Bite Golf Shoes

FootJoy. Adidas. Ecco. Even Nike and Dexter. These are the names you think of when you think “golf shoes.” Bite? “Oh, they make those sandals, right?”

Not quite true. Though Bite is often credited as having invented the golf sandal, they’ve grown a bit since then. Bite now makes quite a few golf shoes. I recently had the opportunity to test two pairs on a golf trip to North Carolina. Here are my thoughts.

Innovation
Golf shoes have long been constructed like dress shoes – shiny, hard leathers, thin soles, v-cut lacing, and little or no padding in the sole or upper. Bite marketing director Todd VanSelus says “hard leathers and stiff soles have no place in a game that involves a 5-mile hike through rugged outdoor terrain.” Instead, Bite shoes are constructed with “athletic shoe construction,” meaning soft leathers, thicker rubber and polyurethane outsoles, and generous padding in the upper and tongue. The end goal: a more comfortable, athletic golf shoe that maintains its grip both throughout the golf swing and while walking the course.

Pick up a pair of Bite golf shoes and you can feel the difference. Many of the models feel like sneakers without necessarily looking like sneakers. All of the shoes feature thick, cushioning soles. The Orthosport line was developed with the help of podiatrists to be a biomechanically sound shoe with a wide, square toe box, good heel support, and three footbed inserts for extra cushioning, width adjustment, and increased arch support.

Style

Fortunately, innovation – and a good-fitting shoe – have not come at the expense of style. Bite offers a range of styles, from the classic saddle shoe to the solid-color Hawk. Players with a little more Ian Poulter in them will appreciate shoes like the Derby or the Striped. Speed golfers – and those who wish they were – may appreciate the tennis-shoe-like Impact or the Golf AC, which also offers “air conditioning” uppers that allow air flow.

Unfortunately, the Ian Poulters of the fashion world will not find a lot of color in Bite’s line of shoes. VanSelus says that “there’s a bit more color for 2005, but again we focus on comfort and performance and proper foot mechanics – instead of offering each style in a rainbow of colors.” I don’t particularly buy the argument, and the lack of color may “bite” into Bite sales. Even the women’s line – remains relatively drab compared to the offerings from ever-traditional FootJoy.

If you don’t care for color and are content with the classic combinations of brown, black, and white, then Bite’s got plenty of choices for you. If you want a bit more color on your tootsies, you have to look elsewhere. I do appreciate the desire to “focus on comfort and performance,” though.

Comfort and Performance
I tried two styles: the 2607c, a more classic looking shoe, and the unusual-looking 2002a, one of the “OrthoSport” shoes.

To break the shoes in a bit, I wore them to a local indoor driving range. Hitting off of relatively slick mats, the shoes provided ample comfort and traction. Even during all-out swings I felt safe and secure. The shoes kept their traction on the golf course as well and gripped the turf in many conditions. I confidently walked up dewy hills and slick wooden steps. I swung hard off of pine straw and bare tee boxes. I hit balls off of slick, frost-covered mats early one morning, and never came close to slipping. The spikes interchange easily and employ the standard FastTwist system for simple cleat exchange.

The first day, I wore the OrthoSport model during a round of golf. I wish I hadn’t. The red line towards the toe in the sole of the shoe – you can see it in rightmost picture here – simply didn’t fit the shape of my foot. Instead of helping to bend the shoe across the proper part of my foot, it creased the top of the shoe across my pinkie toe with each step. By the fifth hole, my pinkie toes were sore and I altered my walk to avoid crushing them to a pulp. On the back nine, I developed blisters on my heel. I hitched a ride on a cart for most of the last five holes. On VanSelus’ recommendation, I tried the width-shrinking insert, and the “crease” became less important, but the heels still slipped a bit.

On days two, three, and four I wore the more standard-looking 2607cs from the DXL line. These shoes creased in more than one place and were much, much gentler on my toes and heels. In fact, these shoes have proven to be some of the most comfortable I’ve ever worn. I walked 54 holes in them – with blisters and sore pinkie toes – and my feet felt better each day. These shoes required almost no break-in and were soft and supple from the outset. Despite lacking as much padding as found in the OrthoSports, these feel more like slippers than any pair of golf shoes I’ve ever owned and offer a nice, secure fit without any poking, prodding, or crushing.

Since returning from North Carolina, I’ve tested the OrthoSports by walking around a parking lot and squatting as if to read a putt. The OrthoSports continue to slip on my heel and the DXL line continues to offer excellent support and comfort. The OrthoSport shoes may be tolerable if I were a cart golfer, but as one who enjoys trekking six miles, they’d simply lead to pain and suffering. Of course, your mileage may vary, and the simple fact of the matter is that the OrthoSport line doesn’t fit my foot.

My fitting advice? Buy from a brick and mortar store so that you can try the shoes on first, or order from an online store that allows for returns. Walk and squat a lot to test the shoes and check for any pressure points. Bite shoes are built on cross-trainer lasts, so they fit like athletic shoes. Often, people wear ½-size bigger in athletic shoes, so order appropriately. You may find that the OrthoSport fits your foot perfectly and that the DXL line does not.

The Last Step
VanSelus tells me that the three most important features of Bite shoes are comfort, performance, and traction. Performance, to me, is a measure of traction and comfort, and the DXL/2607c model I tested gets the highest marks possible in both categories. The OrthoSport model is attractive and grips turf like an angry bulldog, but didn’t fit my feet as well as the DXL model.

Bite offers discounts for golf teams and group purchases and is often priced as much as 50% lower than FootJoy, Ecco, and other shoemakers. Plus, they’ve got sandals! The next time you’re in your pro shop, give Bite shoes a look. You may save some cash and wind up with the most comfortable golf shoes you’ve ever owned.