FootJoy is continuing to dominate the golf footwear sector, with Golf Datatech figures for the first six months of the year showing the brand gaining a 49.5% market share in Europe.
Offering a unique blend of comfort and spikeless performance, FootJoy’s Pro/SL remains the top-selling golf shoe with a 14.8% market share. If Pro/SL was a brand in its own right, it would be the second best selling footwear brand in the UK, behind the FJ brand.
Russell Lawes, FootJoy’s Sales and Marketing Director, said: “FootJoy have long been the leading footwear brand in golf and it’s a testament to the vision of the team to maintain this position, as well as the support of our trusted FJ retail partners. We’re consistently developing technically innovative and stylish products that consumers have been able to rely upon year after year. We now see this level of quality and development filtering down into our apparel offerings too, none more so than this year’s HydroKnit outerwear release; a brand-new product that has the comfort and versatility of a mid-layer whilst being 100 per cent waterproof.”
FootJoy is also making giant strides in the apparel sector. Having entered the full line men’s golf apparel market in 2012, it has consistently shown improvements in market share, with this year seeing it top spot as the no.1 men’s shirt in golf with 16.6% of the market.
Continued efforts in 2019 have been made to increase visibility of the FJ brand to golfers throughout the UK and to allow FJ to reach its key audience through the sponsorship of new FJ brand ambassadors and exclusive partnerships. In January, FJ announced the signing of Bernd Wiesberger and Paul Dunne to the FJ full line. Since the signing, Wiesberger has enjoyed two European Tour wins in his signature Chillout Pullover, leading it to sell-out throughout the UK. January also saw the announcement of a new partnership with Sky Sports Golf as FJ became the official provider to Sky Sports Golf, with presenters and crew exclusively wearing the brand’s clothing and shoes on course and in the studio during 2019.”
Paul O’Hagan, FJ’s European Marketing Manager, added: “The beginning of 2019 has really shown that innovation is at the heart of FJ and aligning our brand with Sky Sports Golf, which has changed the way the sport is viewed by millions of golf fans in the UK and Ireland, is a natural fit. We’re excited to be the first golf brand to work with Sky Sports Golf and we look forward to seeing this partnership continue to develop.”