Golf Apparel Review! – Kikkor Dress Sneaker

Kikkor Dress Sneaker Shoe Review

“Be yourself. Be Awesome. Kikkor Golf.”

(By: GolfSpy Matt) When even a super-traditional company like Footjoy is releasing a “street” shoe, you know it’s a pretty major trend. But who started it, you might ask? Best I can tell, the answer is James Lepp and his shoe company Kikkor Golf. Officially founded in April 2010, Kikkor Golf offers golf shoes that are unlike anything else out there. Is that difference a good thing or not? Read on, spies…

From the Manufacturer

Growing up as one of the more prominent junior and amateur players in the world, James Lepp always wondered why there wasn’t a golf shoe more geared towards the personal tastes of younger golfers. The only options at that time were shoes that made all players look like they were 50 years old. Shortly after winning the 2005 NCAA Individual Championship, James started exploring the idea of coming up with a new shoe brand targeted towards those long forgotten golfers. Finally, as a professional golfer in 2008, James utilized his business degree from the University of Washington as he started putting the pieces of Kikkor Golf together.

In April of 2010 Kikkor Golf was officially launched, offering customers a line of golf shoes that the market had never scene. The shoes were funky, different, young, fresh, and most of all, comfortable. Those same roots carried over to the 2011 lineup as well; however, the 2011 product offering is much more thorough, offering golfers many different looks from skate to retro runner styles.

While the rest of the industry has been quick to follow suit in the alternative golf footwear category, Kikkor still distinguishes itself from its competitors by focusing on the ‘cool’ demographic rather than the ‘core’ demographic that other manufactures seem to love. Not everybody likes to dress like a 50 year old. Kikkor will ALWAYS design shoes for those cool players.

STYLE

A lot of golf products come through my doors. Regardless of how excited I might be about them, the typical reaction from my better half is saying, “Cool,” without looking up. These shoes, however, elicited a legitimate, “Wow!” and commanded her full attention. That alone lets me know that Kikkor is on to something. It also tells me that they might be serious when they say Kikkor golfers attract all cart girls.

For my part, I love the style. I thought the shoes looked good in the pictures online, but they look great in person. While these are obviously not a traditional looking golf shoe, there’s no reason that they wouldn’t be appropriate to wear at a really nice course. They’re not loud, they’re just subtlely cooler than the shoes the other guy is wearing.

Since we’re talking about style, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the style of this company as a whole. If you’re a fan of theirs on Facebook, you’ve seen the fun videos that they produce and the frequent contests they offer. James and his company seem like they’re having tons of fun and I find that spirit contagious when I read their site or exchange emails with them.

Score: 20/20

COMFORT

When these came in for review, I was walking around my house in my slippers. I immediately popped them off so that I could walk around in the Kikkors. This is when the nerves in my feet got confused, and started asking questions: “Hey, didn’t you just put on golf shoes? Shouldn’t golf shoes feel different than slippers? Shouldn’t we be uncomfortable right now?”

Right out of the box, these are the most comfortable golf shoes I’ve EVER worn. This feeling did not change a bit as I broke them in. My only complaint is that, by comparison, everything else feels pretty mediocre now.

Score: 25/25

PERFORMANCE

In evaluating the Kikkor’s performance, the first thing that should be noted is the lack of removable spikes. While a number of companies are introducing shoes like this, many golfers have reservations about traction and the longevity of the shoe. James Lepp responded to my question about the design: “Removing the spike system allows us to produce a better shoe in many facets – more comfort, lower profile, better look, and performance wise we get the player much lower to the ground producing increased feel and stability. The drawback is obviously that they will wear out over time. But hey, when you wear them out you can wear them out.”

With regard to traction, I did not notice any difference between the Kikkors and traditional golf spikes. I wore them on mats, in grass, in sand, wet & dry, and it was all good. Over the course of my recent golf trip I was alternating between Kikkors and another pair of shoes with brand new Stinger spikes and I couldn’t tell the difference. Traction is not a problem.

As for durability, I’ve played 108 holes in my Kikkors, went to the range half a dozen times, and walked all around parking lots, clubhouses, restaurants, etc. I can’t see any wear at all. I tried to take pictures to show the difference. If you can’t see any difference in the pictures, that is, for once, not a reflection of my lousy photography skills. These shoes will last at least one full season of regular play, if not more.

Now, Kikkor says that part of the benefit of removing the spikes is to bring the golfer closer to the ground. This is absolutely noticeable and I love it. I feel like I have a better sense of balance and it’s simply more comfortable to me. While there were certainly other variables at work, my best ball striking days were the days when I wore my Kikkors.

Last quick point on performance: waterproofing. I wore the Kikkors in heavy morning dew, in the rain, and even for a quick, unintentional dunk in a mud puddle. Result? My feet were bone dry.

Conclusion: the Kikkors perform. You can argue about replaceable spikes, but these shoes are going to keep you dry, close to the ground, and firmly planted.

Score: 20/20

VALUE

The Kikkor Dress Sneaker costs $135. This is a pretty fair price, right in the middle of the market. If they had removable spikes, it would be a no brainer A+. As much as I appreciate the reasons for why the spikes are not replaceable, I know that it will be a hang up for many people and it does decrease the shoe’s life as a golf shoe. On the other hand, if you like the style of the shoe, you will likely wear them after the spikes are gone. Overall, I think the value is a solid A even without replaceable spikes.

Score: 18/20

THE PEANUT GALLERY

The Peanut Gallery offered a variety of opinions on the Kikkor Dress Sneaker. As expected, those who like a very traditional shoe said that this was not their cup of tea, but those who like a less traditional shoe said that the Kikkor was among the best they’ve seen. Our PGA Pro/Triathlete immediately noticed, with approval, how minimal the sole was. As a teacher, he has some of his students practice barefoot so that they can get a better sense of balance, and he noted that these would be the type of shoe he would recommend to them. He was also the only one to try on the Kikkors, and he did agree that they were very comfortable.

Score: 13/15

CONCLUSION

I think by this point it should be clear that I am a big fan of these shoes. They will be the first ones that I reach for every time that I go golfing. The performance is excellent in terms of waterproof-ness, traction, and the durability of the non-replaceable spikes. The biggest plus for these shoes, however, is the comfort. If you are in the market for new golf shoes, you definitely need to check out Kikkor.

Score: 96/100