After years of watching Nike, Adidas and Puma roll out sharp looking, functional and comfortable golf shoes, FootJoy has stepped into the arena in a big way with the launch of the FootJoy FreeStyle BOA golf shoe.

For a while, it seemed like FootJoy was resigned to building the best traditional golf shoes in the world – the standard golf shoe worn by Tour players and weekend wannabes for decades.

Golf changed right around the turn of the millennium however. Golfers, led by Tiger Woods, began focusing more on strength and conditioning and many of their fellow peers took notice that improving their physiques was also a way to lower their scores, avoid injuries and extend their careers as they aged.

In short, golf became cool. Golf began to attract a young, hipper crowd and the same old shoes weren’t the first choice for younger players.

All of a sudden you had companies like Nike, Adidas, Puma and Under Armour joining the fray. Some companies like Nike went all-in, developing a full line of golf clubs and taking on the traditional giants like TaylorMade, Callaway and Ping. But, their greatest success occurred in developing functional, stylish golf clothing and footwear.

FootJoy took note and realize a big part of the emerging golf market could be lost if they didn’t respond in kind.

FootJoy began building the softer, more comfortable athletic style golf shoe that could compete with the athletic companies and help preserve their claim of being the #1 shoe in golf. After a couple of years, FootJoy has really hit their stride with this year’s releases.

In their press release announcing the FreeStyle, FootJoy stated the intent of the shoe is to “help generate maximum power by providing greater freedom of movement throughout the golf swing.”

In other words, better athletes who want to maximize their swing speeds need to rely on the freedom of movement traditional golf shoes cannot provide. The FreeStyle is very different from the more structured, stable shoes that long dominated the market.

FootJoy also realizes that freedom of movement for the golfer cannot come at the expense of grip. TaylorMade has developed F.R.O.G.S. (FootJoy Revolutionary Outside Grip System) outsole technology, inspired by the red-eyed tree frog, an amphibian known for its incredible ability to grip any type of surface. FROGS utilizes FootJoy’s SoftMax™ translucent rubber to provide flexible cushioning and maximize traction.

The FreeStyle uses new FTF™ 3.0 compounding for its midsole and the company calls it their softest shoe while still providing substantial cushioning.

The shoe also features FootJoy’s Softspikes Tour Lock™ system and Pulsar cleats for maximum grip on and off the fairway.

FootJoy Vice President of Design and Development Doug Robinson stated, “By drawing inspiration from a tree frog and emulating their incredible grip and flexibility properties in the texture and functional elements of an outsole, our design and development team has created something truly unique in the golf shoe market.”

These shoes will retail between $190 and $210 depending on the specific model you choose and will be available beginning March 2016.