Cast your minds back to 2005. The first ever video was posted to YouTube called 'Me at the zoo,' Coldplay's X&Y was the best-selling album in the world, and Steve Carell debuted the character of Michael Scott in NBC's adaptation of The Office. For those also paying attention to golf shoes, 2005 was a major year for adidas and the introduction of the modern icon - the Tour 360.
Very few single golf shoe models have stretched across one decade, let alone two. I can't think of any golf shoe that has lasted as long as adidas' Tour360. To celebrate the brand's most famous shoe turning 20 years old, adidas has released a like-for-like model of the original Tour360 golf shoe, with a modern twist.
Although aesthetically similar to the original, the anniversary edition has had all the features completely redesigned. This includes a waterproof premium pinnacle leather upper, a 7-spike TPU outsole, along with a Torsion Tunnel to complement the 360Wrap for additional support and control. Adidas has also included its Lightstrike cushioning in the forefoot and Boost cushioning in the heel on the redesign.
There are plenty of nods to this being the anniversary edition, too. On the back side of the tongue, 'est. 2005' is embossed in silver lettering, the top left and right eyelets on each shoe are made of gunmetal and have the number 20 engraved, and there is a replica dome adidas silver logo badge on the heel. To top it all off, the shoe will come in a limited edition box featuring the CAD Designs of all the Tour360 models since 2005.
I've never seen anything quite like this before. When I heard rumours that adidas was going to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Tour360, I presumed they would give the current model a nice new colourway and some gentle nods to the 2005 model. To see a like-for-like remake of the original shoe is unlike anything I've seen before - what a great way to celebrate such a huge anniversary.
While I was far too young to appreciate how iconic the initial shoe was back in 2005, the 2024 iteration of the Tour360 has, and remains, the best golf shoe I have ever tested. It's a testament to adidas' staying power in the sport while also being able to continuously reinvent a shoe that was introduced 20 years ago as the pinnacle of performance golf footwear.
There have been 11 iterations of the Tour360 since it was first launched, and I got to see the very first model in the adidas archives at its headquarters in Germany earlier this year. What looks like a 'normal' golf shoe to us now must've looked quite outlandish back in 2005, but this athletic style has become the template silhouette for the modern performance golf shoe.
In total, 12 major championships have been won across the men's and women's game in a pair of Tour360s since 2005, and the brand has confidently said (despite not being able to get an exact figure), that Tour360 has over 100 professional wins across the men's and women's tours too.
It's incredibly exciting to see a brand make a like-for-like replica of an iconic shoe. Adidas couldn't have picked a more iconic silhouette to revive in such style, and I can't wait to get out on the course and give these a go. The Tour360 20th Anniversary model is available in limited quantities beginning today on adidas.com, the adidas app, and at select retailers.
