Lately I’ve been searching for a performance golf shoe.
My idea of performance is something that enhances your swing.
I like to be stylish… but I like to be competitive more.
That said, I really like the look of the classic golfer… nicely dressed. However, golf is a sport, not a dinner party or an office setting.
Let’s get real – you don’t see Peyton Manning wearing business shoes on the football field.
Golfers should expect more from shoe companies. Golf is an athletic sport.
Golf shoes should:
- Be light
- Be comfortable to wear
- Be durable and last many rounds in many conditions
- Grip that works in all environments from sand to morning dew
- Have a toebox that allows proper use of your feet during the swing
Business golf shoes are dinosaurs. Great to wear out to dinner, but not as good as they could be in terms of performance.
With the above in mind, I decided to give the Oakley Cipher a test run..
First off, these shoes look fantastic.
I inspected them at Golf Galaxy…
Upon holding one shoe, I was pleasantly surprised at how light these shoes actually were. Lighter than I had imagined.
In fact, Oakley claims it is the lightest performance golf shoe ever made.
I believe them…
When you turn the shoe over and look at the bottom, you immediately notice the NanoSpikes.
What is a NanoSpike?
No cleats… think sand paper. Oakley even says these can be changed out when you wear them out. I also expect them to sell different kits if these shoes catch on.
WARNING: Do not wear these shoes on any wood floor, tile, or surface you care about. NanoSpikes will destroy and scratch any type of flooring.
Golf courses must hate Oakley. Let’s say they just put in a nice tile floor… you come rolling in with your NanoSpikes and grind and scratch it all up. Yeah…
Make sure you take off your shoes at your car or carry them with you to the locker room.
These are not walking about town shoes.
Other reviews on the Internet complained about the NanoSpikes actually falling out. These same reviews also said Oakley was very good about replacing the NanoSpikes.
My Oakley Cipher Field Test
Last week I was on a golf trip to Las Vegas and took along the Cipher’s.
The desert is a great place to test new shoes, especially when you add heat to the mix.
The terrain provides all kinds of options shoes must cope with.
One moment you may be standing in a bermuda grass rough or fairway… the next, rocks and sand.
In addition, it is still fairly warm in Las Vegas, and a shoe must be breathable to be comfortable.
When first slipping on the Cipher, I noticed that my heel was cupped and felt very solid. The toe box had plenty of room and the shoe felt great.
After taking a few steps, I couldn’t believe how light it was… this made me think back when I was a kid and had my first pair of golf shoes..
Heavy… stiff… my low back ached and my calves were tired after my first round walking. Oh how I wish they had these kind of shoes back then.
One more thing I noticed was how flat these shoes sat.. my heel was lower to the ground and my balance felt even.
I didn’t fight my bodies natural desire to stand flat footed in the Oakley’s. Fantastic!
I had been playing in Minimus New Balance shoes that are fairly flat. The grip is good and the shoe is ok, but the Oakley’s blew them away.
So how do they perform during shots?
The Cipher felt fantastic. The heel cup stabilized my backswing and the grip on the downswing was perfect. Not for one second did I ever consider having spikes.
In fact, I think the extreme comfort, light weight design, and overall performance is due to the fact traditional spikes were replaced by the new NanoSpikes.
Recommend?
Yes! I paid $130 on the Oakley website for the Cipher’s. It’s a bit higher than regular run of the mill shoes, but it was completely worth it to me.
Oakley does make another shoe, but it doesn’t have NanoSpikes or the extreme lightweight of the Cipher.
Chris
P.S. I’m reviewing the Sergio Adidas shoes next…
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