I Tried It: These sleek and stylish shoes offer out-of-the-box comfort

Welcome to I Tried It, a GOLF.com series about golf items — apparel, gear, accessories, etc. — that we’ve recently taken out for a spin. We’re here to give our honest, no-frills takes on the latest and greatest golf or golf-adjacent items. So, scroll down to read about what we love about golf’s newest (or new to us) products.

I admit — I’ve set the bar pretty high when it comes to golf shoes. Not only do they need to look great (priority No. 1!), they also need to be comfortable and double as every-day wear. Maybe it makes me an ultra golf nerd, but I wear my golf shoes everywhere: dog walks, school runs, weekend errands — all of it! I’ve never been a change-shoes-in-the-parking-lot kind of girl. I arrive with my golf shoes on and leave with them, because my golf shoes and life shoes are one and the same.

What I love about modern golf shoes is the fact that spikeless outsoles make this possible. (Don’t worry — I promise I’m not click-clacking around town on SoftSpikes.) Sneakers can’t double as golf shoes, but my favorite golf shoes can certainly double as sneakers, and I truly lean in on that front. Multi-functional apparel is all the rage in the golf world right now, and shoes are no exception.

Wearing Duca del Cosma

Last year, I tried my first pair of Duca del Cosmas — an Italian golf shoe brand founded in 2004. The shoes were super fashionable in a look-at-me way, with glitzy, colorful accents — real statement shoes, and I was truly impressed by the comfort and durability. So, with a few weeks of summer travel looming, I decided to try another pair of Ducas, but this time, I wanted to stick with something more neutral.

In an effort to pack minimally for a trans-Atlantic family itinerary, I decided to pack only one pair of real shoes — a tall order! I wanted something that could go with jeans and shorts, that looked polished enough for alfresco dining and yet were comfortable enough to handle miles of walking. I landed on the Licata — a white waterproof shoe with beige accents that went with absolutely every article of clothing I brought.

Duca Del Cosma Licata

Waterproof and comfortable with exceptional grip. These lightweight golf sneakers will have you ready for 18 holes and beyond.

Buy Now$209 from Duca Del Cosma

View Product

Duca del Cosma’s performance

What I love most about the Licata is the out-of-the-box comfort. Thanks to my previous Duca experience, I was willing to run the risk of wearing the Licatas for the first time on departure day, which could have resulted in a blister-filled disaster — and a week of flip-flop-wearing misery while I recovered. Instead, I was delighted to find the fit to be roomy in the toe box and snug, but not too snug, around the foot. The shoes traversed every sort of terrain with ease — as they should, they’re made for golf! — and I didn’t even test them on the course until returning from the trip. No surprise, they excelled on grass, too.

Another detail earning high marks: the contrast laces! I can’t be the only person who loves all-white shoes for exactly one day before the fresh laces are marred with dirt. I don’t have the patience to un-lace a shoe, wash the laces, and re-lace them in. With the Licata, I noticed that even if the shoe accumulated a few easily-cleaned smudges on a given day, they were easily removed from the shoe’s microfiber upper, and the overall look remained clean and sprightly thanks to the laces, which may have also been dirty, but you certainly couldn’t tell.

One final observation: the comfort of these shoes remained the same with or without socks. That’s meaningful! As an elder millennial who has yet to don crew socks, I’m happy to report that this shoe can handle a flash of ankle with aplomb. You can shop the entire line of Duca del Cosma shoes for men and women here.