Royal Albartross — the British premium golf and lifestyle brand of shoes and accessories — combines artisan craftsmanship with sneaker styling to create original looks for both men and women. The brand’s styles, originally designed to take golf footwear to a new level, now transition from the office to the golf course and to cocktails — and are fashionable, functional and fun to wear.
This transition has been the mission of Alex Bartholomew, Royal Albartross’ founder and creative director, since launching the company 10 years ago in a quest to create the world’s finest golf shoe.
“The versatility of golf shoes is more important than ever, as life with a round between working-from-home becomes our daily escape,” Bartholomew noted. “One thing is certain, it’s now fair game to wear these styles with just about anything. The 2022 line reaffirms our stance to create golf shoe designs that look and feel appropriate from the course and beyond.”
Royal Albartross’ new offerings for men — all handmade by master craftsmen in small, family-run factories in Italy and Portugal — come in a range of colorways, patterns and themes to coordinate and accent any look for the links and beyond, which include the Richmond, the Kingsman, the Strider Lite and the Pontiac V2.
The fresh twist on the men’s line begins with the Richmond, a revamp to Royal Albartross’s best-selling hybrid golf shoe. The Richmond adds comfortable style to a shoe equally at home on city streets as well as fairways. Constructed in luxurious Italian leather, the Richmond is available in mocha, white/mocha and white/navy colorways. The Kingsman places a classic brogue wing-tip design on a sneaker-like sole. This style’s marriage of understated British assurance with sportiness and European artistry is available in white/carbon and white/cobalt.
The Strider Lite is a lightweight hybrid that features a proprietary, custom-designed outsole and a compression-molded Phylon midsole, maximizing control and stability without compromising on comfort or style. This style is available in jet black and white/navy. The updated Pontiac V2 comes with padded ankle collars, tongue, and ultra-soft leather linings to make for a great feel with a supportive fit. The Pontiac V2 is available in admiral blue, white or slate gray.
Bartholomew emphasized the importance that Royal Albartross products enhance the enjoyment of the game through thoughtful details, great style and incredible comfort. That is especially true, she noted, of the 2022 collection for women that features an intriguing blend of sneakers, belts, and gloves.
“What’s most exciting is that women will find products in a range of colorways, patterns and themes to coordinate and accent any look for the links and beyond,” Bartholomew said.
In the popular Fieldfox line of golf sneakers, a variety of vibrant colors and luxurious faux animal prints have been added to the collection. Most notable is the all-new Dalmatian, which features a white and black heel print set on a luxurious Italian leather upper, as well as vibrant and contrasting accents that catch the eye. Additional Fieldfox patterns and colors include leopard, silver, pink, aqua and the limited-edition Mia’s Miracles collaboration, ensuring options for every golf outfit.
“The Fieldfox proves that fun and function can co-exist in a golf shoe,” Bartholomew said.
The Mia’s Miracles Limited-edition shoe was created in partnership with the Mia’s Miracles Foundation, which was launched by Camilo Villegas, PGA Tour professional, and his wife Maria Ochoa after their 22-month daughter succumbed to brain and spinal cancer. Ten percent of the proceeds from each sale are donated to help families facing medical challenges. The rainbow-inspired shoe features luxurious Italian leather uppers accented with Mia’s Miracles pastel colors, as well as a multi-colored, leather-covered footbed and eyelets in orange, pink, pale blue, yellow, and green.
The Foxtrot Collection of women’s luxury belts was designed to coordinate with the footwear lines. The faux-leopard belt with contrasting red belt loop will enhance any golf outfit but is particularly fashion-forward when paired with the Fieldfox Leopard golf sneakers. The belts are available in a range of styles and colors, from Dalmatian print to hot pink. Belt materials are elasticized to improve fit and comfort, and are finished with a leather end tab and classic plated brass buckles.
The Portobello belt collection is available in three color combinations (red/white, navy/blue, black/white), all fashioned with a durable woven construction, finished with a leather end tab and stylish oval brass buckle.
Bartholomew shared that she is excited about the introduction of the new Strider Luxe, which is inspired by the success of the men’s shoe collection. The Luxe is a women’s hybrid golf shoe that delivers style and performance with a lightweight sneaker high-fashion look. The bold styling of the Strider Luxe, includes a nude snake pink patterned design and the polka-dotted, jet-black options. The collection is finished with a selection of complementing gloves in nine vibrant colors – from azalea pink to ocean blue. These luxury cabretta leather gloves sit alongside a range of premium accessories including handbags, make-up kits and jewelry cases.
She teased her company’s 2023 collection by saying that Royal Albartross will be launching new accessories that “will fit seamlessly into our customers’ golf lifestyle.” As for this year’s offerings, she said her company’s goal continues to be to produce collections that will travel well for golfers all over the world.
“Whoever you are on the golf course, my hope is that our 2022 collection gives you the confidence to present yourself to the world exactly as you wish to be seen and allows you to play with style, quality and comfort,” Bartholomew said. “We have always taken our lead from current fashion trends and bring those to the golf course.”
