FootJoy has long been the dominant player in the golf shoe industry and in 2009 is looking to continue that tradition with the release of their SYNR-G golf shoes.
Boasting a number of pretty nifty features and some serious technology, its safe to say that these are some pretty sweet rides for your feet and look to be seriously comfortable to make your round just a bit more enjoyable.
Let’s take a look under the leather at the latest from FootJoy.
SYNR-G Shoes
One of the cool new features of the new SYNR-G shoes is what is called the “Extreme Comfort Leather” or ECL, which is a new proprietary waterproofing system that was developed in conjunction with Pittards of England. It is membrane-free and is 30% softer than prior generations of FootJoy performance leather and has a 2-year waterproof warranty.
Another comfort feature is the Memory Foam, which is the same material used in some mattresses today (your feet will hopefully just be comfortable and not fall asleep.) The collar and tongue of the SYNR-G are made from this material for better comfort.
Continuing inside the SYNR-G, the HeelLoc Zone uses silicone in order to reduce friction and keeps your foot safely in place inside the shoe. So you can “swing right out of your shoes” yet not really come out of your shoes. Nice! Finally we find the Laser Last, which is a “composite of thousands of digital scans of the FootJoy Laser Fitting System” and features a “full rounded toe character, standard fit across forefoot and instep, with a slightly narrow heel.”
Looking at the outside, the EVA midsole gives you “tremendous underfoot cushioning and shock dampening” and in coordination with the G-Force outsole, helps to provide a very conformtable yet very staple foundation (again, feel free to swing hard). The G-Force TPU (thermoplastic urethane) Tri-Density outsole gives you what FooJoy describes as a “stable hitting platform throughout all stages of the golf swing.” Ten points for the marketing folks who came up with “stable hitting platform” for a pair of golf shoes. I’ll be sure to use that line with my golf buddies this year: “How’s your stable hitting platform?” If you’ve got the SYNR-G, yours is probably just fine.
Continuing with the outside sole, there is a two-part forefoot flexibility channels aka, Dual OptiFlex Technology which is made from TPU (thermoplastic urethane) and gives “unparalleled walking comfort and flexibility.” For those of you who walk a golf course, this feature will come in handy. For the cart-only folks, probably not so much.
Working with the outsole is the Tri-Lateral Stability frame which also is made from TPU and helps to provide a golfer with lateral control during their swing (won’t help with that lateral shift thing you’ve got going on in your swing, though, buddy). The Perforated Alloy Stability Bridge also helps out in the “platform stability” process as well as something called “torque reduction.” Physics, physics, and more physics – and all to make you a higher performing and more comfortable golf shoe.
Rounding out the SYRN-G is the Stinger golf spikes by Champ. According to FootJoy, “The Stinger golf spike offers superior traction throughout the entire golf swing. This golf spike also provides stability and support from the moment you step foot on the course. Unlike traditional spikes, its spring-flex traction makes the Stinger extra friendly to the greens.”
According to me, the Stinger spikes are great and are a staple in all my golf shoes for the past couple of years. They feel great, are easy to swap out and they even tell you when need to be changed. Toss in the fact they are quite “green friendly” and they are definitely a great golf spike in my opinion and well worth trying.
The SYNR-G comes in four flavors, White Lizard Print/White Smooth, Brown Lizard Print/White Smooth, Black Lizard Print/White Smooth (my favorite), and Black Lizard Print/Black Smooth with each carrying a suggested retail price of $220, or a street price of about $190. You can walk the course in style right now with the SYNR-G so check them out at your favorite FootJoy retailer.
As far as sizing goes, FootJoy has you covered with a multitude of sizes and widths. For those with a narrow width, you have from size 9 in half sizes through 12, and 13. For those with a Medium and Wide widths, you have from size 7 through 12 in half sizes as well as 13, 14, and 15 (the last in medium only).
Final Thoughts
To say FootJoy makes a pretty popular shoe is a mild understatement and the SYNR-G line looks to be next in line to carry on their banner. They look nice and seem to have quite a bit of comfort technology built-in to keep your feet nice and happy on those blissful days of playing 36.
I’m pretty happy with my current shoes but that certainly doesn’t mean I won’t be giving these a try. I’m always looking for shoes that provide as much comfort as possible as I like to walk as often as I can. These look pretty stylish and comfortable, which makes them a “must try” for me.
When I roll onto my forward ankle (left) some shoes with a thick sole make for a big drop down to the ground. I always wake up the next day with a sore left ankle. The most comfortable shoe for me is one with a very thin sole ie the old FJ softjoys. Does any of this new technology address this complaint? Most of the new shoes seem to have really thick soles especially on the heel.