Shoes on the rack

So you are prepared to pay upto £100 for a pair of golf shoes? You want style, golf cred, durability, grip, comfort? The adidas Z Traxion could be your choice.

The latest technology has earned these shoes their stripes and combine all the above benefits with a 'softspike' system that keeps your feet firmly on the ground when you need it most - at impact - better than any metal spike I can remember.

adidas describes the Z Traxion as incorporating a whole lot of 'high-tech' gizmos including 'Sympatex, TPU, fast-twist and adiPRENE and full-grain upper.'

adidas Z Traxion

You don't need to go there. It's enough to say it's arguably the best combination of technology for any golf shoe.
adidas retains a classic look in the Z Traxion and offers this shoe in black or molasses (pictured and tested). The comfort rating matches most of the leading makes. Suffice to say the Z Traxion is still comfortable even when approaching the 18th green - and even approaching the 36th green of the day if the rest of your body is up to it!

Even in the wet, adidas guarantees their Z Traxion will remain waterproof for at least two years - a useful attribute particularly in the recent European climate. The shoes' grip system is also sturdier than any softspike-shoe on the market. The sole of the shoe in the picture identifies the various shapes that adidas uses to increase the Z Traxion's grip. And we can confirm, they work.

Links: Z
Traxion homepage, adidas Golf homepage.
Price £100 (US$140) GOLFmagic
rating: 8.5/10

As one of the longest-established brands FootJoy has a large range of golf shoes - indeed a pair to fit every pocket - from around £35 for FootJoy GreenJoys to around £200 for the FootJoy Classics Dry Premiere gracing many of the feet of our pros worldwide.

We reviewed the newly introduced FootJoy FITdogs which retail at around £90. The shoes demonstrate FootJoy's commitment to providing golfers with innovatively-designed, high performance footwear.

FootJoy FITdogs

So often we make do with loose and tight-fitting shoes, not realising that no two feet are the same - not even our own. There's no need to endure ill-fitting shoes with FootJoy products which offer a customised system. Each model and size has green, black or blue cradles for narrow, standard or wide fittings to guarantee snug and comfortable fits every time.

Personal fitting

Additionally, a Visco-elastic gel in the heel and under the ball of the foot, improves the cushion effect, reducing the blister factor. And there's a temperature-responsive membrane to cool the feet when it's warm and heat them when it's cold. FootJoy has thought of everything except, perhaps, hitting the shots for you. But that's probably on the drawing board, already!

With a one-year waterproof guarantee, FITdogs are fitted with Black widow softspikes held in place by a fast-twist system reducing the time it takes to change a set of spikes by several minutes.

Links: FITdogs homepage, FootJoy homepage.
Price £90 (US$125) GOLFmagic
rating: 8/10

Much water has passed beneath the soles of Dunlop shoes since the original all-rubber, all-weatherproof were introduced in the 1960s. They may have kept your dry but, as Les Dawson was often heard to mutter 'by 'eck, they didn't 'arf draw yer feet!'.

Many Dunlop golf shoe generations later, these stylish shoes represent good value at a price that most of us can afford.

Dunlop Classic Saddle - Ultrahide

The main body of the shoe is in white, and the lacing and heal panels in black. It's a heavier shoe than most but it's a small price to pay for such good workmanship.

First impressions were a tight fit across the instep but it soon became flexible with wear. The jury is still out in the comfort factor, but in the recent wet weather they stood up well to the appalling conditions to which they were subjected. Grip was good, too.

At £50 a pair these Dunlops represent value for money. The man-made Ultrahide technology provides good waterproofing, and the classic saddle design is a definite plus. The comfort factor isn't as high as could be found in some of the top end shoes, but you get what you pay for, and we like them.

Links: No shoes, but have a look at the Dunlop website golf section.

Price £50 (US$75) GOLFmagic
rating: 7/10