Ecco Biom H4 2023 Golf Shoes Review
As you can see from our previous review of the Ecco H4 shoes, we were big fans so we wanted to see if this continued with the 2023 model. Has Ecco improved the design? Is the new model a candidate for one of the best golf shoes out right now? We tested them to find out.
From a styling perspective I have always liked the looks of the H4’s and this continues with the new design as well which features a number of new tweaks. It has a reworked upper which was mainly noticeable in two areas. In the toe it looks a touch slimmer whilst the tongue itself has been redesigned completely. I really liked the brown leather patch on the older model but this new tongue has a simpler finish that actually aids comfort (more on that later).
Overall I think it is a shoe that will suit a lot of people. It is visually appealing thanks to the combination of a simple aesthetic that also features some pops of color. It isn’t over the top and garish, but rather has subtlety to it. (Personally I also hope they do a special edition Henrik Stenson ‘Iceman’ version as well because they were very cool shoes!) On that note there are several nice colors to choose from and the grey/blue finish I tested really looks good.
Next I want to talk about the comfort on offer. The previous shoes weren’t the softest feeling underfoot and perhaps felt a bit more firm, but I didn’t feel like this was the case with the new model. They felt soft but not overly squishy and the tongue in particular was a new design element which felt comfortable over the top of my feet. Despite the sleeker toe design the shoes still offered room to move and yet the section towards the heel gave locked in comfort as well. In short, on one particularly long testing day these shoes felt excellent throughout and I didn't experience any painful rubbing or blisters which can often occur when taking new shoes out for a spin right from the box. Additionally, for those of you with wider feet, you can remove the insole to get a little more room which is a design feature we haven't seen on many models.
Moving on to grip and stability, I tested these shoes several times and in different conditions which allowed me to gauge performance here, and I was pleasantly surprised. The outsole itself gave very good grip and despite mud and sand gathering in each channel this didn’t seem to impact the grip and stability. In wet conditions the shoes also performed well and I found them to be reasonably easy to clean after too.
Speaking of wet conditions these shoes are 100% waterproof which I got to test in an absolute downpour. My feet were dry throughout thanks to the shoes uppers, which are crafted from premium, durable, and thin ECCO Performance Leather. This leather, which has a degree of water resistance to it, then gets treated with a GORE-TEX membrane to make the shoes completely waterproof. It is also worth noting this treatment makes them breathable too which was noticeable given I tested them all day on one occasion.
The only negative I could really think of for these shoes is that because of the distinct Ecco design, some people may be put off by that. I wasn’t, I think they look great, but the look may divide opinion. Also with Ecco it is worth noting on the website that they do European sizing so I would always recommend being aware of your specific US or UK size, and then convert it on their website to get the best size for you.
