TRUE Linkswear Major And Early 2019 Plans

[iacas]

Though you can expect a full review to follow in a few weeks, I wanted to share some of my photos of the first major new release from TRUE Linkswear in 2019 - the Major - and to share what I learned about TRUE's plans for 2019.

As many of you know, TRUE burst onto the scene in 2010 with the TRUE Tour. The Tour was a "minimalist" golf shoe - wide toe box, no heel drop, flexible and lightweight, very little "structure" or "support" - that provided a breath of fresh air in golf.

They followed up the Tour with some other shoes, and then followed those up with some other shoes that weren't really all that good, chasing the retail game instead of sticking to their well received niche - comfortable, stylish golf shoes that have a minimalist angle to them, sold mostly direct-to-consumer and with great customer service and support.

Before I get to my first impressions, here are some notes about where TRUE is headed in the first half of 2019…

TRUE Knits

TRUE Men's Knit | TRUE linkswear

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The most comfortable golf shoe on the market. The TRUE Knit is lightweight, breathable, and water repellent.

The TRUE Knits are doing really well for TRUE and is one of the most popular models they've ever introduced. I'm wearing a pair (navy blue) right now and they're a fantastic "everyday" shoe.

In early 2019, the LinkSoul partnership that has already brought us the Limited Edition LinkSoul shoe will introduce another LinkSoul/TRUE co-branded shoe in a color that completes the sentence "His approach shot found the putting ________." And no, it's not going to be a "surface" colored shoe, whatever that would be. 🙂

There's also going to be a Jet Black Knit with a gum colored outsole that I expect will be bangin', as well as a third new Knit colorway that I'm really looking forward to. TRUE partnered with their local MS foundation to create the MS Knit, the purchases of which will send $30 back to the MS foundation. This Knit, coming by about the time the Masters champion is crowned, is a charcoal shoe with orange accents, including an orange ribbon embroidered on the heel and a bright orange insert.

TRUE TL-01

I dug this photo up from the sneak peek the company offered at the PGA Merchandise Show last month.

From what I can gather… The TL-01 is:

• Extremely light weight.
• Full grain Napa Leather
• Sneaker style, kinda like some of of those old casual canvas shoes
• Low profile with a sock-fit liner
• Features a different tread than on the Knits
• Utilize a different outsole material with a lightweight exterior
• Will be "water resistant" (the sign above is from an older variant/model).
• Will make a great casual, everyday shoe that you can wear to practice or play golf, too

The colors, you can see flipping through the Instagram post above: white, grey, black.

TRUE Major

TRUE Major | TRUE linkswear

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The TRUE Major brings performance and comfort to an entirely new level. Worn by TOUR Pro Ryan Moore, the Major is the highest performing spikeless golf shoe on the market.

The Major you can read a lot about on the link above. In bullet points:

• Replacing the Outsider - if you're an Outsider fan, get them while they last!
• Moderate heel drop: 4-6mm
• Moderate toe box: not as wide as the Tour, not as narrow as the Elements.
• Fully waterproof with a two-year guarantee. They've done this via a fully breathable waterproof liner that wraps around the inside of the shoe, like a booty. It's breathable and yet waterproof at the same time.
• Awesome paracord lacing and a system that tightens the whole track of laces, not just at the top.
• Reflective elements in the lacing, on the "TRUE" logo, in the heel loop, and elsewhere on the shoe, for nighttime safety… and because it looks cool. 🙂
• A toe flex zone for out-of-the-box, instant comfort. Most leather shoes in particular require a break-in period, or will wear out where the toe flexes quite a bit. The Major looks to avoid this with the Toe Flex zone.
• Instead of coming in a box that, while it may look cool you'll throw away, comes in a high-quality shag bag that I think we might see being sold separately soon. Really, this is awesome, and if you're not the type to use a bag for your shoes, you can store your wallet, keys, 50 shag golf balls, whatever you want in this cool bag.

 

Player Advisory Board

In 2019, Ryan Moore is obviously not only a part owner, but is the first member of the Player Advisory Board. TRUE Linkswear is looking to work with anywhere from two to four or five additional PGA/Web.com/European Tour golfers to start. These players will, like Ryan is, be involved with the testing, feedback, design, and utility of current and future shoes.

My photos (Majors and the shag bags they come in) will be in the next post.

[saevel25]

I just received my pair of shoes today. I love the shoe bag that comes with the shoes. They might be one of the more right out-of-box comfortable pair of shoes I've put on. 

Right now, I have the 10.5 size. I tend to wear a 10 wide. I can tell maybe the shoes are a smidge big. I wonder if a size 10 would work better, especially once the shoes wear in a bit. 

[ncates00]

This might be a weird question, but are these sort of like Merrell's trail running zero drop shoes?  Merrell has a bit bigger toe box like these.

[iacas]

1 minute ago, ncates00 said:

This might be a weird question, but are these sort of like Merrell's trail running zero drop shoes?  Merrell has a bit bigger toe box like these.

Kinda.

But these are 4-6mm drop (depending on shoe size). But otherwise, yes, fairly "minimalist."

[ncates00]

They look comfy, and yet, look like shoes your buddy would ask what they were (in a good way).

[iacas]

So some initial impressions in no particular order:

• The bags are sweet. I love the lower zipper, though I can't see myself using that much, I'll pretty much always be using the big clip at the top I think. But the bag is nice, and would hold a LOT of golf balls.
• The Toe Flex zone works as advertised. The leather will still flex on the sides, but on the top, it pretty much flexes past the laces.
• The laces are great. They're thick, pull tight from top to bottom, and grip each other well without binding too tightly.
• The material on the toe is a lovely soft suede type feeling stuff without the "furry" nature of actual suede.
• The vertical part of the heel is just a bit stiffer, and the opening a bit larger, so I won't need the shoehorn I've been using for the other shoes (mostly just for ease, not because they're particularly tight).
• The thick heel loop also assists in getting the shoes on.
• The leather on the sides is thick and supple. It feels very, very high quality (because it is).
• The tread is a proven performer, and it'll work well on the golf course and in the grocery store.
• The bags, again, are great. 😄

Here are some photos:

P.S. The red tag on the laces comes off easily. I left them on for the official photos and took them off for some of the later ones I took more officially the next day.

[boogielicious]

11 hours ago, iacas said:

So some initial impressions in no particular order:

• The bags are sweet. I love the lower zipper, though I can't see myself using that much, I'll pretty much always be using the big clip at the top I think. But the bag is nice, and would hold a LOT of golf balls.
• The Toe Flex zone works as advertised. The leather will still flex on the sides, but on the top, it pretty much flexes past the laces.
• The laces are great. They're thick, pull tight from top to bottom, and grip each other well without binding too tightly.
• The material on the toe is a lovely soft suede type feeling stuff without the "furry" nature of actual suede.
• The vertical part of the heel is just a bit stiffer, and the opening a bit larger, so I won't need the shoehorn I've been using for the other shoes (mostly just for ease, not because they're particularly tight).
• The thick heel loop also assists in getting the shoes on.
• The leather on the sides is thick and supple. It feels very, very high quality (because it is).
• The tread is a proven performer, and it'll work well on the golf course and in the grocery store.
• The bags, again, are great. 😄

Here are some photos:

P.S. The red tag on the laces comes off easily. I left them on for the official photos and took them off for some of the later ones I took more officially the next day.

Thanks. How is the fit versus the Outsider? I found I had to go up a 1/2 size with the Outsider and even stretch the toe box a bit when I first got them.

[iacas]

29 minutes ago, boogielicious said:

Thanks. How is the fit versus the Outsider? I found I had to go up a 1/2 size with the Outsider and even stretch the toe box a bit when I first got them.

Uhhhh, the fit at the "mouth" is about the same, and the fit inside is about the same too. The Original has a slightly smaller mouth, IMO.

TRUE is telling people to go a half size larger if in doubt, but I am borderline 10.5/11 and the 10.5 fit fine, and may loosen slightly for a perfect fit.

[ncates00]

Is that a brownish color in the "saddle" area on the grey shoes or just a different shade of grey?  Hard to tell even with the great quality pic.

[iacas]

4 hours ago, ncates00 said:

Is that a brownish color in the "saddle" area on the grey shoes or just a different shade of grey?  Hard to tell even with the great quality pic.

You might want to calibrate your display! They’re very grey. No brown at all.

[tinker]

Wet feet in the morning golfer take warning

[iacas]

7 minutes ago, tinker said:

Wet feet in the morning golfer take warning

What's that got to do with the Major and their 2-year waterproof guarantee?

[saevel25]

9 minutes ago, tinker said:

Wet feet in the morning golfer take warning

Send the shoes back then, they have a 2 year warrantee.

On ‎2‎/‎22‎/‎2019 at 6:41 AM, boogielicious said:

Thanks. How is the fit versus the Outsider? I found I had to go up a 1/2 size with the Outsider and even stretch the toe box a bit when I first got them.

I wear a 10 wide. I found the Outsider to be snug at a size 10. They really need to be broken in for me. I much prefer the Original. I went 1/2 a size larger in the Major. I found them to be one of the more comfy feeling shoes right out of the box.

[JxQx]

Pretty nice looking shoe. The only thing I am curious about is how well they will clean off since they used a suede material in the toe. I'm looking for a spikeless shoe so this may have some potential.

[iacas]

9 minutes ago, JxQx said:

Pretty nice looking shoe. The only thing I am curious about is how well they will clean off since they used a suede material in the toe. I'm looking for a spikeless shoe so this may have some potential.

It's not really a suede material. It's more like a soft touch leather. Suede has a LOT more "furriness" for lack of a better word.

[Hardspoon]

Really nice. It’s going to be time for new shoes pretty soon, and it will be a tough call between these and the Originals.

[shortstop20]

@iacas how would you say the fit and comfort is on the TRUE Major as compared to Ecco? I like the Eccos but the toe box is a little small. 

[iacas]

9 hours ago, Hardspoon said:

Really nice. It’s going to be time for new shoes pretty soon, and it will be a tough call between these and the Originals.

If you like a wide toe box go Original. If you like it narrower (still a bit wider than most golf shoes) go Major.

2 hours ago, shortstop20 said:

@iacas how would you say the fit and comfort is on the TRUE Major as compared to Ecco? I like the Eccos but the toe box is a little small. 

Ecco tend to be smaller there for sure