Review – adidas adizero Golf Shoe

Written By: Tony Covey (@GolfSpy T)

I had tried on a few pair. I was even stupid enough to convince myself that a pair I liked (except for the part where they made my feet hurt) would be fine once I got them on the course (they weren’t). With a broad selection of good-looking, non-blistering shoes available from other brands, I was finished with adidas. I swore at them, then I swore them off, and then I was done.

And I would have stayed done too if the FedEx guy hadn’t dropped a pair of puremotion golf shoes on my doorstep last season.

It turns out the more casually-styled, spikeless puremotion was flawlessly comfortable and required absolutely zero break-in period. Maybe I only hate spiked adidas golf shoes.

Fast-forward to January of this year and the FedEx guy is dropping off another box (a very huge box) of adidas shoes. The new adizero golf shoe shipped suspended in what I still say is a promotional fish tank, designed to convey the message that the adizero is so close to weightless it basically floats. At least that’s what I got out of it anyway.

I sized up the adizeros, and despite my general appreciation for the aesthetics of the design (I like yellow), I took one look at what certainly looked like a very narrow toebox, and said to myself, “These are never going to work”. I shot a few pics, and that would have been the end of it, but with the 2013 PGA Show (and a few rounds of golf) right around the corner, I figured what the hell, I’ll bring ’em along, wear them for 3 or 4 miserable holes, and then I’d go back to hating adidas spiked golf shoes – and justifiably so.

The Marketing Angle

Before we get into what I think, let’s take a quick look at some of the things adidas wants you to know about the adizero.

• The lightest ten-cleated men’s tour shoe (10.6 oz) we’ve ever created that helps to reduce fatigue down the stretch.
• Microfiber leather SPRINTSKIN™ upper for superior-fitting comfort.
• Internal SPRINTWEB™  TPU layer for unrivaled upper stability during lateral movements.
• Revolutionary thin (1.2mm) PeBAX SPRINTFRAME™ lightweight 93.4oz) outsole provides optimal performance and support.
• 10-spike configuration with THINTECH® low-profile technology for improved traction and stability.
• Two insoles to maximize performance, the FitFOAM® sockliner provides the best comfort while the CLOUDFOAM™ insole provides the best lightweight cushioning with every step.
• New, anatomical last specially-developed to provide optimal foot roll and movement throughout the swing.

Style

Stylistically the adizero was a pretty easy sell for me. In my younger days I played a lot of soccer, and wore a lot of adidas boots. Visually the adizero remind me a bit of the Predator boots I used to wear, so there was an instant, nostalgic connection.

I also liked that the low profile adizero sits closer to the ground than most traditional golf shoes. While we’re certainly not talking about what you’d call a barefoot platform, the design strikes a balance between spikeless barefoot designs, and traditionally heavy cleated designs. If you like the idea of being more connected with the ground, but don’t want to give the the stability of a traditional golf shoe, the adizero provides a rare zero-compromise, compromise.

The yellow colorway adidas sent me is the toughest of the options to match with any regularity, but with an all black option, along with grey/graphite, and gray white options (and of course the limited edition Season Opener Green), there’s likely an option to fit the look you’re going for.

The big picture takeaway here is that the adizero offer enough style to tickle the edge of trendy, but aren’t so over-the-top that more conservative, traditional types, might be turned off.

Score: 23/25

Comfort

I’ll admit to being intrigued the first time I slipped the adizeros on my feet. Apart from being relatively comfortable, it’s impossible not to notice the weight, or lack thereof. Conceptually I think we all understand that 10.6 ounces (well less than a pound) is relatively light, but if you’ve been stomping around in normal golf shoes, or most normal people shoes, the differences between 10.6 ounces and what you’re probably wearing is absolutely astounding.

The best analogy I can draw goes back to my college days. I was a senior at Binghamton University when an Outback Steakhouse opened just a few miles from campus. I ordered a soda, which arrived in a thick, hefty-looking mug. I wasn’t conscious of at the time, but the mind is constantly taking in information, and doing calculations and whatnot. Without me even realizing it, my mind had calculated the reasonable force necessary to lift the mug full of soda to my mouth, or at least close enough where I could get my mouth on the straw.

My mind’s math…it’s solid, and everything would have gone smoothly had the mug been made of the heavy glass it looked to be. As it turns out, the mug was actually made of lightweight plastic, and so my subconscious head math result in a force factor well beyond what was necessary for the task at hand, however; had the goal been to toss soda all over my shirt, well…execution would have been flawless.

As it turns out, apart from the soda-soaked shirt, the experience I had walking around in the adizero for the first time wasn’t much different. Initially I found myself lifting my feet much higher than I needed to. My mind was expecting the shoes to provide a certain amount of resistance, and when they didn’t, I found myself stomping around the house like I was wearing Kitten Mittens. Eventually the mind catches on, and once it does, you probably won’t want to go back to heavy shoes.

Lightweight, most unfortunately, isn’t the same as comfortable, so let me remind you how I thought this comfort thing was going to go down. I’d wear the adizero for 3 or 4 holes. Hopefully I’d get them off my aching feet before there was any broken skin or blood. I’d slip on something more comfortable, and we’d never speak of the miserable experience again. That was the expectation, and so that was the plan.

Much to my surprise I made it through 9 holes without issue. And then I made it through 9 more. I was pretty convinced that despite the narrow-looking toebox, I didn’t hate adidas spiked golf shoes anymore.

At the PGA Show I had a chance to chat with adidas Golf’s Dr. Manager, Global Product, Davide Mattucci. He explained that despite the narrow appearance, the adizero was built on a 15% wider last that the Tour 360. The point is that while the adizero may look insanely narrow, they’re actually wider than the previous generation of adidas tour golf shoes.

Before leaving Florida for the snow covered fairways of the Northeast, I played just short of 36 holes with the MyGolfSpy staff. Once again the adidzero Tour proved flawlessly comfortable.

That was cart golf. The real test would come after the snow melted when I’d have a chance to walk the hilly terrain of my home course.

The Walking Test

The front 9 of my home course is exceptionally hilly. Even if you play the center of the fairway you’re walking up and down, and along the side of hills. If there’s even a slight problem with a golf shoe, the terrain will amplify it. Nobody is going to drink your milkshake, but there most definitely will be blood.

I made the mistake of leaving the house without my backup shoes in my bag, so if the adizeros let me down I’d probably finish the round barefoot. As it turned out, the adizeros made it through the front 9 without leaving a mark on my feet. The more level back 9 would be a breeze, and despite some misadventures into parts of the golf course no man should have to navigate on foot, the adidas adizero Tour golf shoe passed the walking comfort test with flying colors (most yellow).

Realistically, no traditional (spiked) golf shoe is going to offer the slipper-like feel of a True Linkswear, but if you’re looking for more comfort than you might otherwise expect from a mostly-traditional golf shoe, the adizero Tour absolutely delivers – and they’re getting more comfortable with every round.

Score: 27/30

Performance

The headline for performance isn’t much different than the comfort headline. It’s all about weight. My take is that if you’re the kind of guy who spends the better part of a round of golf with his ass glued to a golf cart, there’s probably not much benefit to be had simply from a lighter golf shoe. If as a rider, knocking a few ounces off the shoes makes it easier to get through a round of golf, may I politely suggest you’re doing it wrong.

For the rest of us, however. For the guys who prefer to walk because it’s good exercise, or it allows you to see more of the course, or it gives you more time to talk with your buddies, or even if you walk because you’re too damn cheap to pay the cart fee; whatever your reasons, the reduced weight of the adizero reduces fatigue, and that certainly has the potential to reduce your score.

As a guy who walks 95% of the time (99% on my home course), I have certain expectations about the first few rounds of the spring. I spend the winter being fat and lazy, and the consequence of that is that it generally takes me several rounds to work up to a comfortable 18. That’s not to say I don’t play 18, it just means I’m completely gassed by 12, and then 15, and so it goes until eventually I can get through 18 without being winded.

I know the weight reduction matters because this year, despite an exceptionally fat and lazy winter, I wasn’t gassed until 17, and by my 2nd 18 holes of the year, I wasn’t gassed until after my 2nd beer in the clubhouse.

The adizero is a fantastic shoe for the devout walker who still wants traditional golf shoe stability and traction.

The other performance stuff, durability, waterproof-ness, it’s really too soon to say. The core stuff, traction, stability, etc., the adizero offers as much as any traditional golf shoe I’ve ever worn, and that’s really all you can reasonably expect.

Score: 29/30

Value

Whatever it is, it’s worth whatever you’re willing to pay for it right? Some may see only the $180 price tag and decide the adizero are overpriced. Let me drop some life wisdom on you. There are plenty of situations in this world where you can save a few bucks and come out none the worse for wear. That said, in addition to never trying to save yourself money by purchasing steeply discounted beef in bulk, two places in this world where a man shouldn’t cut corners because of price; underwear and footwear. Your comfort is priceless.

And even if you don’t have the good sense not to skimp on comfort, when you consider that it’s still not unusual for a pair of golf shoes to cost upward of $300, $180 for a lightweight, comfortable, performance golf shoe…it’s still a relative bargain.

Score: 14/15

Final Thoughts

As I mentioned above, the adidas adizero presents an intriguing compromise for the golfer who want something that puts him a bit more in touch with the ground, but isn’t ready to give up the traction and stability of a traditional golf shoe. While the adizero doesn’t offer the walking on clouds comfort of a TRUE Linkswear, the ultralight design reduces a substantial amount of fatigue for the walking golfer, and does so without compromising any aspect of performance.

At $180 the adizero is a relative bargain for a shoe that competes at the tour level, and is certainly worth trying on for anyone looking for innovative footwear that hasn’t wandered too far from the traditional elements of golf shoe design.

Score: 93/100

The adidas adizero is available in Black/White/Black,  Light Grey/White/Graphite, Running White/Black/Dark Silver Metallic, White/White/Vivid Yellow, and for a limited time, Running White/Running White/Island for a suggested retail price of $180.00. Medium and Wide widths available.

For more information visit adidasgolf.com.