Many people mark the beginning of spring by observing their favorite seasonal event — waiting for Punxsutawney Phil to see his shadow, watching the cherry blossoms bloom, attending baseball’s Opening Day.
For golfers, spring starts with the Masters Tournament — the first major championship of the year. Here, at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, the world’s best golfers come and play for four days in hopes of getting to put on the highly coveted green sports jacket when it’s all said and done. The beautiful blooming landscape, combined with the tournament’s rich history and tradition, makes the Masters one of golf’s most iconic events.
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It just so happens the Masters Tournament will commence the same week golf’s best-known shoe company, FootJoy, releases a capsule collection with the go-to menswear destination, Todd Snyder.
The two brands are joining forces to bring back some of golf’s best styles over the years. The result is a collection consisting of polos, windbreakers, cardigans, shorts, joggers, caps, and golf shoes that highlight the brand’s leadership in the game while adding that signature Todd-Snyder touch. For Todd Snyder himself, a lot of the inspiration came from sifting through vintage photos at the FootJoy archives.
“I was looking in the FootJoy archives at pictures of Arnold Palmer and Chi-Chi Rodriguez, and recognized this moment before performance fabrics took over when players had this effortless cool aesthetic that felt very relevant to right now,” Snyder said in his press release. “We are excited to collaborate with FootJoy on a wardrobe inspired by that golden era of golf, but for the modern guy who wants to maintain his personal sense of style when he hits the golf course.”
Judging by the looks of his collection: mission accomplished. The pinnacle of the line is by far the Premiere Series Shoe. After all, FootJoy has been known in golf for over 150 years for its great shoes. Based on the Packard style, the Premiere Series Shoe comes in two colors: White pebble grain with either an Olive or Navy quarter. To create a luxe look and feel, FootJoy taps full-grain Pittards of England leather, as well as Italian calfskin leather. For comfort, an Ortholite footbed and molded TPU heel clip provide supreme comfort when out on the green. The Premieres come in a unique Todd Snyder and FJ packaging with a shoe bag.
A couple of direct pieces from the collection, like the bucket hat and sleeveless cardigan, can be pointed to specific golf legends. The bucket hat with grosgrain trim and small logo is in ode to Chi-Chi Rodriguez, who made the style popular during his playing days.
And the sleeveless cashmere cardigan is in ode to Arnold Palmer. Palmer wore cardigans so much so the annual winner of his tournament — The Arnold Palmer Invitational — receives a red cardigan in his honor.
Many brands are just scratching the surface of golf’s potential role in fashion and culture. FootJoy and Todd Snyder are making sure they’re at the front of this movement — and in a time-appropriate manner no less.
