Golf Industry Online Equipment Reviews

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The Hippest, Most Intriguing Designs, Unbelievable Comfort and Game Improvement Golf Shoes - BITE Golf

By: Dr. Barry Lotz

Based on Bite's philosophy that Golf is a sport that involves all elements - athleticism, concentration, practice, competition, cheerleaders and the fact that there have been no significant changes to golf shoes since 1982, Bite has decided that the saddle shoe (designed circa 1800) needs to get a life. And so it should as we've seen golf evolve into a more powerful, technological game, with 400-yard drives and space age materials, so why not shoes as well? The market place is definitely there especially with the Tiger effect so predominant at this point in time.

Think about this factoid: walk into your favorite golf store and observe the hundreds of different clubs available to choose from, yet visit their shoe department and you get to pick between a brown saddle and a black saddle. Bland and lame - Why walk five miles in grass and mud in shoes that were designed for the boardroom?

More time is spent using one single piece of golf equipment than any other –the golf shoe. This is the one item of equipment that has more complaints than any other, yet it is also the least updated piece of golf equipment.

The Bite Golf Shoe Company's roots began in China where one of the founders, Dale Bathum was working in the shoe industry. Dale spent every spare moment golfing. A shoe guy himself, when it was time to buy golf shoes, Dale was unimpressed by the choices, and that's when the gears started to turn. After working with almost every brand of shoe, Dale felt the time was right to introduce the golf world into the 1900's. Kevin Xiao joined Dale in early 1995 to develop designs and plans for Bite, and after a year of planning, the time was right. In early 1996, Dale brought Heidi Bathum in to take care of all the accounting and operations, and Bite was ready to take over the world.

In California, Bite grew rapidly to 800 accounts with 2.4 million in sales, with eight employees working out of Dale's apartment in San Rafael. A decision was made to move Bite back to Dale's home state of Washington, and set up operations in Redmond. Bite expanded the shoe line to include women's, children's and also an apparel line. Soon they reached 2000 accounts worldwide. Their products became widely accepted for style, quality, customer service and most importantly, comfort.

Today Bite is the 5th largest golf shoe manufacturer, with worldwide distribution, and an almost fanatical cult following among golfers ranging from teenagers to seniors.

Bite is defining a new lifestyle among golfers who don't believe in taking their shoes off after a round. Spike less outsoles, soft full-grain leathers, and supportive EVA mid soles make Bite shoes the most comfortable shoes you'll ever put your feet in, for golf or otherwise.

Our testers tried both the "regular" style shoe and the golf sandals. The response to the sandals was nothing short of phenomenal as it relates to comfort. The only negative aspect attached to the sandal was the fact that the "early morning patrols" suffered wet feet but felt that carrying an extra pair of regular shoes was worth the effort.

Bite's customer service is also outstanding – as of yesteryear when people really cared.

Number of models available in the range: 32
Widths available: Regular to Extra Wide (EEE)
Suggested retail price: $49.95 -$99.95
Website www.biteshoes.com 1.888.248.3465

Barry Lotz, J.D., Ph.D. is the director of the Professional Golf Teachers Association of America. He is also a member of the Golf Writers Association of America and the California Golf Writers Association. He is a contributing writer to numerous national magazines. He can be reached at www.pgtaa.com or drlotz@cbsgolf.com