I recently ventured south of the Canadian border to play some golf in Southern California. Along with me came my new TRUE Linkswear Golf Shoes. I had heard a fair bit about these shoes, and after our recent interview with Rob Rigg, the President of the company – I decided to give them a shot. The word on the street with these shoes is their lightweight design and low-profile make it feel as though you’re walking barefoot. I can now see where they are coming from.
Comparison:
My original pair of shoes were black Footjoy GFII’s, a pricey shoe, but one that received good reviews regarding comfort, durability and grip. I, on the other hand, found these shoes to be very tight in the toe area, and after walking an 18 hole round, caused pain. 18 holes in two days was killer. That is why I often took a cart to lessen the strain on my feet – which were still in pain after a round of riding. Grip, durability, waterproof were all excellent however.
The Test:
I played back-to-back rounds at the Oak Quarry Golf Club in Riverside, California. Rated as the #1 Top Public Golf Course in the Inland Empire. I took a cart each time, but walked as often as possible.
The Rating Scale:
1 to 10. 1 being “it feels like I’m playing in bear traps”. 10 being “the ultimate golf shoe, I sleep with them under my pillow”.
The Shoes:
True Linkswear Tour Black/White shoes pictured here.
Specs:
– Full Grain Waterproof Leather Upper
– Temperature Control Lining in the shoe
– Memory Foam in the Heel Cup for custom fit
– Gusset to enhance 360* Waterproofing
– 2.5mm TPU “Ergo-Traction” Outsole with 4mm horizontal and lateral stability bars
– Standard width in the Heel and Mid-Foot with wide toe box
The Results:
Comfort – 9.5
TRUE Linkswear Shoes have got the comfort thing covered. Not only were these shoes lightweight – they were extremely roomy with their wide toe box, while still conforming nicely to my feet. There was no pinching of the leather, or my toe, in my finish position – and the leather bounced back quickly leaving a barely noticeable line on the toe (unlike my Footjoys).
These are the first pair of golf shoes I’ve worn that I was not in a hurry to take off at the end of the round. I experienced no pain or pressure whatsoever. Round two was just as comfortable. I fell in love with these shoes quickly.
Technology – 9
The low-profile and wide toe box are not exactly technologically advanced features, but in terms of all the other golf shoes out there, this is a new direction. I’m already a fan. The low-profile improves your connection to the ground, and you feel extremely stable on every swing. When we played there were gusts from the Santa Anna winds upwards of 70MPH, the ball was oscillating on the greens, and on occasion the wind could toss you off-balance. But, as soon as I was over the ball, I instantly felt stable, and trusting the performance and grip of these shoes was never in question. The wide toe-box is another exceptional feature that adds to the ultimate comfort of these shoes. My feet had plenty of room to be comfortable, but not so much that they were moving around in the shoes.
Completely waterproof – as expected, no issues here.
Grip – 9
I played these rounds just two days after the torrential downpour in Southern California, labeled as the worst storm of the past ten years. On the hilly, and undulated surface of this course – not once did these shoes slip. Despite being spikeless shoes (it uses what they call ERGO-Traction) – I felt stable and solid even on hilly wet surfaces. Even in the sand, or in long wet grass, I had no problems maintaining stable throughout my swing.
One added, unexpected benefit was how these shoes didn’t gather leaves, grass and dirt. My playing partners we’re carrying around a lot of extra crap on the bottoms of their shoes that they whacked off after the round – while mine, held barely anything.
Looks – 8.5
These shoes have a running shoe style look to them – which in my book is where golf shoe trends are headed anyway. If you’re one of those folks who is into the traditional look of golf shoes – you may not like this design, but when you wear them for the first time – your mind will be changed. Or alternatively you can try the models with more of a traditional golf shoe look (White/Black).
I’d like to see an all black model in the traditional golf shoe look, as I’m afraid it won’t take long to make the white sections dirty. Time will tell. The black/black models would be the closest they have in that department. Update: The new TRUE stealth line, has the black-black golf shoe style model – something to look forward to.
The inclusion of both white and black laces is a nice touch.
Overall Rating – 9
True Linkswear has a winner with these shoes. They stood up to their claims, they truly are some of the most comfortable golf shoes I’ve ever worn – on and off the course. Furthermore, starting the trend of making golf shoes more mainstream – to be used off the course is a great new marketing angle that’s turning some heads. I literally can’t wait to get on the course again – and this time, I’ll be walking.
Where to get them: