The Loop

Fred Couples and Ecco to extend endorsement partnership

Fred Couples has extended his deal with Ecco golf shoes, extending a partnership dating back to 2006.

The recent Hall of Fame inductee, who earned a nod from us as being the Coolest Golfer of All-Time from our May 2013 issue, will continue to sport the Ecco logo on the side of his Bridgestone hat.

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"Before ECCO, I was always a very traditional shoe guy, but now really all I put on are the Golf Street and BIOM Hybrid styles," Couples said in a release from Ecco. "They've both got a great look, are so comfortable and provide the traction and stability I need when competing. Plus, I love that I can wear them all the way from my house to the golf course and back. I'm looking forward to playing many more years in my ECCOs."

Showcasing the casual Ecco Golf Street at the 2010 Masters, Couples sparked a huge rise in hybrid shoe sales for the market. Of course. Freddie's always been cool, but Ecco alone has said it sold more than 24 times the amount of shoes it expected to in 2010.

That trend has continued to transform the marketplace for golf shoes. In 2012, non-cleated golf-shoe sales rose by 136 percent from 2012 against 2011 numbers, research from Golf Datatech shows.

And 12 of the 20 shoes on our 2013 Shoe Guide were spikeless.

Just another example of the affect of Freddie Cool.

Couples, 53, also has endorsement deals with Ashworth, Jaguar, Mitsubishi Electric, Anatabloc and his equipment manufacturer Bridgestone. In our annual report of golf's top-earners, we estimated Couples' off-course earnings to be more than $5.7 million in 2012.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images