When Fred Couples showed up at the 2010 Masters, the silence coming from his shoes as they hit the path was the resounding introduction to spikeless golf shoes. Fast forward 13 years and
ECCO hybrid shoes have become synonymous with unsurpassed craftsmanship that translates to style, comfort, durability, and flexibility.
If ever a golf shoe and a player were a perfect fit, it was the Danish shoemaker and smooth- swinging fan favourite. But with Couples now behind them, and with the company looking to reach a broader audience, ECCO has turned to a social media platform and to a golf pro who also has an impressive track record.
Mind you, Rick Shiels success isn’t measured by what he does on the course. It’s the impact he’s had off of it. Shiels is an influencer, and a hugely popular one at that. His YouTube stats are quite staggering — as of this writing his 2,130 YouTube videos have attracted close to
680 million views. His 2.5 subscribers easily make him the most popular YouTube golf personality —ever. Is it any wonder UK golf publication Today’s Golfer named him #24 on its 2022 list of the 100 Most Influential People in Golf.
Shiels gives ECCO a marketing outlet that will help it move beyond the name being associated with private clubs and an older clientele, to attracting a market that encompasses a much wider range of ages, playing abilities, and club affiliation. Which is exactly the audience the Everyman-type Shiels reaches through his YouTube channel and The Rick Shiels Show podcast.
If it has anything to do with golf, Shiels has covered it, in an always engaging and authentic way. By all accounts he’s credible and likable, an unassuming straightshooter whose golf instruction, equipment reviews, unique celebrity challenges and interviews, and storytelling have made him a trusted source for golf information. And like ECCO he has a strong social conscience. In June 2022, he carried his golf bag 150 miles from Prestwick to St Andrews, raising more than £120,000 for Prostate Cancer UK.
It’s that credibility that defines the best influencers, an important distinction for companies like ECCO that relentlessly pursue brand excellence. ECCO felt Shiels fit in perfectly with their corporate philosophy and sales goals, and a year ago signed him to a multi-year sponsorship deal.
Said Timo Vollrath, ECCO global marketing manager, in Golf Business News at the time of the signing:
“This is a hugely exciting venture for us, and as real admirers of Rick’s content, we can’t wait to see him showcasing ECCO GOLF to his audience-base across the world.
“We have always been proud of the way in which ECCO GOLF shoes have altered the course of golf shoe design since we introduced what started the Hybrid Revolution with Golf Street in 2010, and showed the world that a golf shoe can be much more than ‘just’ a golf shoe.
“Similarly, Rick’s influence across his channels has been truly immense and he has helped to open the door to the sport for millions of people across the world; truly showcasing that golf is more than a game. His content is quite rightly regarded as the best in the industry by many people, and we are greatly looking forward to working closely with Rick and his team on some exciting new projects.”
For his part, Shiels promises to be an excellent ECCO ambassador. He obviously chooses his sponsorships wisely — he’s also with the venerable Lyle & Scott — and judiciously, as evidenced by his comments in Golf Business News last May when the partnership with ECCO was announced.
“I’m thrilled to be joining forces with ECCO GOLF, having admired the brand for some time,” commented Shiels. “I’m delighted to be partnering with a brand which puts such a strong emphasis on delivering the very best shoes on the market.
“ECCO GOLF shoes offer the ultimate combination of comfort, style, and performance, which is something that became instantly apparent when I began to seriously put the designs through their paces on and off the course.
“It was a no-brainer for me to try out the brand’s shoes and I’ve now got full confidence that this partnership will go from strength-to-strength, having seen the exceptional quality first-hand. It’s great to be a part of the ECCO GOLF team, and I’m excited about what’s to come.”
You can bet Shiels has already enjoyed ECCO’s latest offering, the technologically advanced BIOM C4 hybrid. It’s built for extreme comfort, stability, durability and breathability, starting with the patented Natural Motion technology, which gives it an immediate lived-in feel. Large angled openings keep the feet cool, while a GORE-TEX membrane provides 100% waterproofing.
Check out Shiels’ May 9, 2022, podcast to hear more details about why he chose ECCO over many other golf shoes.
For more about ECCO shoes and the innovative technology that goes into them, go to ca.ecco.com.
