How Maverick McNealy’s barefoot golf swing helped develop Jordan Spieth’s new Under Armour shoe

As the PGA TOUR takes on the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am for the second Signature Event of the season, look for a new signature shoe to tread the Pebble Beach cliffs.

That’s because on Thursday, Under Armour announced the release of their “Drive Pro Series” footwear featuring two models of shoes – the Drive Pro and its spikeless sister the Drive Pro SL. Both shoes are available in neutral upper shades highlighted by flames of color along the collar, outsole, tongue and heel.

Under Armour Golf’s footwear has consistently branded itself as performance-driven, and the Drive Pros are no different. The brand partnered with biomechanist JJ Rivet to create a shoe light enough for professionals – such as Jordan Spieth, who has been wearing the shoes since the 2023 Hero World Challenge – and amateurs alike to navigate course terrain and stabilize swings.

Both Spieth and another TOUR pro, Maverick McNealy, were involved in the design process. The 28-year-old McNealy detailed the beginnings of this journey in 2022 to PGATOUR.COM.

“I was really involved,” said the Stanford alum. “We started down with the design team at their footwear headquarters in Portland and I just explained to them what my ideal golf shoe would be.

“The way we create force through our feet,” he continued, “it's our one connection to the ground and the golf swing … I would send them pictures of where I'd have grass wear on my other shoes and say that's the spot that I'm finishing on. They showed me the shoe decomposed. I went through my barefoot golf swing and showed them the way my foot works and how I want it to be supported.

“I got to hit in the initial prototype and give them some feedback, work through a few things and we dialed it in.”

“People overlook the fact that we walk 50 miles a week,” he reflected. “So leaving some material out of the shoe helps a ton. … We really talked about the differences between stability and flexibility and mobility in the shoe. I feel like I'm firing to my left side and can post up on the outside of my left ankle really well with the shoe. … That just gives me the freedom to swing harder. It's like a race car with really good breaks. You can go harder into the turn.”

So how does the shoe balance stability, flexibility and mobility while weighing slightly over 12 ounces?

“What sets the Drive Pro Series apart from other golf shoes is Under Armour’s lockdown lacing system — a band that will keep the foot supported and in place during the 360-degree motion of the golf swing,” said Jake Healey, the senior product line manager for golf footwear at Under Armour.

The Drive Pros also incorporate Under Armour’s Swing Support System (S3), intended to reinforce the foot while still giving it the flexibility to move where it needs to go. S3 is a collaborative effort between designer Rivet and the Under Armour Softspikes engineering team.

The Drive Pros include nine spikes on each shoe: four S3 spikes and five Soft Spike Tour Flex Pros that Rivet turned 10 degrees clockwise to help with rotational resistance. The Drive Pro SLs feature different points of traction that encompass various heights.

The midsoles of both shoes incorporate Under Armour’s “Hovr Foam” technology, allowing the foot to sink into the shoe while transitioning weight effectively.

Midsoles, spikes, lockdown lacing – they’ll undoubtedly be put to the test at Pebble Beach.