Justin Rose wears Adidas’ best performance golf looks on the green, but sneaker fans will be more impressed with what he wears when not competing.
“I did have a pair of Yeezys on today, part of my travel outfit,” Rose told Footwear News this week at a New York City media event unveiling Adidas’ new premium golf line, Adipure.
And that’s not the only beloved sneaker Rose rocks.
“Stan Smiths are my classic go-to,” he said. “I love the different variations of them that you can get. And the fact that they’ve got Boost now, that’s pretty sick.”
The Adidas-sponsored golfer, who turned in a gold medal-winning performance in the 2016 Rio Olympics, currently plays in the Adicross Gripmore, a spikeless shoe. Executives at the brand confirmed Rose would be transitioning to a new spikeless Adipure style by 2018.
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Adidas Adicross Gripmore Golf, $150 (on sale for $69.99); adidasgolf.com
For the gym, Rose doesn’t have a specific shoe — instead, it’s a specific feel that he looks for.
“I wear everything low profile; I like as little heel lift as possible for the most part,” he said. “Sometimes if I’m really struggling with my swing, I’ll take my shoes off on the range and hit some balls barefoot, too.”
The Adidas golfer is a proven winner, with game-changing victories at the U.S. Open and BMW Championship in 2013 and 2011, respectively. While Rose is carving out a name for himself in the sport, he recognizes golf has a problem: Today’s youth just isn’t into it.
Golf’s biggest names are aging, and the game’s popularity is waning with younger demographics. However, Rose thinks this is changing.
“Golf has a little bit more street cred. Tiger [Woods] did a lot for it, [but] we’re almost in the post-Tiger era now,” Rose said. “There’s a lot of other great young players who have come through and really taken on the role of keeping golf cool — Rickie Fowler, for example, [and] Rory McIlroy.”
Rose also thinks Topgolf, locations that merge the sport with the feel of a local hangout spot, will attract more youth to golf.
“It’s almost like taking golf and making it bowling: You have a booth, you can have some drinks and friends with you, you can have music playing, [and] you hit the ball onto the range into pods which give you scores,” he said. “It sort of game-ifies golf [and] keeps it to an hour or two.”
