Questions on footwear

[uNicedmeMan1]

These look pretty sweet

 

[some call me...tim?]

Those do look pretty nice--a little too nice for the wear and tear of DG if you ask me. Also, they're pretty spendy for not being waterproof.

 

[Eric O]

I don't know what that shoe is designed for but it's definitely not disc golf. Plus like Tim said, it's got a huge sticker price for a shoe with no waterproof membrane. The fact that it isn't waterproof makes it an instant pass for me anyway. Then there are all those leather panels that will end up waterlogged and making the shoe heavy in wet conditions and will take forever to dry out between uses. Does it have a good lug sole? You can't even tell since there is no photo from the bottom.

DG shoes for me go one of two ways:

Dry weather shoes that are as lightweight and breathable as possible. Running shoes with mesh uppers tend to work best for me.

All weather shoes that have a lugged sole and waterproof membrane. The only thing besides the lug and membrane I look for is light weight. The shoes that fit in this category are usually labeled as trail runners.

I consider my DG shoes to have a limited lifespan for as often as I golf, so I usually just look for bargains on any quality shoe in either of the above categories. Model, brand, and styling is an afterthought compared to function, lightweight and pricing.

 

[keltik1]

well i bought a pair of keen's.....a pair of "casual" boots.....so i've had them a week or so and the damn things are already coming apart......yeah i caught them on sale but give me a break......"made in china" strikes again

should i take these boots back to rei and ask for a refund or should i go straight to keen?

i finally find a shoe that fits my mutant cat-fish foot and then they worth a kick in a hog's ass

 

[Jaysus]

should i take these boots back to rei and ask for a refund or should i go straight to keen?

go to REI.

P.S. which keens? I have 4 pairs - no problems yet.

 

[IdahoLefty1]

well ive been wearing skate shoes since i started playing. but since living in oregon and playing none cement tee pads and some rough forest courses i picked these up a week or so ago. http://www.merrell.com/US/Default.aspx#store/M/M-F/12465M-28972/

i have about 12 rounds on them now cement pads and all. rain,mud,snow and everything else they are great so far. water proof and tough. im happy so far we shall see how the summer heat treats them.

 

[t i m]

I've got The Merrell Chameleon Wrap Gore-Tex XCRs, and they have worked very well for what all I've put them through in the last month -- several days of hiking and several icebowls. Despite what one of the customer reviews on the site says, I've found these to have very good traction -- that's what I got them for. That, and the huge rubber around the toe I figured would hold up well for disc golf.

These were on sale at REI for $80, and even though it's the most I've ever spent on a pair of shoes, I figured it was worth trying this once. My previous disc golf shoes were a pair of North Face trail shoes and they started falling apart within the first few rounds I played with them. Unfortunately, I had gotten them at a discount store and there was no way to return them (fortunately, they were a great price). However, after the bad experience with the North Face shoes, I decided it was worth getting my next disc golf shoes at REI, where they are great about replacing shoes if you have any problems.

The Merrell's I have run large -- I usually wear size 10.5 shoes, and with these, I purchased a size 10, and I have to wear really thick socks or two pairs of regular socks to get a comfy fit. This isn't a bad thing, as I've been playing in winter, but I may have to use a different, smaller pair of shoes for the summer. Really tempted to try the Vibram Five Fingers -- oh, those look so sweet.

 

[Timko]

I just bought a pair of these on a whim off of steepandcheap:

http://chacousa.com/Portal.aspx?CN=C031528C038F&MN=0BB282DB738F

They're chaco mid hight waterproof shoes, and man, do they feel well made. I've never owned a pair of Chaco sandals, but I didn't realize how bulletproof their soles are. I'll be interested to see how they perform on wet conditions, but they seem to track mud into their small grooves, which gives you this very nice base to stick to the pad. It's kinda weird, but I was able to throw with tremendous footing on one of our courses with no pads while the other people on my card were slipping all over the place.

 

[Jaysus]

I just bought a pair of these on a whim off of steepandcheap:

http://chacousa.com/Portal.aspx?CN=C031528C038F&MN=0BB282DB738F

They're chaco mid hight waterproof shoes, and man, do they feel well made. I've never owned a pair of Chaco sandals, but I didn't realize how bulletproof their soles are. I'll be interested to see how they perform on wet conditions, but they seem to track mud into their small grooves, which gives you this very nice base to stick to the pad. It's kinda weird, but I was able to throw with tremendous footing on one of our courses with no pads while the other people on my card were slipping all over the place.

I've been meaning to check them out since Chaco first introduced them... but I need to try them on first, and no one carries them in my area.

How would you rate the fit on the "true to size" scale??

 

[Timko]

I feel they're 1/4 to 1/2 size bigger, depending on the width of your foot. I would say they run slightly more narrow than a tennis shoe. I can wear between an 8 and an 8 1/2. I opted for the 8.5's, and they fit perfectly.

The sole of these shoes is the best I've ever used for disc golf, and they've got the toe protection like Keens (which never fit me right).

 

[pointdisc]

Merrel Pivots anyone? My Chemleon Stretch IIs are about two years old now and needing to be replaced.

pd

 

[inthedrift]

I just bought a pair of Merrell Intercept Goretex and I'm loving them. I think they might be a bit too grippy when summer rolls around but I just switch to running shoes then. These Merrells are keeping my feet warm and dry in the snow without being too bulky and bootlike.

 

[dgdave]

Anyone tried New Balance 1520s? I tried a pair on and the were amazing in the store.

 

[dgdave]

these

http://www.newbalance.com/products/MO1520/

 

[Luke1]

Those look awesome. I'm not necessarily into a disc golf only shoe, but I'd buy those.

 

[Jaysus]

Anyone tried New Balance 1520s? I tried a pair on and the were amazing in the store.

ohhh... I like that shoe! Wonder if there is a non-gortex version yet?

P.S. Zappos has some more views of the shoe: http://www.zappos.com/ViewProduct.action?productId=7497759

 

[stoneman]

Reminds me of the shoes my grandpa wore to walk in the mall. :shock:

 

[dgdave]

Anyone tried New Balance 1520s? I tried a pair on and the were amazing in the store.

I still haven't trown down for any, but I'm still thinking about it. Anyone else got any yet?

 

[dgdave]

There is a non gore-tex version now

http://www.zappos.com/product/7497759/color/3836

 

[XvileX]

I'm jumping into this discussion rather late, but whatever. I'm lazy when it comes to shoes. Although, I did spend 3 years working in a factory going through a pair of cross-trainers every six months.

If the course is dry, I wear old school Vans. If it's wet, I toss on some Adidas shell toes.

I'm just too lazy to buy shoes that would be good for me.