Golf shoes True to comfort and feel

• By Global Golf Post
• May 1, 2012 10:11 AM ET

One of the latest shoe offerings from True Linkswear, the Scottsdale, Ariz., footwear and apparel manufacturer, feels light on the feet – and light on the wallet. Dubbed the True phx and released to the golf public earlier this year, it boasts the look, color and comfort of a sneaker with a series of features designed to enhance performance. And all at a suggested retail price of $99 in the United States.

Perhaps the most enticing part of the True Linkswear story is the so-called Barefoot Platform, which the company uses in all its lines. That concept was inspired by the emerging barefoot trend in running footwear in which shoe makers have shifted away from highly engineered structures boasting arch support and heavily cushioned heels to ones that take advantage of the anatomical features of feet.

According to company president Rob Rigg, who co-founded True Linkswear in 2010 with PGA Tour professional Ryan Moore, it all stems from the premise that nature’s engineering is best, and that a minimalist shoe with an ergonomic traction system will allow a golfer’s body to naturally stabilize itself while feeling the course he walks even more closely.

The True phx, which comes in six color options, weighs only 11 ounces and features a wide toe box so toes can function in that natural way through the swing. Rigg says that encourages proper weight transfer, balance and stability. A proprietary ErgoTraction 2.0 outsole has a new rubber compound and is only 2.5mm thick, making it the thinnest sole in golf shoes. But company officials aver that they have not compromised durability in getting to that point. Memory Foam on the heel and a fitted sock liner are included to create optimal comfort, and the leather upper is water resistant.

The company also released its first women’s shoe Tuesday, the True isis, in time for Mother’s Day. With a suggested retail of $99 the shoe is available in women’s sizes 5 1/2 to 11 and is offered in five different colors.