It was back in 1923 that the owners of the Field and Flint company set its workforce the task of naming an exciting new shoe that had a series of different product features. Whoever came up the best name would receive a generous $50 reward. That prize went to a factory seamstress who proposed the name, ‘Foot-Joy' - and it stuck.
In the video and article below, we tell the story of how FootJoy evolved from those early days into one of the game’s most ubiquitous golf footwear and clothing brands.
Evolution Of A Golf Brand
The equipment golfers use today bears little resemblance to what was used when the game’s pioneers first stepped foot on the links. One of the most important early developments was the invention of golf-specific footwear. It sounds obvious now but putting spikes in shoes to provide golfers with some much-needed grip was once a revolutionary concept.
Most of us now take for granted some of the equipment-related product developments that were groundbreaking in their time. The timeline below plots the most important dates in FootJoy's own evolution from the moment the original name came into being to the position of the company in the present day.
1923
Field and Flint Company launches the first ‘Footjoy’ with the tagline, ‘The shoe that’s different’.
Walter Hagen at the 1927 Ryder Cup
1927
FootJoy becomes the official golf shoe used by the US Ryder Cup team. Walter Hagen captains the side, which includes a player by the name of Johnny Farrell.
1928
Farrell wins the U.S. Open at Olympia Fields Country Club. The 27-year-old beats Bobby Jones in a 36-hole playoff. It’s FootJoy’s first ever professional win. There have been over 8,000 since.
1945
FootJoy earns the distinction of the number one shoe on the PGA Tour – a position the company has held every year since.
1957
The Stone and Tarlow families purchase the Brockton factory, and officially dedicate the company to the game of golf.
Julius Boros at the 1963 US Open
1963
Julius Boros beats Arnold Palmer and Jacky Cupit in an 18-hole playoff to win the U.S. Open at Brookline. He’s wearing FootJoy Classics.
1970
Field and Flint Company officially becomes known as FootJoy.
1981
FootJoy’s StaSof golf glove is born and the company enters the sock business.
1983
StaSof becomes the number one glove on Tour.
1989
DryJoys is launched. It becomes one of the most successful product franchises in the history of the game.
1997
The brand launches its first outerwear range with DryJoys rainwear. The company also aligns itself with Softspikes. Up until this point, all shoes have had metal spikes.
2001
Contour Series arrives. Soon, this model will account for 15 per cent of all golf shoe sales in the United States.
2004
FootJoy launches Classics Tour.
2006
BOA is introduced in the FootJoy range for the first time, called Reel Fit.
2008
Production of FootJoy Classics finishes at its factory in Brockton.
2009
ICON comes into play, the modern version of the Classic.
2012
FootJoy launches its first full line of apparel.
2014
A year after causing a buzz at the Presidents Cup, FootJoy D.N.A. hit the shelves.
2018
The brand introduces its 1857 range of luxury men’s apparel and shoes.
2021
FootJoy launches the Premiere Series. It’s now the number one shoe used on Tour.
2023: Growing With The Game
This leads us back to the present day and specifically to the venue chosen for FootJoy’s 100-year celebrations. You might be surprised to hear that we’re referring to the official campsite for the 151st Open Championship at Royal Liverpool. By partnering with the organisers of the final men’s major of the year, FootJoy - and its' leadership team - is revealing a fair amount about the direction of the company.
In many ways, this canvass conurbation, with its festival-style, we’re-all-in-it-together atmosphere encapsulates the slow revolution that’s taken place within golf over the last few years. From popstars to reality TV personalities, golf is drawing a new crowd, inspired less by history and tradition and more by fresh air and camaraderie. Around me are the people who will bring much of the atmosphere to Hoylake over the next few days. This is their Championship and they’re going to enjoy it.
Sleeping under the stars may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but for those wanting to stay close to the course and fully immerse themselves in The Open’s unique atmosphere, this experience is hard to beat.
Naturally, camping (you can also glamp) attracts a younger crowd, and FootJoy clearly understands the role the campsite plays, and by partnering with golf’s oldest Major Championship, it’s able to inject some extra excitement.
Before the 151st Open Championship gets underway, there’s much to enjoy in the camp: visits from the players, live music, free expert shoe-fitting in the FJ FitLab, a photo opportunity with the Claret Jug and, of course, plenty of food and drink that you can take into the FJ Clubhouse for a much-needed bit of shelter.
“This is cool,” says Matt Wallace. “If I wasn’t playing The Open, I could see myself glamping here.” During the week U.S Open champion Wyndham Clark, Corey Conners, Adrian Meronk, Antoine Rozner all stop by to mingle with the fans, as well as former Open champions and Ryder Cup legends Padraig Harrington and Darren Clarke.
The FJ Campsite is also the place to be when Nick Doughtery hosts his 'Dough and Co.' show alongside fellow Sky Sports pundit Andrew Coltart, whilst the No Laying Up team host a fascinating chat with Clark.
Golf is changing. The organisers of The Open and FootJoy both get that and, as a snapshot, the campsite perfectly encapsulates that. You might want to consider buying yourself a good sleeping bag ahead of Royal Troon…
