My “go to” golf shoe company, TRUE Linkswear, came out with two new shoes recently that have me beyond giddy.

Maybe it’s sad that I get all too excited about a golf shoe, but the truth is I’ve been waiting for TRUE to go back to what made them so famous. The Outsider shoe instantly took me back to a time when TRUE was all about comfort. End of story. Even though there was not a lot of people rushing to the store and knocking over the shelves to get a pair of TRUES when they first started out, the truth is they were comfortable as hell. You’ve heard me state it many times, I still wear a pair of the Sensi, and I’d argue with anyone about the near perfection comfort you find in that shoe.

It’s a cliche used too often to describe a reawakening

But, for this story, it’s hard to find a more fitting cliche. TRUE has indeed gone back to their roots. They even went as far as leaving the desert of Arizona and relocating to the North West. The cool, damp air has certainly done them some good. The two new shoes, the OUTSIDER, and the ORIGINAL are a testament to the companies creed which they proudly display as often as possible “ENJOY THE WALK.”

TRUE Linkswear OUTSIDER

If you were to fill a room with a hundred people who have all worn TRUE Linkswear shoes and ask them their main issue with the shoe and I can almost guarantee 90% of the responses would be durability.

With the new shoes, you can see, almost instantaneously they’ve taken that criticism to heart and have addressed the problem with success. The OUTSIDER has so much of what TRUE Linkswear is about but, it’s so vastly different from anything they have put out in years!

The first thing that caught my eye was the leather on the out shell of the shoe. It just felt impressive. There are so many types of leather out there nowadays you have no idea where it’s manufactured. It could be some of the most beautiful Italian leather handmade in a factory in the hills of Itay or from Jimmy’s trunk down on 5th street. Synthetics, hybrids, genuine, the list goes on and on. For the most part, you can tell the quality of a leather product from the second you lay your paws on it, and that’s exactly how I knew TRUE Linkswear had stepped up their game the second I opened up the box.

Zero Drop vs. Traditional

The OUTSIDER differs from other TRUE spikeless shoes in the fact they are NOT a ZERO DROP shoe. TRUE calls them a “Traditional Drop” (4-6mm) vs. their typical Zero Drop which is, you guessed it, 0mm. What does all that mean? It means if you’ve been wearing a Zero Drop TRUE Linkswear shoe for any amount of time these will feel like high heels! OK, that’s a bit of a stretch, but you can tell a difference between the two shoes. The Outsiders will eliminate some of the “feel” you experience with a Zero Drop shoe but in no way does it sacrifice performance or comfort.

The OUTSIDER, which are quite flexible, with the traditional drop will offer more stability than TRUE’s other shoe they released, the ORIGINAL (more on the ORIGINAL later).

The fit is near perfect. As a comparison with Nike and Under Armour I wear an 8 1/2. With the TRUE’s though I’ve found an 8 is the ideal size for me. Take that into consideration when making your purchase.

A new approach to enjoying the walk

I mentioned the leather earlier, and it’s a significant part of the shoe construction.

First off I’ll point out the leather looks fantastic. You can tell by sight that it’s a quality material. The pattern TRUE uses along with the stitching, make it an incredibly appealing shoe.

Crazy Waterproof

TRUE Linkswear also incorporated the inner “sock” to the OUTSIDER which adds to the new approach I referred to earlier. TRUE has taken an active stance on waterproofing. I’m willing to bet the move to the Pacific North West has a lot to do with it!

Aside from the full grain leather TRUE has implemented a sympatex waterproof booty. This breathable material is located on the inside of the sock liner and takes the waterproofing to an entirely new level.

TRUE wasn’t done creating a fantastic waterproof shoe. Lastly, they added a Scotchguard powered Defender Repellant system. The repellant helps wick away water and oils to improve the waterproofing capabilities as well as preventing stains from forming.

The list of features and benefits from their website is impressive:

With all these added features and benefits the shoe is a huge upgrade from the previous version from TRUE Linskwear. And I was a huge fan of their older releases aside from the durability issues I’ve mentioned earlier.

Because of the history of long-term durability with TURE’s in the past, I’ve held off on this review. I wanted to spend more time than usual in the shoes and find out if TRUE had been able to work on the durability issues.

First off though, let’s get some performance feedback

The first time I put on the new OUTSIDER I was beyond impressed. Going to the traditional shoe was a new venture for TRUE. Showing they can go beyond the norm had hurt them in the past, but they nailed this version. I put them on (after taking pictures first this time! ref: TRUE Review), and I didn’t take them off the entire day, and I wasn’t golfing! Tragic, I know. I was though, fully engaged in house chores that had me up and running on my feet all day long.

Afterwards, I couldn’t believe how damn good my feet felt. My real job has me on my feet 90% of the day, and I go through running shoes like mad. I don’t mind dropping $75-$80 on a pair of Nike from the outlet store because I know how comfortable they are and I know I’m going to get a good 10-12months of life out of them.

I instantly thought the same way in regards to the OUTSIDER. They were incredibly comfortable and had me eager to get on the course to see how they did in real life golf activities. But before I even attempted that scenario I threw this question out to my Instagram followers after my first day of wearing the shoes in a non-golf environment.

On the course

My expectations were pretty high considering what had already taken place at home and the practice range. But with an open mind in I headed out to the course and put the OUTSIDERS in play.

I’m glad I waited to post this review. Not only has the OUTSIDER become my go-to shoe, but they look as good today as the first time I wore them. Their defender repellant works, plain and simple. I’ve yet to experience any waterproof testing; I may have to go to my water hose in the backyard to analyze that aspect of the shoe. We’re currently running at 111 consecutive days without measurable precipitation. It is a desert after all.

I couldn’t have been any more impressed the first outing. The comfort maintained the entire round, and you just can’t argue with the looks of the shoe. At least I cant. Others may not be a fan of this more traditional shoe from TRUE, but I am a fan.

An unfortunate error on my part

The next time I tee’d it up, it was an early morning round, and I found honestly the only gripe I’ve had, and it involved the grip. I had been so happy with the OUTSIDER up until this point I ignored the rule of thumb about moring rounds. The grass is typically wet from watering, and there will be some traction issues. Even with the more aggressive tread on the OUTSIDER, I found myself slipping on aggressive swings and falling out of the shot. It invoked a text chat with a fellow blogger who’s a fan TRUE’s as well.

Other than that small mistake by yours truly, the OUTSIDER has been a phenomenal shoe. But, it wasn’t until I literally “ENJOYED THE WALK” a few weeks later at The Las Vegas Country Club with Andrew that I fully understood just how much I appreciated the shoes.

Enjoy the walk. It’s more than a catchy marketing phrase.

It was the first round I had walked since July of 2016 when we went to Cabot. We walked 72 holes at the Cliffs and Links courses that trip. I made a huge mistake, as some of you may recall. I wore a pair of shoes that did not bring any Joy to my Foot. The round at The Las Vegas Country Club though was a special one for me because for the first time since I started playing golf again back in 2009 I walked a course and carried my bag. No golf carts, no pushcarts, and no caddy. Just me and my bag.

The weather was unseasonably warm which added to the drama. The sun was hammering down on my black TRUE’s with hostility. I was nervous. The anticipation of walking a round of golf, in Vegas, in the heat had my anxiety climbing. Worse case I collapsed midway through, get rushed to the hospital, and I’m the butt of endless jokes from my golfing partner in crime.

But, as the round progressed I started enjoying it more and more. We made the turn, and I felt great. The weather was a non-issue and the walk, out at LVCC is a damn good one. We had a blast that day, and the furthest thing on my mind was how my feet felt. Later on that night I was sure to have some leg cramps of some sort, but that wasn’t the case. It was the best I’ve felt after round, let alone after walking, in a long time.

The OUTSIDER was PHENOMENAL. I can completely understand why Ryan Moore has been wearing these on tour lately. So much comfort and some much performance in one shoe.

Three months later I think the proof of a changed TRUE Linkswear is evident

There have been about five occasions going back over the last several months where my everyday shoes just won’t fit in with what I’m wearing out. Now I’m a t-shirt and jeans guy through and through but sometimes the evening calls for a step up in attire. You know, like jeans and golf polo. Haha. My wife’s holiday party is the perfect example. It’s a casual setting, and I wore my OUTSIDER knowing I was going to be standing a lot and talking with her co-workers.

Style and comfort and there wasn’t one person that had any clue I was wearing golf shoes. I followed that up with a recital for my daughter’s choir. Then, this past weekend I wore them out for a company get together for my job. They are pretty much the perfect shoe. Not only for the course and the practice range but real life, outside of golf, activities as well.

Still to this day the shoes look great. The tread is holding up so much better than past models, and I struggle with going to any other shoe in my closet when picking out a pair for that day’s round of golf.

The OUTSIDER is one of the latest shoes on the market you should consider checking out.

The OUTSIDER sells for $169.00. And can be bought directly from the TRUE Linkswear WEBSITE. There has been a lot of changes to their site, and it has a ton of information about the shoes. They also have started selling gear again so be sure to check out that page as well.

The most prominent change, aside from the new designs, of course, is how active they have become on social media. Their Instagram page has been excellent since the resurgence, and it’s been a blast to follow. Be sure to check out their other social accounts too. Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Up next is the ORIGINAL

I was blown away by the OUTSIDER; then I played a round of golf in the ORIGINAL…

Wow, that’s all I can say until you read that review later on this month.