[stag_intro]The past few years have been significant for the world of golf shoes. [/stag_intro]

We’ve seen a complete turnaround where more casual styles and spikeless models rival their traditional counterparts. We’ve seen the introduction of multiple models designed to balance style and performance while having the appearance of everyday street shoes.

We’ve pulled together some of our favorite models of this season in an attempt to de-mystify many of the harder-to-find brands and give you some insight into many of the newer style with an eye and bias towards the walking golfer.

While these styles represent only a small percentage of the golf shoes currently on the market, they do represent a large portion of some of the more progressive offerings.

We haven’t provided a “winner” because there are too many top-quality offerings. We have provided a simple rating system to categorize performance on a few different critical attributes.

The styles chosen were based on the primary criteria of looking for a collection of shoes that we believed would perform well on the scales of: style, walkability, durability, and craftsmanship.

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Adidas Golf

The only Adidas model that really caught our eye was the Adicross IV. While there are many Adidas advocates out there, we generally dislike the pointy-toe form of the majority of the shoes that are released by Adidas.

Adidas Adicross iV

The Adidas Adicross has been around for a few years now and every year the models get better and better. Regardless of the general dislike for most Adidas offerings, this one really nailed it for us. It’s a great all-around performer, looks great, and was immediately comfortable.

Style: 8/10     Comfort: 8/10     Durability: 7/10     Walkability: 8/10     Price: $90

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Nike Golf

Nike Golf is one of the truly great all-around golf companies and they tend to have a wide variety of shoe options every season for just about any type of taste. The models that really stood out for us this year were the Lunar Control 3, Lunar Mount Royal, and the Lunar Waverly.

Nike Golf Lunar Control 3

The Nike Golf Lunar Control 3 is by far the best Lunar Control model yet. In previous years we have always thought of this as a very mediocre model, but this year’s model is vastly improved – especially in comfort. The overall shape and construction of this shoe is solid.

Style: 7/10     Comfort: 7/10     Durability: 7/10     Walkability: 7/10     Price: $170

Nike Golf Lunar Waverly

Many of the newer styles are instantly comfortable when you first slip them on, and this isn’t exactly true for the Nike Golf Lunar Waverly. The shoe takes a round or two to loosen up, but when it does you’re in for a real treat. This shoe is one of the most durable on the market and can hold up to walking 72 holes without a problem.

Style: 8/10     Comfort: 8/10     Durability: 9/10     Walkability: 9/10     Price: $140

Nike Golf Lunar Mont Royal

Most entry-level golf shoes simply suck. The Nike Golf Lunar Mont Royal comes in at a $100 MSRP while being worthy of a much higher price tag. The shoe is surprisingly comfortable and holds up better than most of the golf shoes on the market.

Style: 8/10     Comfort: 8/10     Durability: 7/10     Walkability: 7/10     Price: $100

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Royal Albartross

If you haven’t heard about Royal Albartross shoes then you’re missing out. These are some of the best crafted and well-designed shoes in the world. The company has recently released a series of athletic golf shoes that follow the same spirit of ruthless craftsmanship as their traditional models and this results in some of the best golf shoes on the market.

Royal Albartross Club Brogue

Wow. Details and quality of materials make the Royal Albartross Club Brogue a clear standout. The suede lining in the heel to reduce slippage, the amazing feel of the calf leather upper, the leather insoles, and the virtually indestructible Vibram outsole make this shoe demand respect. Deep Italian craftsmanship shows you what a golf shoe should be and what you’ve been missing all of these years.

Style: 8/10     Comfort: 9/10     Durability: 10/10     Walkability: 10/10     Price: ~$335

Royal Albartross Club Crew

The Royal Albartross Club Crew was the first athletic offering from Royal Albartross and it continues to be an all-around great shoe. The shoe initially feels a bit slick inside but that tends to fade after getting a few rounds in with the shoes. If you’re tired of replacing your shoes every season, these are worth looking into.

Style: 8/10     Comfort: 8/10     Durability: 10/10     Walkability: 10/10     Price: ~$335

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True Linkswear

True Linkswear holds a place in the hearts of many of the dedicated walking golfers. True has consistently delivered great zero-drop offerings that are truly a pleasure to walk the golf course in. While the overall looks of the shoes tend to be a love-it or hate-it experience, there’s no denying that the shoes have been well-received by those that decide to enjoy the golf course sans-cart.

True Classix

The True Classix are a nice combination of the True Barefoot Platform with a traditionally-styled saddle-based golf shoe. Yes, this model even has spikes. While we were skeptical at first glance, this was a clear standout and one of the best pair of shoes we tested.

Style: 8/10     Comfort: 9/10     Durability: 10/10     Walkability: 10/10     Price: $199

True Motion

The True Motion has a nice all-around minimalist golf shoe feel, but failed to live up to the more expensive options available from True. It’s not a bad shoe (especially for the $119 MSRP), but the quality of the materials and the half-hearted design left a bit to be desired. The shoe is easy to wear to and from the course and comfort still ranked high – as we have come to expect from True.

Style: 7/10     Comfort: 9/10     Durability: 5/10     Walkability: 8/10     Price: $119

True Game Changer Pro

Results of the True Game Changer Pro were mixed. This shoe has many great characteristics, but at the end of the day it left us expecting more. It’s a more progressive style (at times having a throwback feel of wearing moon boots) that has the unfortunate characteristic of being a bit too “cushy” – even to the point of being able to feel the spikes pressing up into the sole at times.

Style: 8/10     Comfort: 7/10     Durability: 7/10     Walkability: 7/10     Price: $169