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Minimalist Shoes Wear Tester – Golf
Robert is a second-generation native of Phoenix, Arizona. When not practicing law, he can usually be found playing–as he has for the past 44 years–one of the nearly 300 golf courses in and around the Phoenix metropolitan area.
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Years ago my brother-in-law, an avid runner, introduced me to barefoot or minimalist running shoes. The idea of these shoes was that thinner soles, little or no heel-rise and wider toe-boxes, while protecting the runner’s feet, would give the runner a greater sense of balance and connection to the ground and would allow their feet to function more naturally.
Golf shoe companies soon began to pick up on the idea. After all, better balance is what all golfers strive for.
One of the first golf companies to adopt these concepts was TRUE Linkswear. I purchased my first pair of TRUE shoes in 2012 and was immediately hooked. Unlike the traditional spiked and spikeless shoes I had worn for more than 40 years, TRUE shoes were actually comfortable . . . really comfortable, the most comfortable shoes I had ever worn. They were so comfortable I wanted to wear them everywhere, and I did. I wore them to the office, the grocery, on vacation and yes, on the golf course. But comfort wasn’t their only virtue. They gave me a better sense of balance. On the course, I could feel the depth of sand in the bunkers, the firmness of fairways and the contours of the greens. They were shoes that actually improved my game.
Although that first pair of TRUEs were truly innovative, TRUE hasn’t stopped innovating. Their latest being their KNITs. At just 9.5 ounces they’re the lightest golf shoes I’ve ever worn. The thin but sturdy knit fabric (90% polyester, 10% spandex) is surprisingly water resistant yet breathable. Have you ever worn a pair of golf shoes in which you could feel a the summer breeze blowing over your feet? You will in these! They’re also my first pair of machine washable golf shoes.
Although you can and will want to wear these shoes everywhere, they’re still shoes made for golf. Though supremely comfortable, they provide great traction and lateral stability even on damp surfaces. And at the end of a round, you’ll find that your feet and legs are less fatigued.
Over the years TRUE styling has changed. Their first shoes were so comfortable I could overlook the “clunkiness” of the wide toe-boxes. That somewhat clumsy look of the first iteration of TRUEs, however, is long gone. Somehow TRUE has managed to maintain the comfort and fit I originally found so appealing, while creating their stylish, streamlined KNITS. Modern in appearance but with an incorporated pattern reminiscent of brogues, TRUE’s KNITS in white, gray and navy blue are the epitome of streamlined, minimalist comfort.
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