Best Disc Golf Shoes?

[uncle pennybags]

A former co-worker is a Digital Director at Merrell and they are really trying to get into disc golf (they're sponsoring Ledgestone and several other events this year). They sent me the shoes they think are best for Disc Golf and asked me to try them out.

The Merrell MQMs (I like the MTL MQM) have beat out the Adidas Terrex I've been wearing for 5 years. I wear them every round now. They feel broken in when they're brand new because the of the material they're made of, but they're perfectly waterproof as well.

I loved the Terrex Swift R3s, but they always break down at the toe where I drag a bit on lower powered throws—and were very stiff brand new.

Interesting. If the mid came with speed laces I'd be down for trying a pair.

This year I didn't like the way Salomon and changed my favorite dg shoes so I went with LaSportiva Ultra Raptors. Super comfy but the tread is just a little too soft an grippy for teeing off of a lot of concrete teepads.

 

[drk_evns]

Merrell makes a terrific boot. The above does not look like much of a departure from their long standing offerings. I don't use them because of their toe box. It is much more pointed, as is the Terrex. I am also not a fan of the tread on this incantation. Merrel had the best disc golf tread on the market for awhile and has discontinued making it. For those that can use a pointed toe box, this looks like a great option.

I hope they sponsor Master's Worlds. If I get a 50%+ discount, I would gladly pick up a pair for light hiking.

MQM toebox is huge! I have wide feet and it's nothing like the Terrex.

 

[drk_evns]

Interesting. If the mid came with speed laces I'd be down for trying a pair.

This year I didn't like the way Salomon and changed my favorite dg shoes so I went with LaSportiva Ultra Raptors. Super comfy but the tread is just a little too soft an grippy for teeing off of a lot of concrete teepads.

I always swap out my laces for Salomon's quick laces as well.

 

[ru4por]

MQM toebox is huge! I have wide feet and it's nothing like the Terrex.

Hmmmm....cool. The pics online don't seem to do it justice. The toe looks similair to other Merrel offerings. I moved to Keen to find a wider, more square toe box. I will see if I can find a MQM shoe in a store. Thanks. :thmbup:

 

[sgamerp]

Funny that this got hot today was going to ask what people recommend for discing lately.

 

[Countchunkula]

I've had a couple of pairs of Merrells and always liked them initially, but the sole would separate from the boot sooner than I'd like. I think both pairs were Moabs, but it's been a while. I'm pretty much exclusively getting shoes with some sort of toe cap nowadays.

 

[drk_evns]

Hmmmm....cool. The pics online don't seem to do it justice. The toe looks similair to other Merrel offerings. I moved to Keen to find a wider, more square toe box. I will see if I can find a MQM shoe in a store. Thanks. :thmbup:

I have a hunch they do that on purpose to make them look more sleek. I thought the same until it arrived.

I hear Keen are solid too!

 

[uncle pennybags]

I always swap out my laces for Salomon's quick laces as well.

I meant the lace lug hooks. Those merells have only holes. Makes it more annoying to get goofy feet into and out of midtop shoes.

 

[joegraham]

I heard that a new shoe company was advertising on coverage of the Preserve tournament. Does anyone have info or the name of the company or a link to check them out? Thanks.

 

[RickRobo]

I'm very interested and frustrated in waterproof (Gore-Tex, GTX) shoes/mids. I've gone through Timberlands, Saucony, and Salomons waterproof shoes and they have all leaked water in a matter of months. After researching, the consensus seems to be that waterproof shoes do not stay waterproof. How can shoe companies get away with this?

I just want a waterproof, hiking shoe/mid for disc golf that stays waterproof.

 

[Nick Pacific]

I loved the Terrex Swift R3s, but they always break down at the toe where I drag a bit on lower powered throws—and were very stiff brand new.

Yep they're stiff when out of the box, but this is a problem with most (all?!) sturdy reinforced hiker type shoes are. What I do is wear my new Terrex to the office for the year, they make for a comfy office shoe if you can get away with business casual. By the season end, I'll send a pair of Terrex that's been getting beat to hell on the course to the trash and cycle in those office worn shoes right into the mix, and get another new pair cycled in for the office. I've been doing this rotation with Terrex for like 10 years now or something like that.

 

[Nick Pacific]

I just want a waterproof, hiking shoe/mid for disc golf that stays waterproof.

None of them will hold up with the exception of heavy duty boots that are rubber enclosed all the way up, and even those will eventually leak. The GTX liner for me is useful as a thick, insulated warm sock built right into a comfy, light trail runner shoe, so it works as a great go between for 30 - 45 degree weather for when a winter boot isn't necessary but a regular shoe would leave my feet cold.

I'd look into waterproof socks, but also remember those things run warm and will leave your feet scorching hot on a very warm day. You could also wear lightweight, breathable trainers and comfy poly or thin smart wool socks and just get wet and not worry about it. It takes some practice and getting used to this. Having an extra pair of shoes and socks for long multiple round days for me seems to work the best.

 

[Sewer bill]

I'm very interested and frustrated in waterproof (Gore-Tex, GTX) shoes/mids. I've gone through Timberlands, Saucony, and Salomons waterproof shoes and they have all leaked water in a matter of months. After researching, the consensus seems to be that waterproof shoes do not stay waterproof. How can shoe companies get away with this?

I just want a waterproof, hiking shoe/mid for disc golf that stays waterproof.

They get away with it because we have no functional consumer protections from deceptive or misleading advertising. If they stated that after 1000 sole flex cycles they are no longer waterproof they would be at a disadvantage to the company who just listed them as waterproof. You can buy the same spray coating the factory uses to re make them waterproof again but it's a dastardly chemical and you probably shouldn't be exposed to it even on finished products without a cannister style half face respirator.

If shoes had an ingress protection rating that was certified by an independent laboratory there would only be work boots or muck boots in the waterproof category, there are zero truly waterproof hiking or trail boots on the market.

If you want truly waterproof til the shoe is worn out footwear you need to get high quality leather work boots. I get about 2 years out of a set of 300 dollar redwings and they stay waterproof the entire time.

 

[lee76007]

I have 3 pairs of Nortiv 8 that have done me well. Excellent gripping, waterproof with the appropriate surface.

2 plus years with a tennis shoe type that I use for wooded courses with sparse grass. I use them the most, and their wearing out.

A little less than 2 years a hiking boot, feet are always dry. I was using them for grass surface courses because of the morning dew in my area and also any standing water from rain. but as I was transitioning from a two step to a three-step this year for form building and plus I'm 60 years old they were getting to clumsy and heavy On My Feet during a throw. but there are a few courses where there's some creeks, I still use them in case I need to retrieve a disc, which is seldom i play those courses. they're still in good shape not used as often as I use too.

In July to relieve that clumsiness with the transition to three step I picked up an in-betweener tennis shoe hiking shoe they have that I use for grass surface courses and also for my practice field because it's grass surface and they keep my feet dry and I'm not throwing clumsy anymore.

 

[drk_evns]

Yep they're stiff when out of the box, but this is a problem with most (all?!) sturdy reinforced hiker type shoes are. What I do is wear my new Terrex to the office for the year, they make for a comfy office shoe if you can get away with business casual. By the season end, I'll send a pair of Terrex that's been getting beat to hell on the course to the trash and cycle in those office worn shoes right into the mix, and get another new pair cycled in for the office. I've been doing this rotation with Terrex for like 10 years now or something like that.

That's a good cycle. I used to have a similar pattern. I've been wearing the SwiftRs since 2017 and they've been degrading in durability with each iteration. The pair I bought in February broke down within a few months. After that I switched to Merrell MQM3s. They require zero break in and have shown no signs of breaking down after a hard year of disc golf. Even my toe drag issue hasn't eaten through it yet.

 

[bnrstnkr]

I had Merrell Moab 2 GoreTex Mid for 3 years. They started flaying at the rubber toebox, and the tread was losing traction from smoothing over. I beat the crap out of them, hard to do better when your roughing it in the midwest. I was going to get another pair and saw they came out with the Merrell Moab Speed Solo - Mid. It's very similar but closer to a sneaker on the sneaker-boot spectrum that hiking shoes fall on. I got them for $100 with sales and think they are about as good for disc in those conditions as I can do. I also found these Nike Terminator "Hiking Boot" that I'll use in less severe courses. Drew Gibson plays in some pretty sweet Nikes, I think he was playing in Jordan 11 lows in one clip!

 

[Nick Pacific]

That's a good cycle. I used to have a similar pattern. I've been wearing the SwiftRs since 2017 and they've been degrading in durability with each iteration. The pair I bought in February broke down within a few months. After that I switched to Merrell MQM3s. They require zero break in and have shown no signs of breaking down after a hard year of disc golf. Even my toe drag issue hasn't eaten through it yet.

So I go into DSW to pick up some new Terrex for 2024, and I remembered you mentioning something about the declining durability. Rather than just grabbing 2 pair of my size and running out the door as usual, I figured I'd really inspect them a bit and jump around in them just to make sure, as its been 2 years since I bought some.

I noticed right away this new iteration did look different. And the materials look.....different too. Rather than taking a chance, I took your advice and headed over to the Merrel section. Tried a bunch on, and really liked the Fly Strikes. A tad bit more expensive but they felt really, really comfortable, lightweight and the soles on them look pretty rugged. Grabbed a couple pair, thanks for the head up.

 

[Nick Pacific]

After that I switched to Merrell MQM3s. They require zero break in and have shown no signs of breaking down after a hard year of disc golf. Even my toe drag issue hasn't eaten through it yet.

Do you have the standard ones or the GTX? Loving the Merrel Fly Strikes as my office shoes so far, man they are really comfortable. I'm eventually going to need new GTX shoes and it looks like they don't make the Fly Strikes in that version, curious what you're using for GTX shoes.

 

[crushboi]

I really liked Vans but then we had a really wet summer so that didn't work. So I got me a pair of Vivobarefoot Magna Fgs. They are slightly hot so I'm gonna try some Magna Lite WR Sgs

 

[mzuleger]

Adidas Terrex are at Costco for $35 if anyone is interested (not the gortex ones though)