- all for these shoes.
golfraven
Dec 11, 2015 at 8:43 am
Still have the original 360 Tour at home but have not worn them for couple of seasons now. I am on the FJ train for some time now and not looking back.
Jim
Dec 11, 2015 at 7:54 am
I thought I read where Sergio is switching to Titliest this off season? Doubt that Adidas would put him in a commercial if he was switching manufacturers. If he still switches I’d be shocked after this. 360 shoes look pretty good, but the price is getting too high for me. I’ve been playing 360 models since they came out but will have to wait for the price to come down on these.
FTWPhil
Dec 11, 2015 at 10:47 am
Weren’t the originals $249.99?
mhendon
Dec 11, 2015 at 8:23 pm
No that was the adipures. Not sure if that’s spelled right but great shoes still wearing them
KK
Dec 11, 2015 at 10:50 am
Titliest is about class, performance and winning. Why would they want Sergio?
slider
Dec 11, 2015 at 11:58 am
so true where is the like button
Dan
Dec 11, 2015 at 6:17 am
Poor adidas, no matter how hard they try, they come up short on everything they do. It’s amazing how Nike can come out with good looking products over and over again and adidas just can’t seem to do it. These shoes look like they were made in 2002. It’s like adidas is ignoring the market.
KTM
Dec 11, 2015 at 7:50 am
Those look super nice. Classy, understated. Nike is all about unnecessary bling which doesn’t suit everyone.
TR1PTIK
Dec 11, 2015 at 8:20 am
I would absolutely wear these. I think they look good. I also remember salivating over previous models and work a pair of AdiComfort shoes for at least 3 seasons. There’s nothing wrong with what Adidas is doing. However, I do wear FootJoy now, but that has more to do with what’s been available in my area.
ron
Dec 11, 2015 at 10:10 am
gotta disagree, these look great and Adidas shoes have always been super comfy to me.
Don
Dec 11, 2015 at 10:20 am
I have to disagree. I have worn both brands and adidas is by far and away more comfortable and durable. And they look good.
HackerDav31
Dec 11, 2015 at 11:05 am
Sorry Dan, but giant toe swooshes on vinyl isn’t what every golfer is looking for, modern or not. These things look amazing and if they feel half as good as anything else with Boost, Nike are in for it…
slider
Dec 11, 2015 at 11:59 am
I agree nike does it best in the shoe department
Jeff
Dec 11, 2015 at 6:14 am
The crap these pga players have to do after signing a contract.
ron
Dec 11, 2015 at 10:09 am
I’ll gladly do “crap” like this: post for pics with new shoes/apparel/equipment- of which I can get as many as I want for free. Not to mention the boat load of cash that comes with the contract. Sign me up please.
mhendon
Dec 11, 2015 at 8:26 pm
Me to