Styling and Profiling: Oakley Golf
The Oakley brand has not been associated with golf—aside from sun shades—but that’s likely to change. We recently had an opportunity to test some new gear from Oakley Golf, and most of the items worked quite well. Here’s the rundown from head to toe.
The Silicon Bark Trucker Cap ($25) is as comfortable as a fitted hat can get. Oakley wisely partnered with the hat-making experts at New Era to design a polyester mesh cap with a magnet on the visor for ball markers. It looks good and it’s functional. The sweatband at the front has plenty of stretch, and the Oakley logo conveys a sense of edginess since it’s placed to the side rather than front and center like other brands.
We also tested Oakley’s Short Sleeve Accomplished Polo ($70). Thanks to mesh panels in both the chest and back areas, this shirt is really light. A moisture management system within the garment kept us relatively dry, even though we were outside in the steamy Florida weather. We also liked the Accomplished Polo’s zip-up feature and felt comfortable wearing the shirt even off the green.
At first we were a bit skeptical about the Take Pant 2.0 ($75), but now we’re sold. Its key performance component (94 percent polyester, six percent spandex) is its ability to stretch. Oakley designed it with the understanding that golfers need flex in their clothes. Whether you’re twisting through a swing or crouching down to analyze a putt, the pant moves with you. It has great stretch capability in the thighs and butt, which really helps with comfort. The Take Short 2 ($60) has the same features as the pant.
Now the highlight—the Cipher golf shoe ($130). In the past, Oakley’s golf shoes have been somewhat disappointing. Most have looked boxy and cumbersome. The Cipher is anything but. A minimalist-looking shoe with NanoSpike cleatless technology, the Cipher is an ideal summer golf shoe. Although they’re probably not tough enough for everyday use, the little NanoSpikes that comprise the pads on the bottom of the shoe provide all the grip you need on the course. All in all, a stylish option.
Head over to Oakley Golf to check out their full line of products.
Kyle Stack is a New York-based writer/reporter who covers health, technology, business and media in sports. He also writes for SLAM, Wired and ESPN. His work can be found at kylestack.com.
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Styling and Profiling: Oakley Golf
The Oakley brand has not been associated with golf—aside from sun shades—but that’s likely to change. We recently had an opportunity to test some new gear from Oakley Golf, and most of the items worked quite well. Here’s the rundown from head to toe.
The Silicon Bark Trucker Cap ($25) is as comfortable as a fitted hat can get. Oakley wisely partnered with the hat-making experts at New Era to design a polyester mesh cap with a magnet on the visor for ball markers. It looks good and it’s functional. The sweatband at the front has plenty of stretch, and the Oakley logo conveys a sense of edginess since it’s placed to the side rather than front and center like other brands.
We also tested Oakley’s Short Sleeve Accomplished Polo ($70). Thanks to mesh panels in both the chest and back areas, this shirt is really light. A moisture management system within the garment kept us relatively dry, even though we were outside in the steamy Florida weather. We also liked the Accomplished Polo’s zip-up feature and felt comfortable wearing the shirt even off the green.
At first we were a bit skeptical about the Take Pant 2.0 ($75), but now we’re sold. Its key performance component (94 percent polyester, six percent spandex) is its ability to stretch. Oakley designed it with the understanding that golfers need flex in their clothes. Whether you’re twisting through a swing or crouching down to analyze a putt, the pant moves with you. It has great stretch capability in the thighs and butt, which really helps with comfort. The Take Short 2 ($60) has the same features as the pant.
Now the highlight—the Cipher golf shoe ($130). In the past, Oakley’s golf shoes have been somewhat disappointing. Most have looked boxy and cumbersome. The Cipher is anything but. A minimalist-looking shoe with NanoSpike cleatless technology, the Cipher is an ideal summer golf shoe. Although they’re probably not tough enough for everyday use, the little NanoSpikes that comprise the pads on the bottom of the shoe provide all the grip you need on the course. All in all, a stylish option.
Head over to Oakley Golf to check out their full line of products.
Kyle Stack is a New York-based writer/reporter who covers health, technology, business and media in sports. He also writes for SLAM, Wired and ESPN. His work can be found at kylestack.com.