The Best Shoes at The Open Championship
Why do we spend so much time obsessing over the gear PGA TOUR players use when it’s almost impossible to get our hands on?
And even if you COULD theoretically get the same putter that Tony Finau uses through PING’s PLD Program or a Rogue ST Triple Diamond LS Driver like Jon Rahm, the notion that you, a mere amateur, could make good use of it is just as tricky.
If you want to feel like a Tour player, here’s my advice: Pay attention to their shoes! Yes, the one piece of gear that every player uses. Most of the golf shoes you see across the professional tours are readily available at retail to the rest of us.
That said, I want to introduce a new column of sorts to MyGolfSpy. I hope that by recapping and showing off the golf shoes the professionals are wearing, you might find your new favorite pair.
Here are the best shoes I saw at The Open this week.
Tony Finau in the Air Jordan 1 Low Golf Shoes
The Air Jordan 1 Low G has taken the golf world by storm. NIKE athlete Tony Finau was spotted rocking the Air Jordan 1 Low G before it was released to the public.
Whether the generated hype was planned or not, each successive colorway of the shoe has sold out almost instantly, leaving some golfers wondering if they’ll ever get to “be like Mike.”
The shoe itself isn’t much to gawk at as far as technology goes. The spikeless outsole isn’t going to provide as much traction as other spiked models but Jordan Brand wanted to ensure the outsole looked as similar as possible to the OG Air Jordan 1. The Zoom Air unit in the heel provides some impact protection but not much in the way of walking comfort.
But if you’re buying a golf shoe that’s supposed to look like one of the most popular sneakers, are you as concerned about performance? In this instance, it’s all about looking cool and the Air Jordan 1 Low G accomplishes that flawlessly.
One thing of note is that the white and black colorway Finau was wearing has NOT made its way to retail. I haven’t seen any information that would say otherwise, which is disconcerting, but Jordan Brand has given us plenty of fabulous retail colorways to choose from, my personal favorite being the “Shattered Backboard.”
Viktor Hovland in the NIKE Roshe G Tour
There are two types of players on Tour: those who switch shoes and those who find a pair they like and stick with it. Viktor is the latter and has been playing in the NIKE Roshe G Tour since at least 2019.
Sometimes I wonder if athletes like Hovland drive NIKE mad. What are they still trying to innovate for if they can’t get this guy to stop wearing the same shoe for years? We don’t even get to see a special Open-themed colorway on this one,because the shoe isn’t in production anymore.
For Hovland, the Roshe G Tour is like a good fairway wood—it’s just hard to get it “out of the bag.” The Roshe silhouette is one of the most popular NIKE shoes in recent history. Before the Roshe G Tour, the Roshe Run reigned supreme as one of the best casual shoes of the 2010s.
I had a pair of the original NIKE Roshe Run in high school. I think I started the trend at my school.
As far as the Roshe G Tour, NIKE didn’t just take the OG Roshe and slap spikes on it. Besides adding removable spikes to the outsole for traction, the Roshe G Tour features NIKE’s proprietary Lunarlon cushion to ensure plenty of step-in comfort for those long walks around the course.
Throw in a waterproof upper and slap “Tour” on it and you’ve got yourself a golf shoe for the casual golfer and the modern-day sneakerhead.
Victor Perez in the FootJoy Premiere Shawbost Packard
When you think of Scotland, two things probably come to mind: golf and Harris Tweed. No? Just me? OK, you surely think of golf but Harris tweed may not even be on your radar. As a fabric, Harris tweed dates back to 1840 and is still produced in Scotland.
This makes the celebratory collaboration between FootJoy and Harris Tweed for The Open that much cooler. The two linked up to make an amazing-looking shoe, combining FootJoy’s industry-leading golf technologies and Harris Tweed’s unique wool design.
As seen on the feet of Victor Perez, the white pebbled-leather upper is perfectly complemented by the funky houndstooth tweed wool paneling. If you gave me a blazer made out of this stuff, I’d wear it every date night with my wife.
The FootJoy Premiere Shawbost Packard was released as a part of a pack alongside the Herringbone Traditions Shield Tip golf shoe. If you’re like me and that Harris Tweed wool has got you feeling some type of way, it’s a good idea to buy now rather than wait. Limited-edition collaborations like this almost always sell out quickly
BUY FootJoy Premiere Shawbost Packard
Rory McIlroy in the Scotland-Inspired NIKE Air Zoom Victory Tour 2
What’s your favorite part of the majors? I spend too much time paying attention to the special-edition shoes that start to pop up around each of the majors but I guess the golf is pretty good, too.
If you’re like me, you’ll have already seen what NIKE is calling the “Back Home” collection of golf shoes. The design is inspired by Scotland, aka the Home of Golf.
Rory McIlroy seems to always be on board with the fun major-inspired kicks so he’s been rocking the NIKE Air Zoom Victory Tour 2 in the “Back Home” colorway. The Air Zoom Victory Tour 2 has been his go-to model since its release and he previously wore the original Air Zoom Victory Tour which he co-created. Our initial testing of the first iteration didn’t prove fruitful for NIKE but that’s not what I’m here to discuss.
Putting the performance of the shoe aside, I love that NIKE has been sticking with the theme of putting fun designs, logos and text across the bottom of the shoe. I’m not sure anything can top the lobster design from the U.S. Open but the “Back Home” insignia is a nice touch nonetheless.
I’m hoping that NIKE will bring back the ability to customize golf shoes. Can you imagine hitting a shot and your buddies all see the phrase “Say No to Two-Piece Matte Golf Balls” emblazoned across the outsole?
BUY Nike Air Zoom Victory Tour 2
Tiger Woods in the FootJoy Premiere Tarlow
It comes as no surprise that Tiger Woods is still wearing the FootJoy Premiere Tarlow rather than his own signature TW NIKE shoes … or does it? At this point, it’s no longer news to golf fans that Tiger has been opting for a pair of FJ’s rather than the Air Zoom Tiger Woods ’20.
However, it’s been more than two months since we saw Tiger roll up to Augusta sans NIKE golf shoes. I don’t want to speculate too much but shouldn’t have NIKE come up with something for him to wear in that time frame? Woods is what many would consider a top-three NIKE athlete. Regardless, the FootJoy Premiere Tarlow is such a classic-looking shoe that it’s hard to be upset.
From a testing standpoint, the spiked FJ models have scored well in the stability category which may be why Woods is opting for this shoe. With a compromised lower body, Woods needs all the help he can get to stay stable and upright.
Your Pick
Did another shoe catch your eye that wasn’t listed here? Leave a comment below and be sure to let me know your go-to golf shoe.
Check back next week to stay up to date on what your favorite players have on their feet. In the meantime, go buy yourself a new pair. You deserve it!
