Premium Market Leader to Craft Special-Edition Team USA and Team Europe Shoes
(Londonderry, New Hampshire) — Danish shoemaker ECCO announces it has been named Official Footwear Supplier to the 2009 Solheim Cup and will create special, limited-edition Team USA and Team Europe shoes for the competition, taking place August 17-23 at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, IL.
Showcasing a patriotic red, white and blue color combination along with stars-and-stripes detailing, the Team USA shoe will retail for $180 at the on-site merchandise pavilion. It will also be available to U.S. team members and LPGA Tour staff.
“We’re proud to continue our long-term partnership with The Solheim Cup,””says CB Tuite, General Sales Manager, ECCO Golf. “With the opportunity for players and staff to wear team shoes, as well as our presence in the merchandise pavilion, ECCO will receive tremendous exposure all week.”
In addition to Solheim Cup week, the special-edition Team USA shoe will be available for a limited time at select, world-class retailers nationwide and on www.eccousa.com. ECCO is also the official footwear sponsor of the European Solheim Cup team.
“The Solheim Cup is one of the world’s premier sporting events and we’re looking forward to players on each team having the opportunity to compete in the comfort, performance and style of these uniquely patriotic shoes,” says Jesper Thuen, Sponsor and Event Manager, ECCO Golf.
Offering the highest retailer margins of any major footwear brand, ECCO has recently introduced a broad rang of major account and customer service initiatives. These programs include the company’s new ECCO Golf Comfort Tech Van (Facebook Search: “ECCO Golf Tech Van”), a web-based retailer training module and the brand’s status as an official member of the Association of Golf Merchandisers.
ECCO golf shoes are worn in competition by scores of international Tour stars, including Juli Inkster, Carin Koch, Linda Wessberg, Iben Tinning, Johanna Westerberg, Fred Couples, Aaron Baddeley, Colin Montgomerie, Stuart Appleby, Arjun Atwal, Thongchai Jaidee, Thomas Bjorn, John Bickerton, Bradley Dredge and others.
Guaranteeing a level of quality that cannot be matched by any major footwear manufacturer, each shoe in the 2009 golf collection is touched by more than 225 sets of highly-skilled hands during production. This labor-intensive process facilitates the brand’s unrivalled attention to detail that helps discerning players look, feel and play their best.
All ECCO golf shoes feature a network of built-in technologies to create the ideal platform for the perfect swing. These include a direct-injected, PU-constructed midsole/outsole that:
* Creates a one-piece shoe construction
* Ensures unrivaled durability, flexibility, lightness and weather resistance
* Provides a superior level of cushioning and comfort that does not break down over time, unlike commonly-used materials such as air, rubber and EVA foam
Optimal performance is further guaranteed by:
* Ultra-soft, high-grade leathers with hydrophobic treatments for superb weather-resistance
* Internal stabilizer to reduce torque and create ideal swing stability
* Double-layer insole with cushion that absorbs heel force to reduce stress on the knees, hips and back
* Internal Air-Circulation System to maintain a fresh, dry and cool foot environment
* Dynamic Energy Return System that provides a trampoline effect during foot-strike and follow-through to reduce fatigue and restore energy with each step
* Green-friendly outsole designs featuring molded traction bars combined with Stinger cleats from Champ and the Q-Lok insert system to provide ideal traction and grip
About ECCO
The only major shoe manufacturer to own and manage the entire value chain from cow to consumer, ECCO is a global leader in city, casual and sport shoes for men, women and children. In 2007, the Danish company sold almost 17 million pairs, achieving net revenues of Ì¢?åÂ756 million.
Founded in 1963 by Karl Toosbuy, ECCO has nearly 15,000 employees, direct subsidiaries in Europe, the Far East and North America, and partners worldwide. ECCO shoes are sold in more than 3,000 shops globally, including 687 mono-brand (ECCO exclusive) stores.
Following the rules of good craftsmanship to deliver genuine freedom of movement and comfort to consumers, ECCO’s aim has never been to be the biggest, but always to be the best.
ECCO USA is based in Londonderry, New Hampshire. For more information: visit www.eccousa.com, 800.886.3226.
About The Solheim Cup
The Solheim Cup is named in honor of Karsten Solheim, and his family, the makers of PING golf equipment. The Solheim Cup is the most prestigious international team event in women’s professional golf. It is a biennial, trans-Atlantic team match-play competition featuring the best U.S.-born players from the LPGA Tour and the best European-born players from the Ladies European Tour. The U.S. Team leads the competition, 7-3, and has never lost on home soil. In addition to founding sponsor PING, Global Partners of The Solheim Cup include AIB Group and Rolex. For more information, log on to www.solheimcup.com.
Contact:
David Griffith
Buffalo Communications
703.891.3391
dgriffith@billycaspergolf.com
www.buffalocommunications.com
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