By John Strege

The minimalist running shoe movement that began as a means of replicating running barefoot already had been adapted to golf shoes, but Puma has attempted to advance the concept with its introduction of what it calls "the lightest shoe in golf."

The Faas Lite Mesh, a spikeless shoe designed to be worn "from the street to the course," weighs in at 6.5 ounces. It features zero heel-to-toe drop, similar to the bare foot.

Though it is without spikes, the Faas Lite Mesh does have traction elements that it calls SmartQuill technology to enhance stability. It also features corrugated flex grooves that allow the foot to move naturally.

Puma also is introducing the Faas Lite, a waterproof shoe that weights just 8.7 ounces. It, too, has zero heel-to-toe drop and SmartQuill technology.

Both models are offered in three colorways. The Faas Lite Mesh shown above is Brilliant Blue/Limeade.

There, too, are women's versions that are lighter yet -- 5.5 ounces in the Faas Lite Mesh, seven ounces in the Faas Lite.

The suggested retail price for the Faas Lite is $100 for the men's shoe, $90 for the women's shoe. The Faas Lite Mesh price is $90 for the men's shoe, $80 for the women's shoe.

Follow @JohnStrege

By John Strege

It might have been the same old Tiger Woods in many ways -- winning for the Players Championship on Sunday, his fourth victory of the year and 78th in his PGA Tour career. But there was something new about him. His shoes.

Woods was debuting the new Nike TW '14, the heir to the TW '13 shoes that he began wearing late in 2011 and wore throughout the 2012 season.

Nike, in consultation with Woods, focused on improving fit, feel and function of a shoe designed to work with the natural movement of the foot, while still providing traction golfers require, in a lightweight shoe.

Nike incorporated its Flywire technology -- filaments strategically placed in the upper to provide stability during the a swing.

The TW '14 is available in the colors Woods prefers -- white, black and red. At the Players Championship, he wore the black with red accents on Sunday. A grey TW '14 with blue and green accents will be introduced on Aug. 1.

The TW '14 will be available June 7, with a street price of $180. A Nike TW '14 id that allows customization will be available June 7 as well at a price of $225. The options include a waterproof upper or breathable lightweight mesh and a choice between two outsoles, one with spikes, the other with its Integrated Traction option.

Follow @JohnStrege

By John Strege

The company that launched the hybrid golf shoe revolution with Fred Couples wearing Ecco Street Premiere shoes at the 2010 Masters continues to take golf shoes to places they haven't been before.

Ecco's latest is a women's shoe, the Life Street Bootie, that it touts with this: "From runway to fairway to everyday: Inspired by the boulevards of the world's fashion capitals."

The Life Street Bootie features a TPU outsole with traction bars (producing "800 traction angles," the company says), to account for the golf part of the equation. The upper, meanwhile, is leather, while "a metallic finish allows for a fashionable look."

It is available in two colorways: moon rock/ginger/lion and white/white/steel. The retail price is $180.

Follow @JohnStrege

By John Strege

Jack Nicklaus hails from an era when golf shoes resembled dress shoes with spikes, which is to say they were heavy and not particularly comfortable.

Golf shoes have evolved into something more athletic -- lightweight, comfortable and often with nubs, instead of spikes.

Nicklaus, in partnership with Allen Edmonds Shoe Corporation, is attempting to combine the two -- honoring the traditions of the game, while providing the advantages of the contemporary golf shoe, "a line that included both a current, comfortable athletic shoe, as well as a more classic design for this Signature shoe, combining performance, comfort and stability," he said in a news release.

The result is the Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Line by Allen Edmonds, featuring three series of shoes, each named for one of his course designs. The saddle shoe shown here is from the Muirfield Village line that comes in five models.

The shoes all come with what is called a Stability Rim sole to provide greater traction and footwork stability. The shoes feature leather uppers, are waterproof and are spikeless, allowing for wearing on and off the course.

The shoes will retail for $195. Belts, hats, gloves and socks are also available in the Nicklaus Signature Line.

Follow @JohnStrege

By John Strege

TRUE linkswear has brought its barefoot platform to a largely ignored market, kids' golf shoes, with the introduction of the TRUE padwan.

The offspring of the TRUE sensei and TRUE jade golf shoes for men and women, the TRUE padwan is a hybrid shoe that the company touts for activities from golf to running, walking and playing. It has a rubber outsole with traction enhancements and a lightweight, breathable synthetic upper.

It comes in sizes 1 through 7 (including half sizes) and two color options -- black/charcoal and charcoal/grey. They retail for $59.99.

TRUE linkswear's heritage is a shoe that attempts to replicate the natural movements of the foot, as though walking barefoot. Ryan Moore wears TRUE linkswear footwear on the PGA Tour.

Follow @JohnStrege

By John Strege

Who's to say anymore what a golf shoe ought to look like? Convention has been discarded. Function has replaced form.

There might be no more unusual looking golf shoes than those introduced by Vibram Fivefingers at the recent PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando.

Vibram Fivefingers gained popularity as a running shoe, part of the trend toward footwear that resembles running barefoot, though with a protective layer.

"When you strip away all the cushioning and arch support, what happens is people started running in them and realizing that their gait changed, their biomechnics are different," Tyler Allan, a representative of Vibram, said." So we started realizing it's a lot more beneficial to work out and use these for exercise. So we've been in the fitness and running industry the last few years.

"We thought it made sense [to make a golf shoe]. A lot of golfers are hitting balls barefoot. What we're trying to accomplish is just to give that barefoot feel with traction and with a reputable brand like Vibram providing a barefoot shoe we think will be a great fit for golf."

England's Oliver Wilson caused a stir when he wore Vibram Fivefingers running shoes in the European Tour's Dubai World Championship in 2010.

"So far reaction has been great," Allan said. "We've been testing with all different types of golfers. Everyone is really liking the feedback of being able to feel the ground or the firmness of the greens. We have all these sensory perceptors on our feet, just like our hands, that we haven't been using.

"We used our original Trek sole designed specifically for trail running and we combined that with a lug sole for traction. Spreading out the toes over time increases the strength of the toes. Stronger toes provides better balance."

The Speed XC Lite shown here will retail for $110 and will be available in July. The Speed XC is already in the market and retails for $140.

Follow @JohnStrege

By John Strege

The hybrid revolution in golf shoes has now spread to running with True linkswear's introduction on Thursday of the sensei.

On Oct. 7, Ryan Moore won the PGA Tour's Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open while wearing the sensei, while True co-founder Robb Rigg completed the Portland Marathon on the same day while wearing the sensei.

"As far as I can tell, I was the only person running in golf shoes at the marathon," Rigg said in a news release. No doubt.

True is committed to constructing its shoes on what is called a barefoot platform that evolved in the wake of the barefoot running phenomenon. It allows the foot to move naturally during the golf swing, or for running for that matter. It claims the thinnest sole in golf shoes at 2.5 millimeters.

The True sensei will be available at select retailers on Thursday, at a price of $99.

Follow @JohnStrege

By John Strege

Ecco, the Danish shoemaker at the fore of the hybrid golf shoe revolution, is expanding its line to include classic designs --including the wingtips shown above --that it calls the Tour Hybrid.

Here's how the company describes the hybrid function of the shoe: "Seamlessly transitions from the boardroom to the car to the country club."

The Tour Hybrid, which will have an MSRP of $190, will be offered in three leather upper patterns in a variety of colors and feature its Street outsole with 100 traction bars.

The Tour Hybrid will be worn by tour players Graeme McDowell and Fred Couples, among others, the company said. Couples was instrumental in the hybrid revolution by wearing the Ecco Street Premiere shoes (sans socks) at the Masters in 2010.

The Tour Hybrid will begin shipping to retailers later this year.

Follow @JohnStrege

By John Strege

The movement away from traditional golf shoes (those featuring spikes) to hybrid golf shoes that can be worn on or off the course has a new entrant, GoBe Golf.

"We have a two-fold plan," Joe Allen, president of GoBe Golf said. "An athletic-looking shoe ...and a lifestyle shoe for on and off the course."

Allen, a former club pro and sales manager for Ecco, said that the sole will help differentiate GoBe with its five-point stars and traction stripes. "We were looking for a little more traction and more lateral traction," he said. The company also is offering a two-year warranty on the outsole. "You are not going to wear that bottom out," Allen said.

GoBe is offereing three styles in its men's collection (with a suggested retail price of $159) and two styles in its women's collection ($139). GoBe Golf shoes will be sold only through green-grass facilities (high-end resorts and pro shops) and at its website.

As for the name, GoBe, "it means nothing," Allen said. "To me, to have a name that really meant nothing, that was fun. My partner and I, when we started the company, it was to have fun. Sell a lot of shoes in the morning and go play golf in the afternoon. I'm proud of what we've done. We've made a real nice shoe."

Follow @JohnStrege