This past weekend, Oliver Wilson wore Vibram Five Fingers instead of traditional golf shoes at the Dubai World Championship. I’ve long been a fan of Vibram Five Fingers (although I really think they should be called Vibram Five Toes but whatever), and that is a big part of the reason for my excitement about the new True Linkswear shoes. My friends like to joke about my Five Fingers and call them “Spiderman” shoes, but Phil did go buy a pair a day after seeing mine…
The trend of minimalist shoes has really hit the mainstream. The book Born to Run, is absolutely great and may significantly change the way you look at the athletic shoe industry (if you buy it through the link, I get some beer money). Studies at Harvard have shown that there is definitely something behind the benefits of switching to barefoot or minimalist shoe when running. Five Fingers are also my go to shoes for any sport or activity around the water (ocean, lake, etc) and working out.
How does all of this translate to golf? Well, the movement is obviously very different than running. But that said, being barefoot or close to it really forces you to focus on balance and tempo when swinging. Sam Snead used to play tournaments barefoot and Martin Kaymer likes to practice wearing socks.
Obviously those guys could/can play, so how did it work out for Oliver Wilson? Well he shot a 68 on Saturday and finished 35th. So not a bad week. However even he seemed a little reluctant about the unusual look (especially on a golf course), calling them his “Gorilla shoes” (that’s actually a pretty accurate description).
I don’t expect to see many people out on the golf course wearing Five Fingers any time soon. The biggest drawback is that they aren’t waterproof. That’s not a big issue in Dubai, but is a problem in most other climates. That’s why I think a minimalist waterproof shoe like the True Linkswear is the best chance for “barefoot” golf to truly go mainstream. Hopefully I’ll be able to get my hands on a pair in the near future to review.
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Do you know anywhere or any chain that carries True Linkswear shoes? I hate to spend the sum they want without at least trying them on. They do sound great though, and it would be better to not look like Ram Amandeep on the golf course with his five fingers shoes.
I’m with you. I want to see a pair of shoes in person and try them on before I spend $160. The PGA Tour Superstore is the only big chain that’s starting to stock them in the US. Not all locations have them though. I’m actually going to head over to one this afternoon while I’m still in Dallas to check them out in person.
Keep in mind though that the first official shipment of True Tours just went out a few weeks ago. So hopefully we’ll start seeing more stores stocking them in the near future.
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Just an FYI for anybody looking to buy a pair of Vibram Five Fingers. There are lots of fakes floating around. Check out this page on Vibram’s website to make sure you’re getting the real thing before ordering.
http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/counterfeits/how_to_spot_a_fake.cfm
I wear my VFF when I play golf. They are wonderful. You really can feel the ground. I’ve tried to go back and wear my regular golf shoes and they hurt my feet – also, so blisters with VFFs.
The link at the beginning of the article is now dead, although I did find these photos:
http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/1qVHmlXqDHG/Dubai+World+Championships+Day+One/0Jx1USZDdgL/Oliver+Wilson
I just bought a pair of VFF’s last Thursday and played 27 in them on Sunday, I really enjoyed the round in them. I played late in the day, and when the dew was starting to form around dusk I had some slipping, but it was minimal. (I have the KSO’s)
If you look closely at the photos, it looks like Oliver Wilson is wearing the TrekSport model which has more “nubs” on the bottom for traction. http://bit.ly/r1P0Lg
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