TPUs find use in spikeless golf shoes with superior traction

The Premier Series by FootJoy spikeless golf shoe. Photo Credit: Lubrizol

New spikeless golf shoes that use thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) polymers from specialty chemical maker Lubrizol might just be gaining traction.

Introduced late in 2020, the FJ Stratos™ spikeless golf shoe features Lubrizol’s Estane TRX TPU polymers as an alternative to rubber, and which are designed to offer good traction on wet and dry surfaces. An added benefit of the spikeless design is that golfers can now go from almost any setting right to the golf course and then out again afterwards without ever changing their shoes.

The material’s flexibility also helps ensure the successful molding of VersaTrax+ patented anti-channeling tread pattern, which is engineered to provide total traction coverage. There are multiple Estane TPUs of different hardness levels in the VersaTrax+ outsole for superior traction on the course.

And now The Premiere Series by FootJoy also features Estane TRX TPU polymers. The Tarlow, The Packard, and The Flint shoes in The Premiere Series by FootJoy will be available to purchase on March 1, 2021.

“The customizable properties of TPU allow manufacturers to ‘create smarter’, helping reduce waste in manufacturing and providing durable, long-lasting, recyclable solutions that can help differentiate their products from others in the market,” Lubrizol officials said. “This new line is a nod to traditional golf designs blended with innovative technology to deliver performance and style for the experienced golfer.”

Cleveland, Ohio-based Lubrizol first began developing TPUs more than 60 years ago and continues to be a leader in supplying these resins.