A quick faceoff between some of the most anticipated Golf Shoes from Adidas and Nike.
Before I get into the comparisons, I should mention a few things. I am a shoe-aholic, sneakerhead you name it. Every sneaker reference fits the bill for me. I have been an avid collector since I was 16 years old. Yes, I am that person who buys shoes and stores them in boxes and wears them never. I have been in love with sneakers since I was in the 2nd grade. Through years of wanting to be a sneaker designer for Nike to buying the Retros as an adult that I wasn’t able to get as a kid. Why is this important? I feel this gives me the credibility from a sneaker standpoint to provide you with a non-bias performance review.
Beginning this new golf season, I have made a pact to myself to walk whenever possible.
I am a pro cart rider and my weight scale proves it. Recently though purchased a pushcart and have been walking since. I figured that my lack of cardio capacity would be the most difficult to adapt to, but I was wrong. My FEET of all things was letting me down. What it all boils down to is my footwear. I have been golfing in the Nike Air Max 1 G golf shoes of all colors for the past season with zero issues. Mainly because I was only walking to and from my ball to the cart. What I uncovered was the Nikes were the culprit for my struggle. Being a Nike fanboy, I tried the following shoes:
Nike Air Max 97G, Jordan 11 G, Jordan ST Trainer G, Jordan ADG 1, Nike Air Max 1G Tour Issue, Nike Roshe Tour, Nike React Vapor 2, Nike Infinity Pro & the Jordan 5 G
This doesn’t mean these are bad shoes by any means. They all still are in boxes in my garage. But as for a wearable golf shoe, they didn’t work for me.
Nike’s new shoe, the Nike Infinity Tour.
THIS was what I was amped for! I tried the Infinity Pro (arguably the budget version of the Tour). The Infinity Pro was Stiff and had a very rigid ride that didn’t treat my feet well. When the Tours dropped, I ordered two pairs. I was CONFIDENT that this was going to be the shoe that I had been searching for.
Good looks? Check. Plentiful Tech? Check. Enough Hype for a Sneakerhead? Check.
Flyknit upper that would hold your foot allowing natural movement and the traditional flyknit feel us Nike followers have grown to love. React foam with Hex Zoom Air pods under each adaptive spike. Topped off with a Full-Length Zoom unit directly underneath the insole. There was ZERO way that this shoe would not work for me. The fit on the Pros was good but the last and overall comfort left a lot to be desired. This truly on paper was the refined better version.
When they arrived, I unboxed and was blown away with the quality and overall feel. In hand, they were the best golf shoes I have seen from a stylistic point of view in some time. I know that is a very biased opinion, but I prefer more athletic golf shoes rather than traditional saddles or Dry Joy styles.
From a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the best here is how they broke down for me:
- Fit: 1/10
- Comfort: 7/10
- Materials/Build: 8/10
Not a horrible shoe if you don’t mind how they fit?
What made these receive a “1” for fit? Which might not ever be achievable again in the history of a shoe? First, I do realize I could size up and or buy a different width. But I believe without knowing the fit of this shoe why would I an owner of over 30 pairs of Nike Golf shoes alone buy anything but my standard size 10? The upper that is predominately flynkit was RUINED by Nike. This shoe has flyknit that feels anything but. It is stiff and not soft like flyknit should be. I understand that these are stiff largely due to the flyknit being waterproof. However, why do these shoes need to fit so narrow in the toe box?
The size 10 which is generally a nice comfortable size with some room in the toe for me felt like my toes and forefoot were being strangled. I’ll be honest I couldn’t even keep them on the try to break them in without pain. It was almost unbearable. I would highly recommend buying these in wide and a half size up. Underfoot they felt cushioned very well, but the platform was very stiff. And do not wear these on concrete walking downhill. They’re like Ice skates!
However, this is not even the worst part of the Nike shoe.
The worst part is the Achilles padding they introduced. They need to quickly dismiss it. It is so pronounced and uncomfortable It creates so much pressure on your heel that you feel like someone is pinching your Achilles.
I walked 9 holes in the Brooks Koepka colorway and took them off at the turn. My heels were both rubbed raw and my toes were so cramped It was unbelievable. These shoes were so appealing to my eye I had to try the second pair the black and grey pair. They felt the same but seemed to break-in easier in the house. Wore them to the range and took them off after 10 minutes. Toes falling asleep and the same heel issues. So extremely disappointed.
Nike, if you read this, the design is top-notch. The tech is top-notch. But, the fit is the worst of any Nike golf shoe I have tried in my 20 years of wearing your shoes. No, I didn’t return them because the sneakerhead in me has saved them for my collection. Pathetic huh? I hate them so much I had to collect them (insert palm to face emoji here).
Adidas new shoe the Code Chaos.
I’ll be honest the first iteration with the BOA was hideous. Mid-cut golf shoes that one would only dare to wear with pants. When Adidas released the low version, I was not sold on the design. The style was not the most appealing to my eye. However, after failing with anything Nike and even New Balance I decided to give the Code chaos lows a go. Now, why not try these shoes or all of these shoes on before I buy them? Well, I live in a city where the premier golf shoes are Oregon Mudders.
When unboxing the Adidas the first thing I noticed was how lightweight they felt. I have many Adidas Boost shoes in my collection and the one issue I have always had was they always felt a bit unstable. These being modeled as a running shoe for the course I was nervous how Adidas would interpret this a boost athletic golf shoe. When I put them on my feet it was like I had found water after walking in a hot desert for days. Pure comfort right out of the box.
From a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the best here is how they broke down for me:
- Fit: 8/10
- Comfort: 10/10
- Materials/Build: 8/10
The Adidas fit is excellent. Very comfortable, maybe a tad too narrow in the toes for some.
Maybe go up .5 if you have a very wide foot. The comfort I’ll come back to. The materials are some kind of fuse style overlay that hugs your foot without being restrictive. The outsole is full of boost and has stability built-in that wraps the sides of the foot. ZERO stability concerns. Traction being spike less was excellent. They feel much more grounded than Nikes spikeless shoes. The best part about the fit was the heel. Adidas did not add any gimmicky Achilles padding just a great fit. I experienced zero irritation and zero slipping.
I didn’t even need to tie them very tight. Well done Adidas. The comfort though is where I was WOWED. I took them out of the box and walked 18 holes in them. I played a rather undulated course as well and zero pains, no hot spots, and the cushioning was plush but just the right amount. My feet were happy and comfortable. When I got home and relaxed, I experienced zero-foot pain. This was the first time since I started walking where my feet didn’t ache and feel sore after 18.
In conclusion.
Although not as attractive (to me) as the Nike Infinity Tours the Adidas Code Chaos walk all over the Nikes. If you’re searching for the perfect walking performance golf shoe in the industry and Foot Joys don’t fit your feet like me. Try the Adidas Code Chaos. You will not be disappointed.
They are currently on sale and worth the money:
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