A few days ago, I wore a pair of the Allbirds Golf Dashers to the course for a round.
Every single person I came across that day asked me about these shoes. Seriously. Every single one.
“What kind of shoes are those?”
“Are those golf shoes?”
“Wait, are those Allbirds? Golf shoes?”
I’ve had the fanciest G/FOREs, the newest and most high-tech Ecco shoes – but I’m not sure I’ve worn a pair that elicited so many comments in one day as the Allbirds Golf Dashers.
And I can’t say I’m all that surprised.
After all, I’ve never seen a pair of Allbirds on the golf course before.
And when I think of the brand, I’d be lying if I said golf was the first thing that came to my mind.
This brings us to the question: “Are Allbirds golf shoes actually any good?”
We’re going to answer that question and more in this Allbirds Golf Dashers review.
Let’s dive in.
First Impressions of the Allbirds Golf Dashers
I’m not gonna lie, when I heard Allbirds was making a golf shoe, I was excited to check them out.
If you’re not familiar with the brand, their goal is to basically make the most comfortable shoes in the world, in an incredibly sustainable way.
I like comfortable shoes. I like the environment.
Sounds good!
But I was concerned that a company that with zero background in golf, would actually be able to make a solid golf shoe.
My first impressions of them when taking the shoes out of the box were:
“Yep, looks like a pair of Allbirds!”
The brand is known for simplicity in their designs. In fact, their different models of shoes might look even more similar than the Payntr shoes, which I’ve also said look very similar to one another.
This is generally a good thing though. If you’re a fan of the brand you know exactly what you’re going to get, and the golf shoes from Allbirds are no different.
They’re a really good-looking pair of spikeless shoes, and are definitely less flashy than offerings from other similar brands.
The major distinguishable feature is the heel, which protrudes a little further out than your typical golf shoe. It’s vaguely reminiscent of styling on some recent Nike running shoes such as the Pegasus 40.
The Golf Dashers are following along in an increasingly popular trend of “all day” golf shoes – or shoes you can wear both on and off the course.
Allbirds Golf Dashers Performance
Generally speaking, “All Day” golf shoes are typically very comfortable. This is often because they’re less robust and supportive than dedicated traditional golf shoes.
As I expected, as soon as I put on my pair of Golf Dashers, my feet became very happy.
Allbirds is known for their comfort, and these shoes are no different.
In fact more than just about any other pair of shoes I’ve reviewed, they don’t feel like golf shoes. They feel like a pretty standard pair of Allbirds – which is a good thing.
It also had me a bit worried. The sole didn’t feel or look overly robust, and I was worried that traction and stability would suffer in these.
My review round wearing the shoes was an early morning round where the course was definitely still covered in dew.
They describe the material as “Made with ZQ Merino Wool and recycled polyester, this ripstop protects against light elements on the course.”
Which reads to me as, “Don’t expect these to be very waterproof.”
So my dewy conditions were perfect to put them through their paces.
And I’ve gotta say, they performed way better than I expected.
I never slipped once, and there wasn’t even a hint of moisture penetrating the inside of the shoe.
In walking about 7 miles my feet were never uncomfortable, and there wasn’t really any break-in period necessary.
I will say, aside from being comfortable, the shoes didn’t improve my game in any way.
When it comes to “All Day” style shoes, it’s less about enhancing your performance and more about providing just enough stability and traction to allow you actually play golf.
Whereas if you’re wearing a pair of Payntr X 004, Adidas Tour 360 shoes, or something of the like – those are actually going to help you play better golf.
But these were a joy to wear on a Summer walk. The Golf Dashers performed better than I expected them to when it comes to comfort, traction, and stability.
It just isn’t quite on the level of a more traditional shoe in those last two.
Final Impressions of the Allbirds Golf Dasher Shoes
If you’re a fan of Allbirds, and you golf? Then there’s no question, go buy a pair of these. They’re everything you like about a standard Allbirds shoe, but totally functional both on the golf course and off of it.
If you’re a fan of comfortable walking golf shoes? Go buy the Allbirds Golf Dashers.
If you want a pair of casual shoes with an emphasis on recycled materials and sustainability? Go buy a pair of Allbirds Dashers.
There are a lot of reasons to love this shoe. Especially considering at $145, they’re quite a bit less expensive than other “All Day” shoes like the G/FORE MG4x2, TRUE Linkswear Lux Hybrids, and All-Day Knit iii.
But I wouldn’t buy these as your only pair of golf shoes.
They just aren’t quite as robust and waterproof enough, to be a “wear anytime, anywhere golf shoe.” Nor are they trying to be.
If you live someplace dry where wet rounds don’t happen often, it might be a different story.
But here in the Pacific Northwest, the weather is too variable for these to be my only pair.
That said, if you’re looking for a Summer shoe that’s comfortable, and that you can wear straight out into town after your round? The Allbirds Golf Dashers didn’t just live up to my expectations, they exceeded them.
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