Ecco is teaming up with its brand ambassador Lydia Ko to release a custom version of its new Biom G5 shoe inspired by the professional golfer’s South Korean and New Zealand heritage.
Unveiled Wednesday, the golf shoe will feature in the brand’s Autumn/Winter 2022 collection. Ecco plans to celebrate the release with Ko Sept. 14 at an in-person event in Orlando, Fla.
Ko designed her Ecco Biom G5 with cherry blossoms styled on one side of the shoe and black ferns on the other, homages to the country the Ladies Professional Golf Association star was born in, South Korea, and the one in which she grew up, New Zealand, respectively. The shoe’s outsole sports a print combining the two designs. Other unique details include Ko’s signature emblazoned on the shoe’s inside and her logo printed on the tongue.
Ko, who at the age of 17 became the youngest player to be ranked No. 1 in professional golf, is currently ranked fourth in the LPGA. She has racked up nearly 30 tour victories and two major championships. Ko took home the silver at the 2016 Olympics and the bronze last year in Tokyo. An Ecco partner since 2017, she signed on for another three years last year.
“Ecco Golf is renowned for raising the bar for golf shoe design, and it’s fantastic that I have had the chance to stamp my personality on this new style,” Ko said in a statement. “The features we have added to the Biom G5 are very close to my heart, and it’s going to be really cool walking the golf course week-in-week-out with the black ferns and cherry blossoms on my feet. Hopefully I’ll be wearing them to lift plenty more trophies in the future.”
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Ecco’s Biom G5 features Zarma-Tour, combined with “innovative hybrid grooves” for traction and stability, the company said. An updated last allows the foot to move “more naturally,” while also providing low-to-the-ground support and stability and a snug fit, it added. Gore-Tex technology offers waterproof protection and the BOA lacing system allows the wearer to easily adjust fit. The brand’s Fluidform comfort technology balances cushions and rebound, while creating a flexible and durable bond without the compromises common with stitched and glued designs, according to Ecco. It fashioned the upper with leather and a “sporty” mesh.
Ecco is not the only company betting on golf prodigies. In June, Adidas signed its first student-athlete name, image and likeness (NIL) endorsement agreement with Rose Zhang, the world’s top female amateur golfer.
The winner of both the individual and team titles at the 2022 NCAA D1 Women’s Golf Championship, Zhang signed a “multi-year” contract to represent the Adidas brand on and off the course in all competition, training and other play outside her university team obligations. The 19-year-old athlete will also feature in brand marketing campaigns promoting Adidas’ latest in golf apparel and footwear. Adidas announced agreements with 15 more female student-athletes last month.