Stuburt are set to make a massive impact on the golf shoe market this year, after revealing that Ryder Cup hero and BBC Sports Personality of the Year runner-up, Darren Clarke, has designed a bespoke range of high-performance shoes to spearhead the British company's 2008 collection.
Clarke unveiled his new DCC Classics (Darren Clarke Collection Classics) at the Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond last week, where he bounced back to form with a stunning 66 on the final day.
And they’ll be treading the fairways of Carnoustie this week in The Open, as the 38-year-old Ulsterman stakes a claim for his first ever Major win.
Darren has been collaborating closely with Stuburt on the design and manufacture of a superbly-specified and priced Goodyear welted shoe, to rival the FootJoy Classics.
Included in his range are flamboyant white and lime green and white and pink versions, along with more traditional all-black and white/brown models.
Said Darren: “I am extremely excited to be launching my first ever bespoke shoe range with Stuburt. It’s very important for my golf shoes to look stylish and perform to the very highest standards and I am confident the DCC Classics deliver on both counts.”
Each pair of wing-tipped brogues has its own special DCC branded box and comes individually wrapped in its own deluxe bag. Stuburt are also producing special DCC branded point-of-sale material to create maximum in-store impact and presence.
Duncan Patmore, global sales and marketing director for Stuburt, said: “Darren is a golfing icon and we’re delighted to be launching a range of top-quality shoes with his endorsement.
“Darren has been instrumental in the design of the DCC Classics, which have been engineered and manufactured to meet his exacting standards. This is not just a collection of shoes with his name on – his DNA is ingrained in every pair!”
The DCC Classics boast a massive array of features including a Goodyear Welted leather outsole with rubber traction elements, full leather lining, full grain leather uppers, LiquiCell Plus sock liner technology, and a Dri-back Plus waterproof breathable membrane system.
As Darren has become one of golf’s leading style icons in the last two years, the DCC Classics range has four different colours to complement his wardrobe - Patent Black/Black, White/Pink/Patent Black, White/White Crocodile/Lime, White/Bomber Crocodile/Brownstar.
The Clarke factor will undoubtedly elevate Stuburt to golf shoe superbrand status, as the Uxbridge-based business unveils a bigger, better collection – one that the golf world is already responding to with enormous excitement and enthusiasm.
The Stuburt DCC Classics are expected to retail for around £149.99 a pair from Pro shops and leading retailers.
The launch signals the latest development in the resurgence of Stuburt, which was the UK’s leading football boot and golf shoe manufacturer in the 1960s and 1970s – before the emergence of adidas, Puma and Nike.
Following major re-investment by new owners UK Golf Services, Stuburt has become the world’s fastest-growing golf shoe and waterproofs company, supplying equipment to Tour players including Clarke, David Howell, Peter Lawrie and young South African, Louis Oosthuizen – who finished tied fourth at the Scottish Open.
In a market dominated by overseas competitors, the Stuburt story shows British golf shoe manufacturers have the design skills and energy to fight back.
