As equipment reviewers, we often get a heads up in terms of what product is heading our way for testing, and when I checked out the Adidas Adicross GTX Spikeless golf shoe online, I wasn’t too sure what I thought! At first I wondered whether I had stumbled into the hiking section of the website, but once I realised I was in the right place I read on with intrigue...
Adidas admits in the product description that the shoe is very much hiking-inspired and when you think about it, why not? Winter golf isn’t dissimilar to hiking, covering long distances, up and down hills, often in inclement weather so why would the required footwear not be similar? I soon had high hopes that these could feature amongst the best winter golf shoes.
Once the shoes arrived at my house and I had them out of the box, the quality was immediately apparent and comparable to the best golf shoes on the market. For a shoe packed with tech and features, they weren’t too bulky or heavy which was really encouraging. I would be lying if I said I was immediately in love with the look, but I was certainly open minded to the performance after far too many soggy sock experiences over the years!
Starting with comfort, I was genuinely impressed here. I don’t know whether you would quite class these as a golf boot but they certainly creep higher up the ankle than a conventional shoe and I really enjoyed the stability this provided without in any way feeling restrictive. It did occur to me that anyone who suffers with any sort of ankle injury or instability could really see some benefit from this style of footwear on the course.
In terms of the walk, the Boost cushioning does its normal job of absorbing ground impact and leaving your feet feeling just as fresh as when you started, a feature among many of the best adidas golf shoes. I wouldn’t say there was anything unusual to note about the geometry of the sole at all, just a nice, comfortable base with no sign of any rubbing or discomfort.
The concept of a spikeless winter shoe was one that slightly concerned me initially, but that was soon alleviated with the GTX shoe. I tested these after a particularly heavy night of rain in North Devon and there was absolutely no sign of slippage from the Gripmore soles, even when navigating some fairly steep muddy slopes.
The main event of these shoes for me is their ability to withstand the elements in a very functional and comfortable way. The breathable Gore-Tex membrane does and exceptional job of keeping out all moisture, with the added bonus of not trapping your feet in a sweaty vacuum making them some of the best waterproof golf shoes I have tried. After a long day of golf in wet ground conditions, my golf socks were absolutely bereft of any moisture either from the ground or a clammy foot.
The Adicross GTX Spikeless golf shoe is a real warrior that will stand up to most anything you could throw at it, whilst still providing you with exceptional comfort. I’m still not 100 percent sold on the look, but they are growing on me, and the performance almost completely mitigates any misgivings I might have visually.
Put it like this, I know what I will be reaching for from the garage the next time I’m heading to the course in rough weather!
