Payntr X 005 Review: Is this their Most High Tech Shoe Yet?

Over the past year, I’ve now reviewed a number of Payntr golf shoes.

I’m not sure there’s a new brand that has impressed me so much in the early stages of their business.

While Payntr has been around for a while, primarily making cricket shoes, they’ve been in the golf world for less than 5 years.

Usually, it takes at least that long for a new company to find their stride.

This is especially true when it comes to something as finicky as footwear. Design, materials, fit – so much goes into it.

Anyone can make a polo shirt these days. And if it doesn’t fit quite right? Oh well, it goes back in your drawer until you lose (or gain) a few pounds.

But shoes? If you put on a pair of shoes for the first time and walk 18 holes? You’ve got one shot, or you’ve lost a customer for life.

You can forgive an ill-fitting polo. But if a pair of shoes makes your life miserable for 4 hours – it’s tough to come back from that.

Making a comfortable shoe that also elevates your performance on the golf course? That’s a true challenge.

And fortunately for all of us, that’s what Payntr does really well.

I’ve now had 3 rounds in their latest shoe, the Payntr X 005. How do they perform? How do they stack up to their other models? 

Let’s find out.

First Impressions of the Payntr X 005 Golf Shoes

In my last review of the Payntr X 004 RS, I made an observation about the styling of Payntr shoes.

Specifically, I said that all of their golf shoes look very similar.

My thought here was that since they’re a small company, they keep styles looking similar across their line of shoes in order to keep costs low and maintain consistency across their brand.

Turns out, I wasn’t completely off base.

Last month I played a round of golf with President and C0-Founder of Payntr shoes Mike Forsey.

He told me that people were loving their first spiked shoe, the X 004 – but wanted to see similar features in one of the spikeless models they’ve become known for.

“We can do that!”

This is how the X 005 came to be.

As you can see, they look very similar to the Payntr X 004 RS – which in my opinion is a good thing.

I really like the look of these shoes, and with the “Blister-free PMX Heel” it has some similar design elements to the last generation Nike Zoom Infinity Tour.

Another thing you’ll find in this shoe, and all Payntr shoes is a whole lot of technical bullet points (like that PMX heel above.)

One of the beliefs at Payntr is that golf has swung too far towards fashion, rather than function. I could definitely see some truth here. All-day shoes like the TRUE Lux Hybrid or the G/FORE MG4x2 look great both on and off the course.

But they’re not necessarily going to improve your game. Instead, they perform just well enough on the course to not get in your way, and allow you to get around the course.

With Payntr they want their shoes to give you a competitive advantage, and actually improve your game.

I could feel it when wearing the X 004 RS.

And the good news is that with so many similarities, it didn’t take long to feel it with the X 005 as well.

Payntr X 005 Performance

The Payntr X 005s are very comfortable golf shoes. Of the three rounds I’ve played in them, 2 of them I walked the course. Zero blisters or discomfort.

I also expected to notice a big difference in stability between these and the 004 model since they weren’t traditional spiked shoes. But while there’s some extra traction in the 004 – under normal dry circumstances I felt just as planted and comfortable in the X 005 shoes as I did those.

You can read about more of the technical specs that go into these shoes in my X 004 RS review, but there’s one thing I did want to highlight.

“Dual Density PMX Nitro+ Foam Midsole.”

I won’t even pretend to know what all of this means exactly. But in layman’s terms, this shoe uses a nitrogen-infused midsole to help give you enhanced energy return with every step you take.

You may or may not feel this, but it’s not only enabling a more powerful swing, but it’s reducing your effort as you walk the course as well.

The concept is similar to what Nike used with their Vaporfly Next% shoes – the shoes used in the attempt to break a 2-hour marathon.

By enhancing the energy return, even by a few percentage points, you’re able to impact performance significantly. 

And while I don’t know the ins and outs of exactly how Payntr does this, the concept is similar.

I’ve reviewed the Payntr X 003 shoes, which are excellent – but the X 005 are better.

Specifically, I like the sole more. There’s better traction, and it’s a weird thing, but the X 003 squeak whenever I walk on hard floors in the clubhouse ha.

But the 003 still represent one of the better values in golf shoes, being under $150.

The leather exterior of the 005 looks great. Although I am finding that they’re prone to creasing in the toe box after a few rounds. This isn’t something that bothers me, but it’s worth noting if you’re someone who always wants your shoes to look like they’re brand new out of the box.

Final thoughts on the Payntr X 005 Shoes

The new Payntr X 005 shoes might just be my favorite of the Payntr bunch.

They kick up the performance a notch from other spikeless models, but they’re slightly more comfortable than the spiked X 004 shoes.

I applaud Payntr for keeping their strategy and designs simple, while focusing on their tech which helps players improve their game.

At the same time, we’re now on the 5th generation of Payntr shoes (001, 002, 003, 004, 005) and I’ll admit, it’s getting a little difficult to decipher the differences between each shoe. This is both in terms of performance and style.

But for the purposes of this review, let’s make it simple.

If you want a shoe that will actually help you play better golf, look good, and still be very comfortable in the process? Look no further than Payntr.

If you prefer a spikeless model, then go with the one we reviewed today, the Payntr X 005.

If you prefer a more traditional spiked shoe, go with the Payntr X 004 RS.

Want something that does all of those things, but saves you some money, at the expense of a little bit less traction? Grab the X 003.

I’ve worn dozens of different golf shoes over the years, and consistently Payntr is up there with the best, despite only being around for a few years.

That says a lot.

If you get a pair, not only will your golf game thank you, but you’ll definitely earn some style points from other golfers in the know.

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A shoe packed with technology from one of golf's hottest brands

9.3 Buy em!

Payntr is making some killer golf shoes right now. The fact they've only been around a few years makes this even more impressive. The 005 is as good as any of their models, and are packed with all kinds of technical advancements. The hardest part about choosing a Payntr shoe is differentiating between the different models. But these are great and highly recommended.

The Good

1. Packed with technological shoe advancements
2. Very comfortable with no break in period necessary

The Bad

1. Heel can be prone to getting rocks in it
2. Is tough to differentiate many Payntr models

• Presentation 9
• Performance 10
• Price 9
• Personal Affinity 9