Review: ECCO Street Golf Shoes
Nothing better than the real thing
Spikeless shoes are become all the rage in golf. Just about every golf shoe company now has some version of them. The first real shoe to gain popularity is the ECCO Street shoe worn and made popular by Freddie Couples. While these shoes have been on the market now for over a year, they have been in such high demand that ECCO didn’t have many left for review. So maybe you are like me and have been curious about these shoes for a while, but just haven’t taken the plunge yet, well let me say, they are popular for a reason. The real deals, ECCO Street Golf Shoes are really good.
After playing almost all my rounds in 2011 with some version of spikeless shoes, I see no reason to go back to spikes. Spikeless shoes are more comfortable, grip just as well, and can be worn off the course. Add to that I play and walk 70 rounds in a season and my spikeless shoes have yet to wear down to the point of replacement why wear spikes that have to be replaced at least once a season.
The ECCO Street shoes have a distinct look to them; many will say they are skateboard like shoes. But they do look nice and come in a variety of colors from ECCO. I was asked why the bright soles? It is clearly a TV marketing ploy so that when you see Freddie wearing them or another PGA pro wearing them you immediately know they are ECCO streets. I personally love the bright colors and think it is a great idea. My review shoes are black leather uppers with a bright yellow/orange sole.
The first round out of the box is always interesting. I never know what to expect. The shoes are not broken in and how will they work or will there be a strange rub spot on my foot. But from day 1 these have been very comfortable. They are comfortable, yet offer some support. I own a couple other pairs of spikeless shoes that are great, but are almost too minimalist. The ECCOs are just the right balance of comfort and support.
I now have over 10 rounds in with the ECCO streets and I still love to wear them, I even wear them when I’m not golfing. They are very comfortable right out of the box. Sizing is interesting being that they are a European based company so they use that system which puts most men in the 40s. Now I should be a 43 according to the American equivalent, but after trying them on, I am clearly a 42, and even that is right on the edge, the 41s were just a bit too tight. So just be aware of sizing, that you really need to try them on to make sure you get the right size, not just the equivalent size. They also don’t come in widths, but the nature of these shoes does offer some space in the fore foot even if you do have a little bit wider foot. But if you have very wide feet, you might be out of luck with ECCOs.
The only feature that will scare off customers is that these shoes are not waterproof. The softer camel leather lacks treatment and so there is no waterproof guarantee. That being said, I did play a dew sweeper round in them. They did not leak or seemingly absorb the water. They were damp to the touch, but my socks stayed dry. I would guess that you might need a back-up pair of shoes for real rainy conditions. A little dew or a light mist will be fine, but serious rain will probably get your feet wet.
I’m impressed and can understand why they have not been the easiest shoe to get. The ECCO street shoes are very comfortable, grip the turf excellently and can be worn off the course. So while other companies are trying to catch up and create their imitation of the street why not just get the real thing, there is nothing better than the original.
For more information: www.ecco.com
Quick Hits
+Comfortable
+Excellent for walking
+Non-slip spikeless soles
+Wear off the course
--Not Waterproof
Spikeless shoes are become all the rage in golf. Just about every golf shoe company now has some version of them. The first real shoe to gain popularity is the ECCO Street shoe worn and made popular by Freddie Couples. While these shoes have been on the market now for over a year, they have been in such high demand that ECCO didn’t have many left for review. So maybe you are like me and have been curious about these shoes for a while, but just haven’t taken the plunge yet, well let me say, they are popular for a reason. The real deals, ECCO Street Golf Shoes are really good.
After playing almost all my rounds in 2011 with some version of spikeless shoes, I see no reason to go back to spikes. Spikeless shoes are more comfortable, grip just as well, and can be worn off the course. Add to that I play and walk 70 rounds in a season and my spikeless shoes have yet to wear down to the point of replacement why wear spikes that have to be replaced at least once a season.
The ECCO Street shoes have a distinct look to them; many will say they are skateboard like shoes. But they do look nice and come in a variety of colors from ECCO. I was asked why the bright soles? It is clearly a TV marketing ploy so that when you see Freddie wearing them or another PGA pro wearing them you immediately know they are ECCO streets. I personally love the bright colors and think it is a great idea. My review shoes are black leather uppers with a bright yellow/orange sole.
The first round out of the box is always interesting. I never know what to expect. The shoes are not broken in and how will they work or will there be a strange rub spot on my foot. But from day 1 these have been very comfortable. They are comfortable, yet offer some support. I own a couple other pairs of spikeless shoes that are great, but are almost too minimalist. The ECCOs are just the right balance of comfort and support.
I now have over 10 rounds in with the ECCO streets and I still love to wear them, I even wear them when I’m not golfing. They are very comfortable right out of the box. Sizing is interesting being that they are a European based company so they use that system which puts most men in the 40s. Now I should be a 43 according to the American equivalent, but after trying them on, I am clearly a 42, and even that is right on the edge, the 41s were just a bit too tight. So just be aware of sizing, that you really need to try them on to make sure you get the right size, not just the equivalent size. They also don’t come in widths, but the nature of these shoes does offer some space in the fore foot even if you do have a little bit wider foot. But if you have very wide feet, you might be out of luck with ECCOs.
The only feature that will scare off customers is that these shoes are not waterproof. The softer camel leather lacks treatment and so there is no waterproof guarantee. That being said, I did play a dew sweeper round in them. They did not leak or seemingly absorb the water. They were damp to the touch, but my socks stayed dry. I would guess that you might need a back-up pair of shoes for real rainy conditions. A little dew or a light mist will be fine, but serious rain will probably get your feet wet.
I’m impressed and can understand why they have not been the easiest shoe to get. The ECCO street shoes are very comfortable, grip the turf excellently and can be worn off the course. So while other companies are trying to catch up and create their imitation of the street why not just get the real thing, there is nothing better than the original.
For more information: www.ecco.com
Quick Hits
+Comfortable
+Excellent for walking
+Non-slip spikeless soles
+Wear off the course
--Not Waterproof
