NiceBallz - Play Ballzy

Everyone loves a new pair of shoes. Even guys. And, especially golfers.

While we at NiceBallz don’t have a thousand pair like many of our favorite gals, we can appreciate some stylish new shoes. We clean up nice, as you might imagine from our name. So you can appreciate our excitement when our content partner PUMA Golf, which has published NiceBallz on their blog, recently sent us some of their new 2009 styles to test.

One of PUMA’s premium styles is the new Tipper (MSRP $170 USD), a faux wingtip that blends classic golf style with a modern, athletic look. Predominately white with black trim, the Tipper features silver dots in a wingtip pattern and clear but unobtrusive branding for the more traditionally minded.

Another model new for 2009 is the Scramble (MSRP $90 USD), a mid-priced sneaker inspired style with a more youthful design. It has nice Puma touches in terms of branding that help it stand out (while not being too over the top) from your typical three stripe Adidas or the swoosh of Nike shoes when on the course.  

Tipper
Slipping into the Tipper with our sasquatch size 11.5 feet (not braggin’, just sayin’), we enjoyed a comfortable fit from the start. Snug enough yet still spacious. One of the first things you’ll notice is the partially concealed laces for a clean, sleek look. Next, you’ll feel how lightweight these shoes are. It’s truly noticeable compared with styles we’ve worn by other brands, including FootJoy, Nike and Adidas.

According to the company, a couple of things make these shoes so light. One, the footbed is made from thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). That’s some scientific $h!t for “lightweight cushioning.” However, that lightweight cushioning – and a low-profile sole the leaves you feeling closer to and in touch with the ground – comes at a cost. Corey felt as though he could have used a little more cushioning, but Hack noticed his feet felt less fatigued at the end of the round due to the lighter weight.

When we rode a golf cart in a recent tournament we had no problem. All-day comfort, as the footwear guys like to say, for sure. But, when we’ve walked, the cushioning can seem a little skimpy to some. For GolferWriterGuy’s flat-footed stride he needed a little more padding under the ball of his foot. He was just a little tender at the end of the day. But the fit and comfort otherwise have been great. No rubbing, no blisters, no break-in period. These kicks were gamers right out of the box.

The other reason for the weight loss is PUMA’s proprietary SMART QUILL® Technology, a unique, lightweight and built-in spike system. These multi-directional spikes are designed to provide traction based on the torque during your golf swing. In fact, the left and right shoes each have different directional spikes. Pretty fancy. At NiceBallz, we’re not sure how much that helps, but our feet didn’t slip on the golf course, so there’s that. And, they definitely result in a lighter shoe, which is great for walkers.

The SMART QUILL spikes are made from a sort of hardened plastic that on concrete or pavement gives you that old school clack (not click-clack, Under Armour) that metal spikes used to offer. These spikes are non-replaceable, which saves you the cost of periodically replacing non-metal soft spikes (lose the wrench) but makes you wonder how long they’ll last. PUMA says they’re good for years – covered by a two-year limited guarantee – and after a few rounds of golf our spikes show little wear. So far, so good.  One small caveat, like Qwowi mentioned, we too worried a little about slippage with the harder/shinier plastic quills on the Tipper.  Look out for puddles on slick concrete.

The spikes on the higher-end Tipper do seem harder to us than on the more moderately priced Scramble. Could be our vivid imaginations. Let’s take a look at the casual, sneaker inspired Scramble.

Scramble
Aside from being completely put off by the fact that Corey landed the more expensive pair of shoes to review, I immediately was intrigued by the Scramble.  At roughly $90 it’s not the cheapest shoe out there, but it does pack in some innovative technology that was touched on above.  What you also get for the price is some noticeable attention from a fashion standpoint.  The first round I wore the shoes I was asked about them by people in our group, the starter and others.  Comments like “Hey those are cool, are they golf shoes?” weren’t uncommon and highlight the uniqueness of the design.

In fact, if anything that is a small criticism and compliment to Puma.  Their designs and products are unique in many ways, but also can be more challenging to find.  We’d love to be able to walk into our local Golfsmith or Golf Galaxy and grab a pair off the wall.   Instead if you want the fashion and innovation you’ll need to go online and order.

I worried that the Scramble was going to be a foot killer when I first slipped them on.  While a bit tight across the width of my foot, they loosened up quite nicely and quickly, basically over the course of walking from my car, to the range to the first tee.  I too found virtually no slippage with the SMART QUILL technology and give any manufacturer credit for taking a semi-radical new look at something like how spikes can evolve. 

Summary
These are some cool, stylish golf shoes that look great and fit fine. Aside from questions about the long-term durability of the SMART QUILL spikes (ask us at the end of the year), we’d buy these kicks with our own cash.

The Tipper is probably appropriately priced, but we question whether the Scramble – while a good shoe – is a great buy at its more competitive price point. There are dozens of models available in the $80 to $100 range. But PUMA is definitely bringing innovation to golf footwear and combining it with retro chic style. There’s no reason to buy the same pair of black golf shoes your dad wore in college, OK? And, PUMA also has some cool Euro and skate inspired golf styles that you’ll have a hard time finding from any other brand. As mentioned, PUMA golf shoes are not easy to find. We’ve noticed what seems like limited distribution, at least on the West Coast. It’s not a given that you’ll find PUMA’s stylish line in every golf shop so you may want to shop online where you’ll probably get a better price anyway.

Overall, we like ours and we think you will, too. We like that the PUMA brand has a unique look and stands for something different than the tried-and-true. If you always play in the same foursome at the same time on the same golf course, and you’ve only ever played Titleists, you’ll probably want to stick with your classic saddle shoe DryJoys. But if you like to mix it up, express your style and have some fun on the golf course, check out PUMA’s new golf shoes. Lace ‘em up and swing outta your shoes, if you can with all that traction. We dare ya. >
-NiceBallz

At NiceBallz we’re fashion plates.  We have to look good because our swings don’t. For more reviews, commentary and humor follow us at http://twitter.com/NiceBallz and http://twitter.com/GolferWriterGuy or find our syndicated content at http://pumagolf.blogspot.com.