On The Birth of True Linkswear

On The Birth of True Linkswear

I’m a big fan of True Linkswear’s shoes. As a dedicated walking golfer, I appreciate how comfortable they are to play in. When combined with. a pair of Smartwool running socks I can walk all day blister and foot fatigue free.

In recent years, I also purchased several pair in various models to wear as my school shoes. Teaching involves long hours of standing and “circulating around the classroom.” I wore a pair of True Knit shoes one day on a whim and was really pleased wiiith how comfortable they were throughout the day. As my Rockports and Ecco shoes died (I wear out the soles), I replaced them with TRUE linkswear shoes.

No one ever asked why I was wearing my golf shoes to work.

With that in mind, I thought I’d pass on this piece about the founding of True Linkswear. It’s not only an interesting golf story; it also is an interesting human interest and entrepreneur tale.

From Fairway to Footwear: The Birth of TRUE linkswear

It’s 2009. Jason Moore is caddying for his older brother Ryan, who plays on the PGA Tour. The boys have always had a tight relationship – even though five years separated them – and seem destined to work in golf. They’d spent much of their childhood on their father’s Linksman driving range in Tacoma. Ryan would pound balls on the range while Jason worked a stand peddling balls he pulled from the range collection for 50 cents apiece. By 2009, Jason’s looping for Ryan, training with him, and practicing with him every day.

Then Jason reads a new book – Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and The Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen written by Christopher McDougall – that’s essentially about indigenous tribes that don’t wear shoes and the health benefits that they experience because of it. A bell goes off in his head; Why are there no minimalist golf shoes?

“Ryan and I started working on these concepts and consulted expert podiatrists who were key to helping us understand the benefits of zero-drop footwear with wide toeboxes,” recalls Jason. “It was a mental breakthrough. Fortuitously, we got connected with a couple of guys who had an idea of starting a minimalist golf shoe company and we all came together. From those meetings, we created some prototypes and samples. The whole first generation of footwear was based on this idea of barefoot style footwear with a wide toe box, anatomically shaped, lightweight, flexible sole and zero drop – meaning it’s level from heel to forefoot. Our first styles were built around those five key frameworks.”

And TRUE linkswear was born. At that point, they had no intention of starting a shoe empire. They just wanted to make a product that didn’t exist and found a factory to produce a prototype. Ryan started wearing it during rounds and said his feet felt amazing. After he wore it in tour events, the Moores realized they needed to come up with a business plan. “In the early stages, it was a lot of guesswork and experimenting,” recalls Jason. “We released our first shoe to the public in 2010, with no idea if it would sell. They sold quite fast and we thought we might be onto something and if other people are resonating with this, let’s keep it going. We were really proud of the products”

GROWING PAINS
But they quickly found out that not everyone appreciated those original shoes. “We realized not everyone has the same exact food shape or preferences, taste in style, or features required,” says Jason. “What some people find comfortable, others don’t. So, as we’ve evolved, we realized different golfers need different types of fits, feels and styles. With more customers now, we continue to serve that same barefoot style shoes with our OG lineup. And that’s going to be in our line forever. But we’ve also built more lifestyle-based footwear for people who don’t spend all day walking around on soft turf. Maybe you’re on concrete or traveling, or working in an office. We have footwear designed for that audience. And our Tour Performance Collection is inspired by feedback from our PGA Tour ambassadors, investors and owners.”

They have since expanded their products well beyond shoes – always believing that if they had a selfish desire for a product that didn’t exist, they should try to build it. For example, TRUE’s pant collection was inspired by the fact no one was making rugged lifestyle, versatile pants that had water-repellent tendencies. “We play a lot of golf in the rain up here in the Pacific Northwest, and wearing rain pants isn’t any fun,” says Jason. “We made super lightweight, breathable stretchy pants that look good enough to wear to the office or to the course but also repels water.”

PUSHING FORWARD
In 2024, customers have seen expanded offerings across TRUE’s product line, including  the Lux G – the perfect dichotomy of a shoe that’s both waterproof and easy to clean while remaining breathable, lightweight, and flexible – and the FS-Tour, a modern take on the American wingtip, featuring waterproof top-grain oiled Napa leather upper on top of TRUE’s tour-tested sneaker sole to create a natural blend of style and signature TRUE comfort. 

The new OG Cush, however, brings TRUE’s barefoot/zero-drop innovations full circle and into the next generation. The first redesign of the OG footwear platform that put TRUE and the Moores on the map, the OG Cush has the stylish appearance of a fashion-forward athletic-sneaker still upper and ample cushion for unrivaled comfort. All of that design, though, is the Trojan Horse concealing TRUE’s signature zero-drop, wide toe box comfort and performance in a lightweight shoe that looks great on the course, on the town, or in the office. All day comfort takes a giant leap forward with this bold redesign of TRUE’s original shoe platform.

OWNING THEIR ROLES
It’s clear that each Moore knows his own role at TRUE. Jason is the creative director behind products and the brand, with a passion for the golf community and golf footwear. And Ryan checks in daily, running a lot of research and development testing, providing feedback on products, coming up with new product ideas, connecting the brand with more Tour players to wear TRUE, and cultivating connections with resorts and event venues.

“He’s not just a brand evangelist, he cares about the products that we release,” says Jason. “At one point I built three new models. And he called me one day and asked if I would wear all three. I said I’d only wear two and don’t actually like the third one but somebody probably would. He quickly asked why we would make that third model then. That’s been a guiding ethos moment for our company. If we wouldn’t wear it or recommend it, then why would we produce it? I think that’s a huge differentiator when you compare our approach to other brands who put out products solely because of revenue targets or just to have a spring announcement. We’ve avoided that kind of mindset. If it has a TRUE stamp on it, that’s only because we actually think it needs to exist.”

A NOVEL APPROACH TO TOUR PLAYER RELATIONSHIPS
For the record, the company doesn’t throw money at Tour pros to wear the shoes. Today, TRUE ambassadors who have the footwear on in tournaments include Chris Kirk, Joel Dahmen, Mark Hubbard, Oliver Wilson, Ryan Brehm, Dylan Wu, and Christina Kim.

Many of them have personally invested money into TRUE and are part owners – also providing valuable feedback. The company also gets feedback from loyal customers both online and through tournaments it’s begun hosting. “It’s an awesome chance for us to engage with customers who we’ve never met from around the country,” says Jason. “We get some of our social media influencers out there and people from our brand. And it’s a blast. We read every review from our online customers, and our sales force talks to our retailers about what’s working, what’s not, fits, styles, materials and waterproofing techniques. When we put out a shoe, we’re expecting it to get a 4.5 or better average customer rating because we’ve listened for a decade now. That’s definitely not commonplace in the industry.”

When consumers wear newer iterations of TRUE’s footwear designs, Moore wants them to feel like he and his colleagues listened to customer, Tour player, and avid fan feedback and incorporated all the best ideas and desires into these latest designs.

“These past seven years, especially, we’ve made it a real point to listen to our customers’ feedback,” Moore says. “Hopefully, we’ve answered some of those problems with innovative solutions. People wanted a shoe they could wear all day every day, no matter where they were, so we gave the new OG Cush maximum cushioning and an aesthetic where they don’t have to take the shoe off. We gave it that tread that works just as well on and off the course, even on trails, because our clientele is outdoorsy and loves to hike. People wanted an OG that made their feet feel more refreshed and cushioned throughout the day when they were among concrete. So, we added just the right amount of EVA midsole to give you more comfort without distracting and from that barefoot and minimalist feel. Customers should see our newest shoes and say, “This is the answer to one of my pain points, or small frustrations, I had with my favorite shoe and it’s a much better experience now.”