The Tiger Woods shoes mystery rumbles on – so what exactly is he wearing?

Not since Cinderella has a pair of shoes caused such a kerfuffle.

Tiger Woods is back in action at this week’s Hero World Challenge and the 15-time major champion has once again got us playing the guessing game around his footwear.

To get you up to speed, Woods has worn Nike for his entire career. That was until the Masters in 2022 when this tradition unlike any other was blown wide open by a pair of FootJoy shoes.

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Woods showed up at Augusta sporting a pair of the brand’s Premiere Packard model, explaining that he had “very limited mobility” following the car accident that had ruled him out of competitive action for 14 months.

He added: “Just with the rods and plates and screws that are in my leg, I needed something different, something that allowed me to be more stable. That’s what I’ve gone to.”

It was simple. Nike’s range of golf shoes didn’t offer him the support he needed post-surgery.

The Swoosh brand followed up with the following statement: “Like golf fans around the world, we are delighted to see Tiger back on the course. He is an incredible athlete, and it is phenomenal to see him returning to the game at this level.

“His story continues to transcend sport and inspire us all. As he continues his return, we will work with him to meet his new needs.”

Despite the I’m-happy-my-ex-has-found-someone-new vibes, Woods continues to wear Nike’s apparel, but remained in the FootJoy shoes for his next seven appearances up to the following year’s Masters, where he withdrew during the third round before once again going under the knife.

But now he’s back and we’re all buzzing to see if whatever version of Tiger Woods we’re now at can win more titles. And he’s even managed to get us talking about his footwear again.

The 47-year-old rocked up on the range ahead of his return at the Hero World Challenge wearing what we can only describe as a mysterious pair of shoes.

Let’s take a closer look…

First of all, you’ve got a spike missing there, Tiger. Sort that out.

But while these might look like a pair of traditional FootJoy shoes, they… well, they are simply not.

Here’s a view of the sole…

So what are they?

The bunkered team has spent far too much of its day zooming in on a pair of shoes, and we have come to the conclusion that, as there are no discernible markings or branding, we’re stumped.

Our best guess? Nike. Yes, really.

But Nike only make sneaker-style golf shoes!

Oh, such a short memory. How could you forget the Nike Air Litany Wingtips Woods wore for that Masters win in ’97?

Or the Nike Air Comfort TW Gore-Tex beauties from the turn of the century?

Or the Nike SP TW Tour models he wore for the next few years after that?

Has Woods gone back to the future in a bid to ensure he regains his spot in the winners’ circle?

Well, there was time for ANOTHER twist on Wednesday when he teed up in the HWC pro-am wearing – you guessed it – FootJoy.

The Wilcox model from the Premiere Series range, to be precise…

Why do you do this to us, Tiger?

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Alex Perry is the Associate Editor of bunkered. A journalist for more than 20 years, he has been a golf industry stalwart for the majority of his career and, in a five-year spell at ESPN, covered every sporting event you can think of. He completed his own Grand Slam at the 2023 Masters, having fallen in love with the sport at his hometown club of Okehampton and on the links of nearby Bude & North Cornwall.

Associate Editor