Golf: Putting the Wrong Foot Forward?

Boulder, CO, September 21, 2006 --(PR.com)-- Are golf shoe manufacturers putting the wrong foot forward? That’s the question posed by senior analysts at Leisure Trends Group in a recent study of America’s love affair with athletic footwear.

According to the national syndicated LeisureTRAK® study, just one in four active golfers 16 or older own golf shoes. Those most likely to purchase golf shoes are the most competitive golfers and those 64 and older. Why don’t younger golfers wear golf shoes?

“Perhaps it’s because golf shoe makers haven’t found the sweet spot for marketing to younger players,” says Jim Spring, an avid golfer and president of Leisure Trends Group, a leading sports and leisure marketing and research firm out of Boulder, Colorado.

That sweet spot, Spring contends, has to do with style. “Across all ages, income brackets, and ethnicities, 75 percent of athletic shoe owners say fashion trumps comfort, function and durability in influencing athletic shoe purchases,” Spring explained. “Styling in golf shoes, compared to most other categories of athletic footwear, is decades old. A more fashion-forward look could inspire recreational and younger golfers to purchase golf shoes.”

Since 1990 Leisure Trends Group has conducted quarterly fieldings of the LeisureTRAK, a syndicated study of how Americans spend their free time. The most recent LeisureTRAK® report includes more insights into America’s love affair with athletic footwear, including who’s buying which shoes and where; shoe preferences by leisure type; and which types of athletic shoes are gaining traction over more traditional styles.

The absolute authority on leisure in America, Leisure Trends Group provides powerful insight into the changing habits of America at leisure and the implications to business. To obtain a copy of this or previous LeisureTRAK® reports, contact Leisure Trends toll-free at 888.732.7373 x 107. For additional insights into the way America plays, visit LeisureTrends.com

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