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 Codechaos Laceless golf shoes. The best spikeless golf shoe of 2023 has been retooled and the laces removed.
Who Tried It:
Connor. Director of Soft Goods Testing and resident sneakerhead. I believe golf is better with a pair of cool shoes and comfortable joggers.
adidas Codechaos Laceless Golf Shoe Review
The Brand with Three Stripes is no stranger to pushing the boundaries of both design and fashion. The Codechaos 22 is already a very polarizing golf shoe and the new laceless variant is about to turn the weird level up to 11.
If you’re a sneakerhead like me, you’ll probably notice that this new, high-top laceless golf shoe is very similar in design to one of adidas’s popular basketball shoes, the N3XT L3V3L. The shoe features a very similar laceless design, right down to the pull tabs and internal Achilles pillows.
I’m already a big fan of the classic adidas Codechaos 22. It was the best spikeless golf shoe of 2023, after all. That said, I’m extremely intrigued to see whether removing the laces and moving to the high-top, the one-piece upper enhances (or takes away) from the performance.
Let’s find out.
Comfort
In my experience, shoes with a sock-style knit upper and a one-piece construction are either very comfortable or very irritating. The irritation generally compounds if the shoe is a high-top rather than a low-top.
No need for crew socks with the adidas Codechaos Laceless. Despite the sock-like upper that stretches high above the ankle, I experienced zero irritation. Very impressed.
The knit is very comfortable, even against the bare skin of my ankles. If you’re not a part of the no-show sock gang like I am, crew socks will work perfectly well, too.
Fit
Stay with me. This is going to be a long one.
Traditional golf shoes have laces for a reason. If a shoe like the adidas Codechaos Laceless can’t provide a similar fit to a laced golf shoe, consider it useless.
Removing the laces presents a golf shoe with two main challenges: accessibility and lockdown. Let’s start with accessibility.
One of the main advantages of a laced golf shoe is the ability to loosen the laces in order to place your foot inside the shoe. Those of you with wide feet know what I’m talking about. Slipping your feet into a narrow or slimmed-down shoe can feel impossible without loosening the laces.
Because the adidas Codechaos Laceless lacks this ability, adidas made the one-piece upper stretchy. It has just enough give to slide your foot in without issues. If you’ve ever used a sock-style shoe before, it can take some getting used to. That said, the perfectly placed pull tabs on the front and back of the shoe provide plenty of leverage. No issues with accessibility.
What about lockdown? A traditional laced golf shoe (or even a BOA golf shoe, for that matter) provides you with the means to dial in your fit. If you have narrow feet, you might choke down on the laces. Those of you with wide feet may use most of the slack the laces offer to find the perfect fit.
The adidas Codechaos Laceless golf shoes provide no way to dial in the fit—what you get is what you get. Of all the things that are potential issues, this is the one I see rearing its head. While the Codechaos Laceless fit my foot well, I’m not sure how they’ll adapt to someone with an extremely narrow foot or very wide foot. If you fall into any of these categories, try them on before you buy.
The one saving grace in regard to the overall fit is the addition of two plush Achilles pillows in the heel of the shoe. These two pillows do a great job at keeping your heel and ankle stable, something that I definitely felt working throughout my testing.
Stability and Traction
I won’t talk too much about stability and traction. Because the midsole and outsole portions of the shoes are tooled the same way as the award-winning Codechaos 22, I had no issues here at all. Just know that you’re getting the same great spikeless traction and stable feel as the Codechaos 22.
No Laces, No Problem
All things considered, I’m not sure there’s a market need for a completely laceless golf shoe like the adidas Codechaos Laceless. And while I’m a fan of the edgy high-top look, I understand that I’m very likely the minority in that regard.
Did I notice any performance benefits to going laceless? I did not. But I didn’t notice any real performance loss due to the lack of laces, either. For me, the adidas Codechaos Laceless still performs just as well as the typical adidas Codechaos 22.
The Codechaos Laceless is not for everyone (nor every foot). As mentioned, if you’re looking to pick up a pair, I’d highly recommend trying these on first to make sure the fit is snug and stable.
Simon White
3 years ago
I can just imagine the horror/hilarity that would ensue should I be foolish enough to don those “shoes”?