Golf Is the Backdrop for The Whitaker Group’s Final Willful Bias Release

The Whitaker Group and New Balance are back with the third and final release in their Willful Bias series, and this one plays directly with the game of golf. The ABZORB 740 “Willful Bias: Discovery” reimagines the retro runner with cues that speak to the course, from campaign visuals staged on fairways and bunkers to the shoe’s balance of performance cushioning and laid-back wearability.

The sneaker itself leans into that golf-adjacent lane: a mesh and synthetic build that feels breezy enough for long days outside, with ABZORB midsole tech that echoes the comfort golfers demand walking 18. At $120, it’s approachable, but layered with intention, a shoe that feels just as at home by the cart as it does downtown.

The series has built-in chapters. Release 1 started with the 1906U, opening a conversation on heritage and bias in design. Release 2 turned to “Education,” using the 990v4 and 998 to highlight craftsmanship and roots. Release 3: Discovery closes the arc by looking forward, and golf becomes the backdrop, a sport in the middle of its own cultural shift, making it the perfect stage for this sneaker.

Release 1

Release 2

The Whitaker Group’s Willful Bias project has always blurred the lines between product and message. With Discovery, it proves golf can be a part of that dialogue, too.

For context: The Whitaker Group is the creative force behind some of the most thoughtful retail and storytelling in sneakers and culture today. With boutiques like Social Status, A Ma Maniére, APB, and Prosper, they’ve built a reputation for pushing the conversation beyond product, using collaborations like this one with New Balance to frame sneakers as cultural artifacts with real narrative weight.

Entries for the ABZORB 740 ‘Willful Bias: Discovery’ drawing close today — last chance to get in.