A while ago I tested the Municipal Origin shoe and I must admit, whilst it may not have been the best shoe for out and out golf use, it was comfortable and looked great. The main areas it needed to be improved were in grip, stability and waterproofing and it seems the brand heard this with the release of the Sportcross ATG (All-Terrain Golf) shoe. This is a shoe I was seriously excited to test because Mark Wahlberg, co-founder of the brand, was posting a lot of videos teasing the release over the last few months.
So after receiving a sample pair, how did they test? Well starting with the aesthetics, whilst they may divide opinion, I think the shoes offer a sporty, modern look without being totally over the top, especially in the all white finish I was testing. There are louder finishes, such as the Sporting Green and Ocean designs, but in white I loved the silhouette. The different materials blended together nicely and I actually liked the ‘Municipal’ written on the side, although I think the ‘M.Float’ writing on the outsole could be removed for a cleaner finish. Like many of the best golf sneakers, these will work well with shorts and joggers in the summer months, and after my testing they clearly perform in winter as well thanks to the other design elements I will get into shortly. The final aesthetic point is I liked the packaging, in particular the premium shoe bag the shoes come in, and the extra pair of laces.
Moving on, the next element I want to mention is comfort. Now Municipal nails its colors to the mast here saying ‘it’s headlined by our proprietary M.FLOAT Comfort System, which makes it the most comfortable golf shoe you’ll ever put on (if you have a pair of our Origin shoes, you know what we mean)’. I must say, I do know what the brand means. Provided you get the right size because the fit can be snug, these are right up there with some of the best on the market in terms of comfort. I didn’t feel any discomfort or rubbing during my testing and the feeling underfoot was the perfect middle ground of firm and soft. I don’t like shoes going too far one way or the other, but the ATG’s sat comfortably in the middle. Finally from a comfort standpoint I should mention these shoes are very lightweight indeed so wearing them for a long time was a breeze.
Next the grip and stability was solid thanks to the Tricluster Grip Technology. The tread of the spikeless shoe moved nicely but gripped the ground when I needed it to. I wasn’t a huge fan of the rubber fabric wrapping around the sides of the shoe but this was a minor point because the traction offered by the rubber was excellent. This also helped with waterproofing because these are 100% waterproof thanks to the Crossdry 360 waterproof membrane. Ultimately the combination of these elements make the ATG shoes versatile not just for golf, but also hiking and long walks too.
Overall Municipal seems to be making more noise in the world of golf recently and these shoes should continue that trend. I think the look of the shoe is really growing on me, especially in the all white design, whilst the grip and stability is solid. Waterproofing is a must for me and the ATG’s deliver nicely here, with the only negative being the lace fabric which can feel a touch scratchy to me. Then again I can easily change them so this isn’t a huge issue. It is worth saying it is very important to get the right size as well given how snug the fit can be here.
