J Lindeberg Vent 500 Golf Shoes Review
GolfMagic reviews the J Lindeberg Vent 500 Golf Shoes.
J Lindeberg Vent 500 Key Features:
- Ortholite insole: provides a cushioned ride
- Seam-sealed construction: protects your feet from rain
- Laminated bridge logo: adds a stylish touch to the design
Stepping into the shoe game for the first time, J. Lindeberg has introduced the Vent 500 golf shoes, a stylish and trendy addition to its golf collection.
Typical of the Scandinavian brand, these shoes ooze sophisticated and bold looks while also putting a premium on performance.
To see if they could make their way into our best golf shoes of 2024 list, we took them for a spin at Foxhills Country Club.
Let's get into it.
J. Lindeberg Vent 500 Looks:
J. Lindeberg is a brand renowned for its bold designs and big branding; these shoes are no different.
The trainer-style design features a chunky sole, mesh upper and big JL bridge plastered across the shoe.
Typically, we're not huge fans of big branding and have often criticised FootJoy for not keeping the FJ logo smaller on some of its shoes; however, despite that, we think this big bridge logo actually works really well.
The reason for that is that it's not immediately obvious that the bridge is a logo.
We are familiar with the JL logo and recognise it instantly, but due to its size, it almost looks like an entire panel of its own.
Thanks to the logo's placement, it also blends into the overall silhouette, giving the shoe a structured look that really appealed to us both in hand and at address.
The mesh design also gives the shoes a distinctly modern look and feel, which is in keeping with the brand's overall visual identity.
We tested an all-white pair of the Vent 500s, but they also come in blue, black and green colourways for those who like a splash of colour.
The overall silhouette is nice and sporty, and the chunky sole is very on trend right now, giving a subtle nod to modern streetwear design.
All in all, we think as far as first attempts go, we've got to hand it to the design team at JL; the Vent 500s get a big thumbs up in the looks department.
J. Lindeberg Vent 500 Performance and Comfort:
First things first, these shoes run about half to a full size small.
Typically, we wear a size 10UK shoe, and that's what we tested, but as soon as we slipped them on for the first time, we could instantly tell they were slightly too tight around the toe region.
Despite that, we took them out for a round to see how the outsole and insole would perform on the course.
In terms of out-of-the-box comfort, we did find the mesh upper to be quite stiff. We would recommend that if you buy a pair of these shoes, you wear them around the house before you take them out on the course for the first time.
We also found that when walking, the panel above the midfoot creases quite significantly, applying pressure to the top of the foot.
This was initially quite uncomfortable; however, as the body softens, this is likely to be less of an issue.
In terms of underfoot comfort, the Ortholite+ insole delivers a very cushioned ride that also provides ample energy return with each stride.
Regarding traction, J. Lindeberg has opted for an array of quite pronounced TPU nubs to deliver grip.
We found these to be particularly effective. Walking on both dry and moist ground, we found these shoes to be particularly grippy and throughout the golf swing, we also felt no noticeable loss in footing.
Stability was also good, and thanks to the chunky design we felt well rooted to the ground on every swing.
All in all, apart from the crease on the forefoot and the small sizing, these shoes performed very well on the course, and the traction elements, in particular, were very impressive.
Should you buy a pair of J. Lindeberg Vent 500 Golf Shoes?
If you're looking for a pair of golf shoes that are fully waterproof, provide plenty of traction, and look great, then you should certainly try on a pair of the Vent 500s next time you're at a retailer.
They may take some getting used to, but the ride is comfortable, and they're also suitable for off-course wear, making them very versatile.
If you are considering purchasing a pair, make sure you try them on first to get the correct size.
