There's a compromise golfers often have to make in their shoes. They can have a less balky shoe -- typically spikeless and without a full leather upper -- or they have a more traditional shoe -- with a spike system and high-end waterproof leather.
The implication is a golfer kind of needs at least two pairs of shoes: one for when it's nice outside and one for when the conditions aren't so great.
Ecco wanted to come up with a shoe that was not only light and easy to wear but also boasted the kind of luxurious leather appointments golfers come to expect from the company. The end result is the S-Lite model, the company's lightest-ever leather golf shoe.
The S-Lite was made possible by a new production process that makes the new E-DTS Lite TPU outsole 66 percent thinner. The outsole has more than 100 traction studs to grip the turf, sand and, sometimes, mud.
The two-tone yak leather, made in company-owned tanneries, upper has a diamond-shaped embossing pattern to further cut weight, with a soft textile lining that repels water and helps the shoe breath. A leather footbed helps manage the foot's sweating and external moisture.
Fluidform technology uses unique liquid materials to form a bond between the sole and the upper without needing to use stitching or glue to assemble the shoe on the last (which is the model of the foot that shoe manufacturers use to construct shoes).
The usual Ecco features carry through, like a molded leather heel counter and inside toe reinforcement for support and stability from any lie or stance. A PU midsole features a wing to wrap the sides of the foot for additional stability without piling on weight.
The Ecco Golf S-Lite shoes retail for $160 and are available in four colorways right now.
