There is a lot of cool gear in the golf equipment world that doesn’t always fit neatly into Most Wanted Tests or Buyer’s Guides. You still want to know how it performs. In our We Tried It series, we put gear to the test and let you know if it works as advertised.
What We Tried
adidas Tour360 22 BOA—the BOA (not for suckers) version of adidas’ 2022 flagship golf shoe.
Your Tour360 22 BOA Tester
Tony Covey. A chubby-footed BOA enthusiast who believes laces are for suckers and is super excited to finally get his hands or, I suppose, feet, on a pair of adidas golf shoes. It’s been a while.
adidas Tour360 22 Shoe Review
The adidas Tour360 22 was tested as part of our 2022 Buyer’s Guide. It was a strong performer (as we’ve come to expect from adidas) but the unusual spike design caused some confusion.
Spiked shoe? Spikeless? We had to use our “phone a friend.”
Spiked shoe. Final answer, Regis.
As far as your tech goes, the adidas Tour360 22 is fully loaded (as much as shoe can be). You get Boost foam, an INSITE sock liner and traction provided by massive SPIKEMORE cleats. My assumption is SPIKEMORE is the really big brother of the GRIPMORE which was an otherwise awesome and super comfortable adidas shoe with a single fatal design flaw.
Micro-Adjustable BOA Fit System
I’m not sure if you’re aware but there are actually a few different flavors of BOA. The Tour360 22 uses the micro-adjustable version of the system which is a more fine-tunable version of the BOA dial. It works in both directions so you can tighten in small increments or just crank it hard. Likewise, you can loosen in small increments by clicking in the opposite direction. You can also just pop it up to loosen everything in a hurry.
For the BOA uninitiated, let me give you a quick pros and cons list.
Pros
- BOA is awesome.
- Allows for super-quick tightening and loosening of your shoes
- Nobody ever tripped over a BOA.
- Lifetime warranty
- Not for suckers
Cons
- BOA adds to cost of the shoe: adidas gets a $40 premium. That’s on the high side with most others charging $30.
- Limited colorways: adidas offers only two options (white and black) in BOA compared to seven in the laced version (Boo, adidas. Boo).
- Not always available in wide sides, though I can say the same about laced (AKA: sucker) versions
How the shoes fit my slightly wide foot will be the focus of this review.
Slipping them on
Let’s start with the part where I sound like a cranky old bastard who doesn’t know how modern shoes work. The adidas Tour360 22 features the kind of design that strives to make it as difficult as possible to actually get your foot in the shoe which strikes me as an important aspect of wearing a shoe. Seriously, you might need some lube.
This isn’t strictly an adidas thing. PUMA does it too sometimes. We’re talking about a shoe that’s basically tongue-less with minimal give so don’t expect you’re just going to slip it on.
For what it’s worth, the opening loosens a bit after a few uses and I probably need to be more open to new ways of doing things.
As noted, the Tour360 22 BOA isn’t available in wide sizes, and while that’s not ideal, sometimes BOA versions fit wider so I was optimistic they’d work their way into my rotation, especially since I’m short on white shoes these days.
My Golf Shoe Theories
Before we get into the meaty part of this adidas Tour360 22 BOA review, I want to share a couple of my theories on golf shoes.
Theory 1: Golf shoes should be comfortable out of the box.
This is the internet so I know somebody is going to argue with me, so let me be clear. I’m not saying that it’s impossible to break in a new pair of shoes but, with about 2,000 options on the market, you should probably be able to find a pair that fits so well you don’t need to.
That said, I also understand that sometimes we like things so much that it’s worth taking a risk.
With the adidas Tour360 22 BOA, I initially experienced some minor discomfort in the heel but not so much that metaphorical alarm bells went off. Besides, the first time I wore them on the course, I had another pair of shoes in the bag just in case.
That’s a pro tip right there. If you’re wearing new golf shoes for the first time, unless you’re SUPREMELY confident in the comfort, throw a trusted pair in your bag.
I tested a pair of shoes without a backup pair once. Played the last four holes barefoot. Let that be a lesson to all of us.
Theory 2: I don’t care how smart you think you are; you don’t know anything about your golf shoes until you walk up a hill.
It doesn’t even have to be a big hill. The putting green at my home course sits above the parking lot. Over the years, that short uphill walk has become a reliable predictor of whether my feet will bleed.
That barefoot incident. The hill told me. I didn’t listen.
On Course with the Tour360 22 BOA
After wedging my slightly wide foot in the smaller-than-I’d-like opening, I experienced for the first time what adidas calls the locked-in feel. At face value, it’s kind of a silly description. It’s not like your shoes are ever not locked in and just come flying off during your swing, but with the Tour360 22, it’s definitely different. It’s hard to explain but it’s like the shoe is more connected … one with your foot … that sort of thing.
The Boost foam is comfortable, the SPIKEMORE traction is excellent and BOA is just better.
On the negative side, I did feel a little pinch in both heels like the heel cup wasn’t hitting me exactly where it needed to. Still locked in but slightly off kilter.
That made me a little nervous about the fit but the hill said I’d be OK … and I trust the hill.
The First (and Second) Nines
Sure enough, I made it through nine holes unscathed. Pace of play was good and I kept the ball (mostly) in front of me. There was some mild discomfort but I left the course with all my skin intact. I went home with a sense of pride. “I got me some adidas I can actually wear on the golf course and, with the BOA, I’m not out here like some kind of sucker.”
The second time out didn’t go quite as well. Through no fault of my own, I suffered through a long and meandering nine. I still kept the ball in front of me but the pace was ungodly slow (three hours for nine holes) and found myself doing that thing where you bang your toe into the ground to force your foot away from a rubbing heel cup. Full disclosure: I have no idea if that kind of thing actually works but the point is that I was uncomfortable. I Made it through nine skin intact. Another hole or two, probably not.
adidas Tour360 22 BOA – Takeaway
So where does that leave us?
I like the shoe. I like the way it wraps around my foot and, for the first few holes, before the cumulative effect of whatever is going on with heel cup flares up, it’s really comfortable with great traction. There is no part of me that believes it isn’t an excellent shoe but the fit isn’t perfect for me.
Sometimes that can be hard to accept.
Bear in mind that I’m a legitimate wide-foot guy (I’ve been measured). I’m not extra wide, just solidly chubby-footed, which I believe puts me right on the edge of whom the adidas Tour360 22 BOA will fit well.
It’s unlike me (I’m usually a black and white, either it fits or it doesn’t, kind of guy) but I like the shoe enough that I’m going to try the “break them in” thing. I’m still hoping there’s a chance so I’ll wear them nine at a time until they’re either good to go or I’m willing to accept they won’t ever be.
Fingers crossed.
The ripple in all of this is that BOA and laced systems will often fit differently and this might be a case where the laced version fits better. But, like I said, with my wide foot, I’m right on the edge of being comfortable, so if you’ve got a normal-to-narrow foot and are looking for a shoe loaded with tech (and the option to not be a sucker), you and the adidas Tour360 22 BOA might get on brilliantly.
I’m saying there’s a chance.
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Grady Newby
2 months agoThis comment isn’t so much about boa, because I like boa. Adidas has an issue in the heel. It just gets worse over time. I switched mid round the last time and haven’t worn them since. Puma and footjoy are good for comfort and skechers aren’t bad either. Problem with the boa is, you can’t find many styles and color schemes with it.