Why Golf Gloves Needs to Evolve
Why the Plain White Golf Glove Needs to Evolve
Revolution: “A fundamental change in the way of thinking about or visualizing something”.
1. Every other aspect has evolved, apart from the golf glove
While the first golf gloves date back to the early 20th century, they only gained popularity in the 1940s, when golfing legend Sam Snead (credit Golf Digest below) began to actively wear a glove during PGA Tour events. And looking through some of the gloves that Snead used to wear, and were later auctioned off, you can see how little has changed in the 80 years since.
Aside from a few smaller accessories, has there been anything else in the game that hasn’t gone through fairly radical change? Clubs, balls, shoes, clothing, bags etc. have all materially improved since, so why hasn’t the golf glove?
2. Change is good for the evolution of the game
Golf shoes can now be worn on and off the course, reducing the cost of the game further and introducing a huge range of styles for golfers to choose from. Golf clubs and balls have evolved to make the game more playable for beginners, while golf apparel is slowly starting to move with the times, with players sporting hoodies and ankle tight trousers.
All of this has improved the fun we get out of the game, it has introduced a new level of fashion, an air of coolness about playing golf that it previously didn’t have. Asides from the obvious technological advantages, the social benefits have been material.
When golf gloves make that move to evolve, we think golfers will follow and embrace new colours, styles and designs beyond the plain white glove. And at Skins Golf, we want to be at the forefront of that change.
3. Other sports have led, golf gloves must follow
When you think of a baseball glove, you think “brown leather”. But styles and colours have moved on – different tanning methods, coloured leather and unique lacing designs have all led to an array of gloves being used by the pros in the MLB.
4. The golf shoe showed how much a sub-segment can grow
The golf shoe was previously either white, brown or black, with very few design features to distinguish one from the other. Fast forward to the late 2010s, and the industry has completely changed. New designs are being dropped every month and one-of-a-kind, limited editions are being made for players.
Whilst it took some time to get used to the styles and colours players were wearing, it has now become the norm. Previously stuffy golf clubs will no longer turn their noses up at these shoes as they conform with USGA rules.
Air Jordans and their impact on basketball is best outline by Greta Jelen here “Before Air Jordans became the de facto basketball shoe, Converse All-Stars were the official sneakers of the NBA... It seems almost criminal now that basketball stars were ever shooting hoops in the simple, flat soled silhouette… The sneakers not only changed basketball footwear forever but gave rise to the sneakerhead culture that runs rampant today.”
What has the name “Skins Golf” got to do with it?
Why have we gone with the name Skins Golf and what does it have to do with this article?
A “skin” is an item in gaming that players can buy to change the aesthetic look or appearance of their avatar.
When you change a “skin” in the gaming context, you change how you look and ultimately how you feel. Our brand is looking to play on this word, invoking the idea of our products having differentiated designs and aesthetics.
So when we considered how we would design our first range of golf gloves, we wanted to go for something totally out of the box, whilst still retaining the maximum level of quality and comfort that golfers expect. We won’t get it right immediately, but evolution (and in some cases, revolution) takes time.
Conclusion - Golf Gloves Need
We have loved the plain white glove as much as anyone else, but it’s time to move on. Our vision is to be at the forefront of the evolution of golf accessories and apparel.
To do that, we need to be one of the most inclusive, customer-driven brands in golf, iterating and improving our products based on your feedback. So thank you for joining us on this journey!
Check out our range of totally unique, premium cabretta leather golf gloves today!