FJ Full Line Catalog (16 MB) - Alvin Golf & Country Club

ANN CAIN, Acushnet Company’s Leadership Promotion Executive for Women’s Golf
The garage door gently rattles as it glides open. Sunlight filters in, winds its way
through the darkness and falls softly on shelves filled with rows of shoe boxes, their
white FJ logos gleaming.
Ann Cain, Acushnet Company’s Leadership Promotion Executive for Women’s Golf,
stores easily one hundred or more pairs of ladies performance golf footwear in her
garage at any given time. The shelves are lined with various styles, sizes and colors.
Some are waiting to be shipped to an event, some are put away for members of the tour
who have returned home in the off-season and others are stored until they are matched
to the perfect player.
In 1993, Ann became a representative of Acushnet Company and its golf brands
bringing with her a wealth of tournament experience and connections from her years
with the American Junior Golf Association. All told, she has had her hand on the
pulse of up-and-coming golf talent for 24 years.
“When looking for players to sign to the FootJoy roster,” she says, “ I look for those that
are already wearing FJ shoes and are happy with their performance. Rather than pay
players to switch, we believe in rewarding players for their loyalty and trust in our brand.
Players who truly believe in our mission make the best brand ambassadors.”
She spends a great deal of time on the road meeting with golfers from the
young and aspiring to the seasoned veterans of the sport. She works closely with
colleges, the LPGA, AJGA and the USGA to ensure their tournaments are supplied and
the FJ brand is properly represented.
“Ann Cain is an incredible asset to the FJ brand,” comments Mike Foley, Director of
Footwear Marketing with FootJoy. “Her relationships with the world’s greatest female
players goes beyond simply ordering products for them. Ann knows virtually each
and every player’s needs and wants when it comes to footwear—both performance
attributes and styling preferences—and her knowledge of the product line dates back
many years. Her ability to recall specific style numbers has been described as savantlike.
Ann is one of a kind and we are fortunate that she is on Team FJ!”
Her favorite tournament? “They are all my favorite!” she says with a grin. “But I have
an extra appreciation for those venues with the best logistics. The availability of a nonstop
flight, proximity of the event to the hotel, ease of getting product to the locker room
and a nearby shipping facility can make a big difference in how smoothly an event runs
from my perspective.”
It is this whirlwind of events that makes it necessary to stay stocked up on shoes for her
ladies. One of the hot products on her shelves is the FJ Sport for Women. She
attributes this to the performance driven outsole and the fashion appeal of the category.
Ann finds that the player’s are always willing to give honest feedback.
“They know that they are helping shape the ladies shoe category for the future.”
It is from this feedback that FootJoy has decided to extend its custom MyJoys
offerings to include the popular FJ Sport for Women.
The MyJoys program is especially appealing in the women’s market as it
offers players the ability to create a pair of shoes specifically to their personal tastes.
A broad range of leather colors, patterns and embroidery options allow for an almost
immeasurable number of possibilities. (Visit myjoys.com for program details)
“Our gals on tour love to customize their shoes to match their outfits.
Plus with color updates occurring every six months, it keeps interest up and the
players asking for what is new.” says Ann.
Some of the personalized touches you’ll find on the tour players shoes
can give you an extra glimpse into their personalities. Angela Stanford always has
a US flag on her heels while Jimin Kang prefers smiley faces. Kris Tschetter keeps her
kids close by putting their names on her pair. If you’re paying attention, BAMBAM can
be seen on Brittany Lincicome’s feet. So Yeon Ryu puts her last name on one heel
while the other pays homage to her homeland with the South Korean flag.
Every two years Ann gears up for the Solheim Cup. Each player selects their MyJoys
shoes and decides how to customize them. The orders are placed and the products
are stocked away in the garage until it is time to ship them to the event. Each pair is
placed in the team members’ lockers with special care. “It is a moment I will never tire
of,” she explains. “The players discover their shoes, try them on and emerge from the
locker room believing that their pair is the best. It brings a smile to my face.”
“Players who truly believe in our
mission make the best brand
ambassadors.”
“FJ Sport for Women offers the perfect combination of lightweight
performance features and athletic-inspired styling,” adds Foley. “Built from the
ground up with the better female player in mind, FJ’s Design and Development team
engineered this category specifically for women. This is not a take-down of a men’s
outsole, instead FJ Sport for Women offers tremendous, LPGA Tour-proven, lightweight
stability.”