Review: Kikkor Tour Pro Golf Shoes

Break out the cool

Big Break star James Lepp has been making Kikkor Golf shoes for a number of years now, and they continue to gain in popularity especially as his fame grew as a result of his runner-up status from the TV show. I’ve had a couple of pairs of Kikkors that are almost starting to wear out I use them so much. The new Tour Pro golf shoes actually combines my two favorite factors from the shoes I already have. The black VEKTRboard outsole with the white lightweight, waterproof uppers. When I want to break out the cool, I just grab my Kikkor and go; golfing or not.

Kikkor has been built around a fun, street style, spikeless shoe platform that morphs into different colors and styles. While the Tour Pros aren’t wild, they are cool. They are much lighter than my Kikkor Tennys. They are also narrower, not yet a narrow shoe size, but just not as wide as the Tennys. Because of the spikeless sole and great style, these shoes get plenty of non-golf use too. They make for a great casual shoe to wear with jeans or khakis.

I think the VEKTRboard sole is the best spikeless sole made by any company. It simply grips the best, yet feels flush when you walk on solid surfaces. I think it grips as close to real spikes as you can get. The asymmetrical design works perfectly for the swing, since it was designed to engage when pressure was applied, especially laterally. Each “wedge” grabs the ground and really secures your foot down. But since it is a series of wedges and not spikes or nubs, they don’t seem to collect dirt either. I liked this outsole on my Kikkor “New Heights” shoes and love it just as much in the Tour Pro shoes.

The insoles again comes with 2 options: a thicker and thinner one. This is done so that narrower feet fit the same shoe as a wider foot. While it might not be perfect nor will it fit everyone, it certainly allow many more to get a comfortable, snug fit. The main body of the shoe is quality waterproof leather. They are plenty supple right out of the box, and mold to your feet as you put the miles on them. They do fit a little on the smaller side size wise so if you wear a 9.5 like I do, you need to get a size 10; so adjust accordingly.

On the course these shoes shine like pros. They are comfortable right out of the box and 18 wasn’t even the slightest problem, I probably could have walked 36 the very first day I got them. Since then I’ve put on numerous rounds and they still feel great. Like most shoes they even get better with time and fit your foot to bend the way you walk. I can’t say these needed a break in time, but they are even better now.

One of my negatives with the Kikkor shoes was their weight, their Tennys were very heavy shoes. While the style and durability was great, they just were a bit heavy that seemed to be noticeable when walking 36 in a day. The Tour Pro shoes are much lighter, which really make them great for walking all day long on or off the course. While they are lighter, they don’t seem any less stable or durable. I think the improved outsole and lighter uppers are a better fit for more golfers especially walkers. The “Koosh” heel area offers nice shock absorption too. It just adds to the pleasure of walking in these shoes.

If you want to break out of your traditional spiked golf shoe, there are lots of options, but I think Kikkors are one of the coolest. They are reasonably priced and offer many great features with right out of the box comfort. If you want to break out the cool, put your Kikkors on and go play some golf.

For more information: www.kikkor.com

Quick Hits
+VEKTRboard outsole is grippy
+Spikeless on or off the course use
+Comfortable right out of the box
+Waterproof uppers
+Dual insoles for width adjustment

-Limited store presence