Yahoo Sports Macklemore’s Bogey Boys Teams With Adidas for Golf Collection
Macklemore came out of the pandemic with a lot on his plate, including a new album and a worldwide tour to support it. But one thing didn’t change, and that’s his love for golf.
The rapper, whose real name is Ben Haggerty, was always athletic, playing baseball, basketball, soccer and other sports growing up in Seattle. But he only discovered golf four years ago and is now hooked. So much so that he created his own collection, Bogey Boys, in 2021.
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His aesthetic — an updated take on some of the game’s most traditional looks — has connected with fans since the line launched.
“It’s been great from the jump,” he said in a Zoom interview from his basement in Seattle, where he had recently returned after a six-week European tour. “I had no idea what to expect. And it has grown exponentially. It has been a beautiful thing to watch people from all over the world become fans of the brand, collect pieces, and be excited when we drop new stuff. For me to be able to travel around the world and see people in Bogey Boy hats and polos has been very cool.”
The top-selling item has been the hats, which are priced at around $40, along with various apparel pieces. “There will be designs I think are going to sell great and they don’t, and then there are designs I don’t think anyone is going to buy and they’re the first things to sell out,” he said. “It’s tough to really have a crystal ball but at the end of the day, I want to make clothing that I want to wear and that I want to see out in the world.”
The success of the line also caught the attention of Adidas, which is teaming with Haggerty on a special collection that will launch on June 14.
The Adidas x Bogey Boys collection combines the German sport brand’s heritage with Bogey Boys’ take on the classics. The line, which was designed by the rapper along with the Adidas team, is inspired by golf and tennis looks from the ‘70s and ‘80s.
One noteworthy component of the collaboration is the use of Adidas’ famous Trefoil logo — the first time the famous mark has been offered in golf apparel.
“One of the coolest parts about the collection is that we were able to use the classic Adidas Trefoil logo locked up with our Bogey Boys logo,” Haggerty said. “I asked about it and they said, ‘We have to ask the folks over in Germany.’ And Germany gave us the thumbs up. So I’m super excited because that iconic logo is cemented in my head from childhood and it’s been kind of reserved for the Adidas Original line.”
Jennie Ko, design director for Adidas Golf, also pointed to the significance of using the Trefoil in the line. “It means a lot and we’re super-excited to bring that to life.”
She characterized the collaboration with Haggerty as naturally organic that derived from Adidas’ appreciation of the Bogey Boys collection coupled with the entertainer’s passion for the sport. Initial conversations that started more than two years ago at the Masters tournament ultimately resulted in the creation of the collection.
Ko said Adidas allowed Haggerty access to its archives for inspiration and worked with him to ensure the collection would tick all the boxes that the modern golfer demands. “A lot of things have changed in fashion and performance, so it’s not just vintage pieces that we’re bringing back,” she said, pointing to the performance fabrics and features of the line.
Key pieces include placket polos with a higher collar stance, a terrycloth track suit, V-neck sweater vest with contrast detailing, straight-leg trousers in Adidas’s Warpknit fabric with pintucks, and a graphic T-shirt with “Welcome to the Clubhouse” emblazoned on it and featuring characters dressed in pieces from the collection.
Womenswear is also part of the collection and includes a terrycloth romper with zip-front pockets and a high-waisted skirt with side-zip openings.
There’s also a MC80 spikeless golf shoe for men and women that offers a classic look from the ‘80s with a white leather upper, brogue stitching and croc texturing. There’s a leather liner and Boost cushioning in the heel for comfort. The shoe sports both the Trefoil and Bogey Boys logos on top of a removable kiltie as well as on the back of the heel.
Accessories include a five-panel rope hat, leather golf glove and leather travel bag with metal feet.
Ko said the addition of the women’s pieces is noteworthy because Bogey Boys doesn’t offer dedicated womenswear. Her personal favorite piece is the terry romper along with the men’s pant, which offers a “mash-up of performance and vintage,” she said.
Retail prices range from $45 for a T-shirt to $550 for the tote and $220 for the golf shoe, and the line will launch globally on both brands’ websites as well as at select retailers. The introduction of the collection is timed to coincide with the PGA’s U.S. Open at the Los Angeles Country Club June 15 to 18.
Both Haggerty and Ko agree that golf is getting cooler and attracting more young people.
“Golf is just coming to light and becoming more mainstream,” Ko said. “There’s no team jersey so it’s one of the few sports where you can [make an individual statement]. The fairway is like a runway.”
That’s true for Haggerty as well. “Golf fashion is expanding,” he said. “I come from a streetwear background and I’ve always been a fan of brands that have created their own niche market in their own lane. We are a little bit left of center, of course, which was always the intent. I wanted to create something that people felt was original and spoke to them. It wasn’t the classic navy, white, khaki colorway that we’ve been subjected to in the golf space.”
Bogey Boys along with Bad Birdie, Malbon Golf and others have walked the same unconventional path, and Haggerty said a lot of “legacy” brands are now jumping into the mix as well. “Brands that haven’t had a history in golf apparel are now starting to produce their own lines,” he said. “I think there’s some oversaturation happening. But I also think that, in any form of fashion or art, the real will always prevail. And those that are truly authentic and push the envelope will rise to the top. And I think of Bogey Boys in that regard.”
Both Haggerty and Adidas said it hasn’t been decided whether their collaboration will continue beyond this one drop. “We’re talking,” Ko said. “And we don’t know what the future holds.”
“I love the team over at Adidas so I’m open to wherever it takes us,” he said.
But even if it’s a one-off, he will continue with Bogey Boys. “I love the process of design,” he said. “I love turning an idea into reality. I think that is the thing that wakes me up in the morning.”
The other thing that keeps him busy is his music. His third solo studio album, “Ben,” was released in March and after his initial swing through Europe, he will head back there in late June before hitting the road in the U.S. this fall, followed by Australia and Asia early next year.
Although it’s hard being away from home and his two daughters, being on tour allows Haggerty to work on his golf game. “I played a ton over in Europe and shot some great rounds,” said the 10.6 handicapper. “Then I lose it but then I get it back. It’s a beautiful struggle that I’m still madly obsessed with.”
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