PLAYING WITH … ADIDAS ZG21 GOLF SHOES
Here’s what our equipment guru thought of the lightweight shoes.
THESE SHOES ARE SERIOUSLY LIGHTWEIGHT, TO THE POINT IT FEELS VERY MUCH LIKE WEARING A GOOD PAIR OF TRAINERS AROUND THE COURSE.
MODEL PLAYED: ZG21 Laced.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS: The new Adidas ZG21 looks pretty much as I would expect for a premium golf shoe from the company. The style blends athletic shoe with some more classic golf touches to nicely appeal to a wide range of people.
The almost Masters colour scheme of green/white/yellow is a nice touch as well.
Taking the shoes out of the box I noticed just how light they were. Then once on that continued to standout, alongside the amazing soft, comfort combined with noticeable support and traction.
HOW THEY PERFORMED: Lightweight golf shoes are certainly a positive in my mind. Walking a golf course, particularly carrying your bag, is a decent little workout and having a pair of heavy leather boots on isn’t always pleasant.
But of course, a “heavier” shoe has generally in the past meant it was more solid, supportive and as a rule gave more traction when swinging the club.
The Adidas ZG21 really does remove the need to compromise one performance aspect for another when it comes to golf shoes.
As mentioned previously, these shoes are seriously lightweight, to the point it feels very much like wearing a good pair of trainers around the course. The softness of the insole and the locked in feeling of the design add to this.
However, there is no significant substitute of support or traction from the new model in favour of dropping weight.
Walking a rather hilly layout my first time out on course in these, and unfortunately seeing more of the golf course than I would have otherwise liked, my feet felt truly locked in and supported the entire walk.
When it comes to traction, the spiked sole really set a good foundation and it was quite noticeable that such a soft and light shoe had the spiked sole when wearing the ZG21 for the first time. Not in bad way, like feeling the spikes through the bottom of my feet, but rather just a new combination of what has typically been a one-or-the-other choice when it comes to golf shoes that took a little getting used to.
The all-round offering of the ZG21 really impressed me throughout my time wearing them, but as was instantly discovered when I first took them out of the box, the lightweight properties were the true standout. So, too, the connection with the ground of the sole when both walking and swinging the club. As someone who walks a great deal every day and from time to time suffered various foot pain, these shoes were a pleasure to wear while walking golf courses. And not once did I finish my round with any aches or pains in my legs or feet, the ZG21 playing a big part in that. ADIDAS SAYS: Today’s golfers demand a lot from their shoes, and we kept hearing that there was something missing.
Whether it was one of our Tour professionals or an everyday golfer, they all wanted the same thing: a highperformance spiked shoe that was lightweight and extremely comfortable. We took that as a challenge to not only fill this void that players were looking for, but also create something exciting that would stand alone at the top and launch a new category of spiked footwear.
After nearly two years, multiple prototypes, configurations, and infusing our latest technologies to get everything right, we’re introducing a product that ushers in a new era of performance golf footwear for our brand: ZG21. It’s our latest offering that gives golfers of all skill levels a high-performance spiked shoe that’s lightweight with zero compromises.
ZG21 is our lightest spiked footwear model to feature ‘BOOST’ cushioning. It’s up to 20 percent lighter than comparable spiked models previously in our range and significantly lighter than many competitor models. But just being lightweight wasn’t enough.
“ZG21 is truly a breakthrough feat in spiked performance,” Adidas Golf Global Footwear Director Masun Denison said. “We were able to combine the latest and greatest materials, innovations, and manufacturing processes without sacrificing anything. It changes the game for those who love spiked footwear.” For more information, visit the website www.adidas.com.au