Why the Nike Lunar Waverly is a Force to Be Reckoned With

If you’ve been reading this blog for awhile you know that I’m a huge Nike guy. My fiance used to work in Nike Golf, I grew up in Eugene, what can I say, it’s in my blood.

That said, some of their golf products are better than others. Their balls historically I’ve found to be relatively so-so compared to the competition, for instance.

That said, I’ve found that Nike Golf always nails footwear and apparel.

I LOVE my Nike Golf Rain Suit, and am trekking through Scotland with it next month. I’m also still rocking both my Lunar Control shoes and my TW 13s (which I like better than the 14s).

All of that said, I’ve been wanting a more casual pair of summer golf shoes to wear around the course. Something that looked a bit better with shorts, and was just a little more understated.

I’d seen the entry level Swingtips (around $60) which I really liked, but recently I stumbled upon the Nike Lunar Waverly and fell in love.

I bought the shoes on the spot in the black, white, and volt color-way (which I by far liked the best) and couldn’t wait to get them out on the course.

I’ve now played 4 rounds in them, and not only have they been comfortable, but I’ve received compliments and questions on them during every round I’ve played.

I don’t know that I’d necessarily call them a true summer shoe (Nike positions it in their “Versatility” line), as they’re fully water proof, and don’t have mesh uppers like some other more casual golf shoes out there.

For me this is a good thing. It adds longevity to the shoes in terms of how late into the year I can wear them, and there’s nothing worse than wet feet after striding around in dew from an early morning round.

The cork insoles are also a cool surprise that not only look unique, but are really comfortable as well.

I found grip and performance to be better than expected, as this is the first time I’d ever played a round without traditional soft spikes. This is evidenced by the fact that I shot my best round ever at Pumpkin Ridge while wearing them, and had two other solid 83s in the week following.

The only real knock on performance is that on the range, I started to feel my big toe on my right foot feel get a little sore after repeated turns. Most of this is due to a skiing incident I had earlier this year, and the toe still being a little tender – but I noticed it more in these shoes than either of my other golf shoes.

At around $125 for the shoes on Amazon, they certainly aren’t the cheapest golf shoes ever, but for the combination of comfort, style, and performance I don’t think you’ll find a better match.

It’s also well positioned price-wise between the new Lunar Mont Royal and Lunar Clayton’s which look great, but at $250 are a little bit more than I wanted to spend on a somewhat specialized shoe.

I’d highly recommend these shoes to anyone looking for a more casual style golf shoe, without wanting to sacrifice comfort and performance.  Seriously, these look and feel so good, I’ve at times wanted to wear them off the golf course.

Also gotta love the nod to one of the city of Portland’s most established country clubs (Waverly).

Have you worn the Nike Lunar Waverly? What do you think?