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:
The G/FORE G/18 golf shoe. A new spikeless shoe from the luxury brand hellbent on using the brightest colors known to man.
Who Tried It:
Connor. Director of Content and resident sneakerhead. Now that I’ve got a newborn, it’s a little easier to convince my wife to let me get new golf shoes. “See, honey! It’s pink! It matches her little outfit!”
(I have no shame.)
It’s that easy. Now the real challenge is to see how long I can keep up the ruse.
Classic G/FORE
You probably read my title and thought, “Well, duh!”
If there’s one thing G/FORE is really good at, it’s sticking to their guns. Or, in this case, their oft-used tagline of “disruptive luxury.”
When G/FORE refers to themselves as “disruptive,” they mean it. Like its predecessors, the new G/FORE G/18 golf shoe is for lack of a better term, unique. It’s as wild as it is wide. It’s classic G/FORE.
The G/18 is bright, bold and a little bodacious. It’s chunky, yet somehow slender and, dare I say, kind of cool? In any case, the G/18, like G/FORE’s G.112, is one of those “love it or hate it” designs.
I like the way it looks. I think it looks even better on foot than it does in the box. Just saying.
But as my wife so lovingly reminds me, looks only get you so far. The G/FORE G/18 is a golf shoe, after all … so how does it perform on the course?
Style versus Substance
Let me get it out of the way before you read any further: The G/18 isn’t going to be taking home any performance awards. After spending ample time in the shoes, I do think I can narrow down exactly who the G/18 is for and who it isn’t.
Who it’s for
- The golfer who prioritizes style over performance
- Someone looking for step-in comfort.
- The golfer who wants a shoe that feels less like a golf shoe and more like a casual shoe
Who it’s not for
- The golfer looking for Tour-level traction
- Someone who wants premium leather materials like G/FORE’s Gallivanter line
- The budget-concious golfer.
The G/FORE G/18 is targeted towards golfers like me. I tend to pick golf shoes that look cool and are comfortable. Those are my priorities. The G/18 checks both of those boxes for me.
It won’t wow you with the comfort of something from Skechers or my current go-to Under Armour Phantom, but the massaging gel insole and lightweight foam midsole make this shoe plenty walkable.
It fits and feels more like a casual shoe than a golf shoe. This is in stark contrast to the more traditional G/FORE’s Gallivan2r, which I tried and enjoyed. The G/18 is absolutely something I would wear as often off the course as I would on it.
For the golfer whose No. 1 priority is traction, this is where I feel the G/18 has the most room to improve. The traction was decidedly “meh.” The spike-like traction lugs do a good enough job of grabbing the ground but the secondary traction nubs are so darn small that they feel almost useless. If these had been a little beefier, I think the G/18 would have increased its traction tenfold.
The rest of the shoe is fairly standard. I liked the external heel counter which provided good lateral stability. The G/18 is plenty flexible (adds to the overall comfort when walking) and it has a full TPU upper for waterproofness. For $250, I would have liked a leather upper but that’s my personal preference.
No matter how you slice it, the G/18 isn’t for everyone. But it is for someone. For years, that’s been G/FORE’s modus operandi. They understand they’re talking to a small group of golfers. And the sooner you understand that, the less polarizing designs like this will be.
While the G/18 isn’t making my current rotation (it’s a little crowded at the moment), I’m all for brands branching out and doing things that break the mold.
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