World’s best selling cleat brand, and #1 cleat on tour, establishes first-of-its-kind facility for in-depth product development, research, testing & design of golf cleats, outsoles & footwear-related innovations; leading golf & sporting goods OEMS to utilize facility in partnership with Softspikes
BRENTWOOD, Tenn., February 24, 2010 … Softspikes®, the world’s best selling golf cleat brand and the #1 Cleat on Tour, today unveiled the Softspikes Advanced Research Center (ARC), located on the grounds of the prestigious Raven Golf Club, in Phoenix, Ariz. With acres of natural surface testing along with the extensive testing lab, the Softspikes ARC is the only facility of its kind developed by a golf cleat manufacturer. It was established to conduct in-depth product development, research, testing and design of golf cleats, field sports cleats, outsoles, tees and other golf and sports footwear innovations.
As part of the management of the new facility, Softspikes will be working closely with leading OEM footwear partners in both the golf and sporting goods industries who will utilize the facility to develop next-generation, game improving equipment. Softspikes will also utilize the ARC for specific R&D efforts related to the Company’s new line of Black Widow® Tour™ golf grips.
“As the pioneer of golf cleats, and the worldwide category leader, we believe this advanced research center is an unmatched asset for Softspikes as we utilize advanced engineering technologies to help us innovate golf cleats and outsoles, and provide industry leading products for our OEM partners, like adidas, Callaway, Under Armour and others,” said Bob Burt, Vice President, Engineering and OEM Development, Softspikes. “As we continually strive to further revolutionize the golf and sports footwear industries, basing the ARC at a phenomenal golf venue like the Raven is an even greater asset as it gives us a first-class testing ground to take what we learn in the lab and establish how it translates onto the playing field or golf course. And, it provides year-round testing access thanks to the outstanding climate that Phoenix offers.”
The high-tech R&D equipment available at the Softspikes ARC includes:
• Proprietary testing equipment which measures traction forces in thousands of a second;
• Abrasion/durability equipment to provide product life cycle information;
• Tensile testing equipment designed to provide cleat to receptacle maximum failure mode analysis;
• Compression/deflection equipment providing the dynamic profile of each cleat in determining the suspension characteristics of each design.
Burt adds, “We have also recently added Kessler force plate technology to aid us in developing in-depth knowledge on the ever changing weight distribution and directional forces present between the outsole/cleat surface and the traction surface. Gaining an in-depth knowledge of these forces will advance our development of cleat designs and cleat positioning on the outsole to provide the maximum traction through all athletic moves, being a running back making a cut, or traction required for a golfer to transfer the maximum energy into each hit.
“Stand-alone facilities of this kind simply don’t exist in golf today, so we believe Softspikes is now afforded the opportunity to continue developing next-generation footwear related products, while greatly expanding on our valued OEM partnerships for years to come.”
PrideSports was formed in January 2003 following Pride Manufacturing Company’s purchase of Softspikes, Inc., and its sister company Trisport, Ltd. of England. This acquisition essentially formed the world’s premier golf accessories company, as Pride and Softspikes are the world’s leading golf tee and golf cleat lines, respectively. Today, PrideSports is the world leader in the design and manufacture of cleats, spikes and receptacles for the entire golf footwear industry.
Contact:
Stefanie Schiavello
stefanie@mastrocomm.com
Mastro Communications, Inc.
732-469-5700
