I thought it was a joke. Photoshopped. There was no way it could be.
A few months back on an Instagram account I follow, I saw a photo of a shoe that simply couldn’t be possible.
What was it?
It was a Nike Flyknit Racer, but with a golf sole.
Sure, Nike is a company known for it’s forward thinking, but would they really take one of their least supportive running shoes, and transfer it to a support where stability is absolutely paramount?
Well, the answer as it turns out is yes.
Introducing the Nike Flyknit Racer G.
Is it as weird and polarizing as it sounds? How is it on the course? We’ll answer all of these questions and more in this Nike Flyknit Racer G review.
Nike Flyknit Racer G Review: First Impressions
Before we go any further with this review, I have a confession to make.
I love the original Flyknit Racer. In fact, I’ve got multiple pairs of them. They’re the lightest shoe I’ve own, extremely comfortable, and versatile.
I’m also a huge Nike guy, but I haven’t found the perfect casual Nike golf shoe. I’ve got a pair of blue Flyknit Chukkas that I wear occasionally, but they’re a little too in your face for me.
I used to love my Lunar Waverleys, but frankly, once I got a pair of Ecco Biom Hybrid 2s they blew those out of the water.
I also really like the Air Max golf shoes, but haven’t got around to picking up a pair.
But the Flyknit Racer G really speaks to me.
It comes in two color ways, a volt with black, and a black and white combo that is by far my preferred style.
Out of the box, I was pretty shocked at just how similar it is to the original shoe. Obviously it has a more built up sole, soft spikes, and a waterproofing guard that goes about halfway up the shoe.
Aside from that and some heavier laces, the Flyknit Racer G is really is a true iteration of the shoe.
Flyknit Racer G Performance
For as much as I love Nike, and these shoes in particular, I was pretty skeptical before taking it out on the course.
I mean, how could it be comfortable to play in shoes that were designed to be the fastest marathon shoe on the market.
As it turns out, they actually work much better than I thought.
The shoes are extremely light and comfortable, and after walking back to back rounds in them over two days, my feet still felt fresh and ready for more.
Traction is very solid as well. While for a variety of reasons, this isn’t a shoe you’d want to take out on a wet round, on dry grass, they performed admirably from a traction perspective.
But, there’s one area where this shoe is bound to lag behind more traditional golf shoes, and that’s in ankle and lateral support.
Considering with a golf swing we can be violently shifting our body, legs, and ankles, these shoes don’t provide a lot of support in that department.
The area around the ankle also doesn’t hug the ankle securely all the time. Because there is such minimal material there, it can have a tendency to bow out a bit when you walk. I was able to mitigate much of this by tightening the laces, but it was an issue I noticed.
I didn’t have the major issues with it that I feared I might, but if you’re someone prone to rolling ankles, poor balance, or you’re playing on extremely uneven or hill terrain you may want to think twice before taking these out on the course.
Flyknit Racer G Looks
I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that these are probably going to be the most polarizing golf shoe of 2018. They have absolutely zero golf tradition in mind, and for a lot of people, that’s a very good thing.
They are color blocked with black on the outer edge of the shoe, and white on the inside, which is much more bold than going for say all black with a white swoosh.
Personally, I love the way this looks. I’ve seen a handful of other people on Instagram also profess their love for the look of the shoe.
However, in a poll that I did it was a closer to 50/50 of people who found these shoes hot or not.
More than most golf shoes, the look of these will make a statement, and whether you like them or not is simply a matter of personal taste.
If there’s anything I’d gripe about when it comes to the looks of the shoe, it has to do with the waterproofing they’ve done. Obviously on a golf course you need at least a little bit of waterproof material. And in this case, the clear coating they’ve put over the shoe causes the white to look slightly brown. It’s not super obvious if you see it from farther away, but if you’re holding the shoe in your hand it is certainly noticeable and is the one blemish on an otherwise great looking shoe.
Flyknit Racer G Final Impressions
Obviously I’m a fan of this shoe, but it won’t be for everyone. And even those that it is for, it won’t be for every round.
It’s not for the dew sweepers, or on days where bad weather is imminent.
And for many people, to buy a $175 shoe that you can’t wear day in and day out may be a luxury splurge that is difficult to justify.
It’s also worth noting the relatively low review score. Because it isn’t necessarily reflective of my thoughts on the shoe. If you said you were thinking about buying it and asked me what I thought? I’d say a resounding yes. I love them.
But we do our reviews based on 4 categories:
- Presentation (Looks) – 20%
- Performance – 40%
- Price – 20%
- Personal Affinity – 20%
For this shoe, I knocked 1 point off looks due to the discoloration.
It performs very well for what it is, but it’s certainly not going to be as stable and performance oriented as a high end traditional golf shoe
Price – This is what kills it. I gave it a 6, because let’s face it $175 is a lot of money for a golf shoe that you won’t wear all the time.
I gave it a full 10 for personal affinity though, because I’m obviously a fan.
All of that said, for those of you who do cop a pair? You’ll be treated to an extremely comfortable summer shoe, that’s going to get comments no matter where you play.
