Golf Shoe Battle: Adidas Adizero Tour vs Nike TW '13 - Great Golf Deals Blog

These aren't your Granddad’s golf shoes. 

In the past, golf shoes were more like dress shoes with either a saddle or wing-tip design, with hard leather soles and spikes.  While I admit they did look good, they just were not that functional and were definitely not fun to walk in. 

Today’s golf shoes have come full circle by taking clues from the casual and athletic shoe market.  The new rage in the marketplace is the “spikeless” golf shoe that can be worn on or off the course.  They have been taking the industry by storm because they are so comfortable and multi-functional.  It would seem that spiked shoes are going by the wayside.  But this year with 2 new spiked shoe offerings from Adidas and Nike these new shoes are going to give the spikeless golf shoes a run for their money. 

Adidas Adipure Tour Golf Shoes

The adidas Adipure Tour Golf shoe was introduced in January of this year and is a radically different shoe than last year’s tour-level shoe the adidas Tour 360 ATV.  The biggest difference is the lower profile outsole of the shoe and the lighter weight which is only 10.6 ounces. Adidas claims this is the lightest of any spiked golf shoe currently on the market.  It is 38% less in weight than the adidas Tour 360 ATV model.  

Ok, but golfers aren't runners or soccer players so is the lighter weight really going to help a golfer on the golf course??

According to Dave Mattuicci, global marketing manager for Adidas, they can. Mattuici said a golfer who walks 18 holes lifts his legs between 15,000 and 17,000 times. That means the difference between the Tour ATV and the adizero is about 6.5 ounces per step, or if a golfer takes 17,000 steps, about 6900 pounds. Sounds like a fresher golfer to me.

That’s exactly what Brandt Snedeker said about the shoes when he wore them for the first time at Kapalua.  Now Brandt is not crediting his shoes for his hot start this year which includes 4 top 10 finishes and a win at Torrey Pines, but based on some of his comments about the shoe it sounds like he feels it gave him a competitive advantage over others that did not wear the shoe.  At the PGA Tour level, sometimes that increased level of confidence is the difference between winning and losing.

Outsole:

 The shoe’s “SprintFrame” outsole weighs only 3.4 ounces, and is constructed from a high-performance elastomer called Pebax that is strong and flexible.  Unlike most other golf shoes, the adizero uses no “secondary traction,” meaning it doesn’t have any of the rubber nubs or nobs that are used in most spike and spikeless golf shoes to add additional traction.  Also, I’ve noticed the lack of secondary traction keeps the bottom of the shoe less “gunked” up with loose debris therefore improving overall traction.

Also, the lack of secondary traction improves the interaction of the shoe’s 10 traditional spikes, which Mattuici said provides a better grip and more stability.

Upper:

The shoe’s upper is wrapped in what Adidas calls “SprintSkin,” a proprietary microfiber leather that is lightweight and waterproof. And despite its compact appearance, the adizero is also a touch wider in the toe section than the Tour 360 ATV, making it more comfortable in that area.

Our Review of the Adizero Tour:

I've been wearing the adidas Tour 360 ATV shoes for the past two seasons and have felt that they were one of the most comfortable walking golf shoes available.  That was until I tried on these adizero Tour shoes. Just a little background on me as a golfer.  I'm a walker and play with a group of buddies that refuse to take carts when we play golf.  I'm also an avid runner and realize the importance of a good fitting, lightweight pair of shoes when your putting on the miles.

When you walk a average 18 hole course you can count on walking about 5 or more miles so a comfortable shoe is mandatory.  These shoes did not disappoint.  I definitely noticed a huge difference in the way my legs felt after a round compared to the Tour 360s.  The course I play is pretty hilly with both concrete and gravel cart paths that you have to walk on at certain point on the course.  These shoes handled all the terrain with no problems at all. 

As for performance, the adizero offered just the right amount of support during the golf swing and because of the lower outsole it felt like your feet were touching the ground thus providing more balance.  The 10 cleats offered the tightest grip on the ground I have ever felt since wearing metal spikes.  I wore these after a rain storm and in the early morning dew and never once lost grip during a walk or swing.

Nike TW '13

Like the adizero Tour golf shoes, the Nike TW 13 was also based on an athletic shoe design .  The design came out of Nike's running shoe/basketball shoe department with the desire for more flexibility in the shoe's sole, thus creating better feel and comfort.  While the Nike TW 13 golf shoes are a little more than just throwing some spikes to their running shoes, the principles remain the same with multiple square sections of the shoe's sole cut apart by large flex seams, making these the most flexible spiked shoe you will find.

Tiger Woods has been wearing these now for almost a year, and while they had been on his feet for some time it took a while for them to make it to retail.  These shoes blend together comfort, flexibility and regular golf spikes.  They do it slightly different than your typical shoe.  

Outsole:

The natural motion engineered outsole is designed to mimic and conform to the natural motion of the foot, coupled with the protection and traction of a lightweight performance golf shoe. This innovative outsole allows the athlete to keep contact with the ground longer, better harnessing the energy of the foot to the shoe and, therefore, the shoe to the ground.

Upper:

The synthetic leather uppers are much thinner, lighter and have a slightly stiffer feel, but they tend to mold to your feet much better than a more traditional shoe.  The thin material is seam sealed all the way around making them impervious to liquids.

Our Review of the Nike TW '13:

While the Nike TW13 Free golf shoes are a little more than just throwing some spikes to their running shoes, the principles remain the same with multiple square sections of the shoe's sole cut apart by large flex seams, making these the most flexible spiked shoe you will find.

While they are super comfortable it is strange how they do it.  The synthetic leather and tongue are different than most shoes. Initially slipping them on, they have a weird sensation.  They don't feel like slippers, but actually kind of stiff, right out of the box.  With that being said, after 30 seconds they seem to form to your feet perfectly.  I walked in them 18 holes on the first day I wore them with not even the slightest discomfort.  They are soft, flexible and just plain comfortable.   I would have never believed it by the way they felt when I first tried them on.  So before you go to the store, try them on, and don't really like the feel, make sure you leave them on for a couple minutes and walk around the store.  You will start noticing a change in how comfortable they really are. 

From an appearance standpoint they look more like sneakers than the Adizero Tours.  They are not high-tops as some have said, they are really just a modified low top shoe, very regular feeling with them on.  The only noticeable style feature that is different than most are the spikes/tread that stick out of the inside of the toe area.  You can see the nubs when you look down, but they are not distracting.  They do have a slightly wider toe-box compared to other Nike shoes.  But even though they are slightly different than other Nike Shoes, sizing wise they are the same as other Nike shoes.

Bottom Line:

If you are looking for comfort and traction, you will not find better shoes than the adidas Adizero Tour and Nike TW13 golf shoes.  They are flexible, comfortable, grip like superglue and you can walk 18 in them right out of the box. 

The major selling point for me in picking the shoe I would wear more was weight, support and appearance.  There is no denying the adizero Tour is the lightest spiked golf shoe on the market today and if you are a walker  you will definitely notice the difference in how your legs and feet feel after your round.  I also like the a little stiffer outsole and lower-to-the-ground feeling I had with the adizero Tour shoes. I just felt more in balance and supported with every swing.

Lastly, the adizero Tour's appearance is more like a traditional golf shoe and look good whether you are wearing shorts or slacks.  The Nike TW 13 have a more "sneaker" look to them which looked good when wearing shorts but looked a little out of place when wearing a nice pair of slacks.

For this year at least, I will be rocking the new adizero Tour shoes but I highly recommend you give both a try and feel confident you will not be disappointed.  

You can find both the adidas Adizero Tour and Nike TW '13 for the lowest price guaranteed at Great Golf Deals.com