I tried it: My new favorite golf shoes came from a surprising place

Living in Chicago, my golf seasons are far more volatile than I’d wish. The entire Midwest battles it. Just a week ago, days after the summer solstice, I played at a top-tier course in Wisconsin that was changing par-4s into temporary par-3s. Why? Because the river that cuts through the property was flooding into the fairways. This is June! It should be warm and dry, right? Not always. 

It served as another reminder that we all really need three pairs of golf shoes. You can have many more than that, but you need at least three. You need the light, airy kind built for walking, for when the weather is fantastic, dry and you might want to stay out there for 36 holes. You need your mudding shoes — the kind you don’t care to make an appearance in, that will be utilized solely for their water-proofness. The kind that can trudge along through wet spring days. 

Lastly, you need your middle-ground pair that are just as water-proof as your mudders but also made for a sunny day like the lighter pair. Right in the middle — that’s where the new shoe of my summer lies, from a brand you may not be expecting. 

I’ve been rocking the Dunes Wingtip shoe from Allen Edmonds for the last month and have been thrilled by the middle-ground playability it provides. They are light enough to wear all day without feeling like you’re dragging. Solid enough to feel grounded, and one with the turf. (This is especially important for golfers with significant swing speed.) They’re water-proof, and you feel that particularly on the inside, where cow leather keeps your feet from getting wet and your shoes from getting, well, stinky. Every pair from Allen Edmonds’ new ‘Golf Collection’ comes with additional insoles — kind of what you’d expect from a company that focuses on adding comfort to formal settings. 

Allen Edmonds Dunes Wingtip

$350

Features: Leather lining with a waterproof membrane. Removable FlyForm™ insoles provide enhanced comfort and support. Spikeless, rubber Vibram™ outsoles with tread pattern specially designed for grip and stability on the green

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It seems like a coincidence that the shoe built for my Midwest summer is hand-crafted along the shores of Lake Michigan, in Port Washington, Wisc. But it feels a bit fitting that one of the most rapidly growing golf destinations — think Whistling Straits, Erin Hills, Sand Valley, Lawsonia — is now home to one of the game’s newest golf shoe providers.

Regardless of your preferred style — wingtip, sneaker, saddle — each comes with a spikeless outsole. In the wake of running errands post-round, I forgot I was wearing golf shoes, which is kind of the point. 

Check out the other Allen Edmonds golf shoes below.