Adidas ZG21 Golf Shoe Line

The new Adidas Zero Gravity 21, or ZG21, was a two-year process for the Adidas golf shoe team.

But it was worth the wait.

In 2020 Adidas released the CodeChaos, where the brand was keen to create the lightest spikeless shoe possible and still provide solid traction to golfers on the course.

For 2021, the new Adidas ZG21 slots between the Adidas Tour360 and the CodeChaos as a light, but spiked effort. The new Adidas golf shoe for 2021 is focused on comfort.

“Tour staff and messaging from consumers was clear: they both wanted a lightweight, high-performance spiked shoe with zero compromises. In large part because of the global pandemic and golf’s rise in popularity last year we also discovered golfers are walking a lot more when they play, more than ever before,” said Masun Denison, the global footwear director of Adidas golf during a virtual launch event for the ZG21.

“For us that put an emphasis on a spiked shoe that offered the comfort and flexibility of a spikeless but with the traction and stability that only a spiked shoe can provide.”

Golfers, over the course of 18 holes, could be on their feet for anywhere between three and six hours, and could walk upwards of 10 kilometres.

“That adds up to a lot of wear and tear on the body and feet so there was a consumer need to deliver a lightweight spiked shoe that didn’t compromise on key performance features, traction, stability and comfort still exists,” said Denison.

The Adidas ZG21 golf shoe is a mere 13 ounces in weight and comes with either laces or the BOA tightening system for men. For women there is just a BOA option, and there is a laced model for junior golfers.

The ZG21 also features Boost cushioning for easy walking and boasts a comfy sockliner, soft textile upper, and TPU film for foot support.

The outsole combines aggressive traction lugs with spikes for top-tier grip during the golf swing.

The Boost material, in the heel of the Adidas ZG21, is enhanced by another material called ‘Lightstrike’ which appears in Adidas’ running, tennis, and basketball shoes.

Boost, combined with Lightstrike (which is 40 percent lighter than most EVA foam that are used in golf shoes), helps to provide extra cushioning to golfers.

Reducing the overall weight of the ZG21 from the Adidas Tour360 XT, the ZG21 predecessor, was a key part of the design brief. The team drew on the inspiration of Formula One race cars for their speed and lightweight frames.

“Every decision was approached from a mindset of minimalism and weight reduction,” said Kelly Kikuta, Adidas global director, footwear design. “When we started brainstorming, we looked at everything. The thickness of the materials, construction method, dimensions of the sole and even the number of lugs and spikes. We had to make sure those stayed consistent with the lightweight story.”

The Adidas ZG21 is also made from recycled content as part of the brand’s ambition to end plastic waste and its green effort. Twenty percent of the pieces used to make the upper in the ZG21 are made from 50 percent recycled content.

“It’s lightweight, it has spikes, it’s sleek, it has a simple look, and it performs well,” Adidas staffer Collin Morikawa said in an interview with Golf.com “What’s not to like?”

Written and intended to the GlobalGolf.ca audience by Adam Stanley