Adipower BOOST Golf Shoe Review

Recently, I got to the point in the lifetime of my golf shoes that resembled ‘Trigger’s broom’ in Only Fools & Horses. After many lace and spike changes, it had finally become apparent that the waterproofing qualities extended only to contact with a mild dew, and they’d been banned from the family home owing to ‘odour offences’. They’d done more miles than Mo Farah, and so it was finally time to send them on to a better place, or the recycling bin as it turns out. Although surely this was to the unbeknown misfortune of some poor sole (pun intended) on the other side of the world. Truth be told, I doubt anyone would’ve been grateful for those old shoes, bar a museum. But I digress.

So out with the old, and in with the new. I’d recently had my eye on a pair of those hybrid style golf shoes (you know the ones – rubber spikes that look more like a tennis shoe, and are passable in the Clubhouse), but ended up going with a pair of Adipower BOOST.

In the interests of writing an informative review, I could harp on about the BOOST technology, which is designed to deliver maximum energy return, responsiveness, and unparalleled comfort, but you’ll know by the tone thus far, I might sound a like a man who’d sold his sole to the corporate devil. I prefer to speak to the man in the street. At least that’s how I’m justifying it. Truth be told, I’d be a little out of my depth if I tried to talk my way around the technical advances in shoe design.

So let me give an insight into the things that matter to me. The bottom line is they’re darn comfy. Personally, I measure comfort on how decrepit my feet feel after 18 holes – a 1 being ‘I can barely walk’, and 10 being ‘where’s Mo, let’s go running?’ These score a good 9. Trust me, nothing scores a 10.

My primary expectation beyond comfort though, is grip, and thanks to the Gripmore technology employed by Adidas in the Adipower BOOST, I must say that they totally hit the spot. Naturally there are paragraphs of technical mumbo jumbo explaining the roadmap as to how Adidas reached the summit of the grip world, but for the average punter, the result is pretty evident. In short, numerous cleats of varying size work together to provide this grip, which is very effective. It’s very visual, too, not that that matters, with far more cleats than you’d be used to seeing on your golf shoes. Guaranteed though, you won’t be able to blame a slipping shoe for that duck hook with a pair of these on (hmm, maybe not such a good thing).

Elsewhere, the Adipower BOOST claims to ‘deliver maximum energy return’. Well I couldn’t in all honesty say I know what that means, nor that I’ve gained 30 yards off the tee since I started wearing them, but I doubt that’s what is being implied. They do feel quite ‘springy’ when you walk though, if that’s a good thing?

Final consideration must go to the styling. Well, if you’re the kind of golfer that wears the same clothes in the Clubhouse as you do on the course (i.e. button down shirts, corduroys, and a tie) then these probably aren’t going to complete your look, but for most other people, and indeed the majority of the golfing public, they’ll go pretty well with anything else. Modern, sporty, and the kind of shoe that looks good on most generations – and new golfers would actually be happy to wear! Kudos to Adidas on that one.

So there it is. I now have a pair of new golf shoes that will undoubtedly last me for the best part of a decade, or at least three years after the waterproof membrane wears off. Maybe I won’t leave it so long next time…

My verdict: 9/10 and thoroughly recommended, but nothing gets me running!