Quick Take: Nike Gore-Tex TW Golf Shoes

Andrew Penner

Posted 2003-04-06

The Nike Swoosh is synonymous with a number of things: motion, sporting goods, athletic apparel, and, of course, Tiger Woods. Lest we forget, though, this company was founded on footwear. It was 1962 when a University of Oregon running coach named Bill Bowerman and one of his runners, Phil Knight, got the crazy idea to import a couple of high-tech running shoes from Japan. Since then, they’ve hired a few more people and sold more than just a few pairs of shoes.

So, when you consider the fact that this company has been in the “shoe business” for over 40 years - making tread for everyone from ping pong players to the wrestlers - it’s no shocker that their golf shoes are super comfortable and well-made...and worn by the greatest player in the game.

Yes indeed, one Eldrick Woods has been covering up his bunions in a pair of Nike Gore-Tex TW Center Seam shoes ever since the Battle of Bighorn in 2002. I recently decided to see how my stubby toes would manage in the exact same pair.

For starters, the Nike Gore-Tex TW Center Seam shoes (now available in black and dark flint) have a pretty cool retro-type look to them. While they won’t magically transform your game into that of Tigger’s, they may, as an added bonus, help you reel in members of the opposite sex. But, for those who care less about “mate attraction” while on the links, you’ll be happy to know that this shoe will probably be the most comfortable golf shoe your athlete’s foot has ever stepped into. The shoe hugs the foot like no other golf shoe I’ve tried, making the fit instantly gratifying and ideal for walkers.

In addition, stat mongers will be happy to know that this shoe is steadily making its way up Nike Golf’s all-time bestseller list. But, alas, the ultimate drawing card to horning these puppies to your feet lies in their performance. Thanks to their exceptional stability, weightlessness (a mere 6 oz. per pair) and their superior moisture barrier (the breathable Gore-Tex pores are 20,000 times smaller than raindrops), your feet really do stay warm, dry, and happy in these cool-looking moccasins.

Andrew Penner is a 12-year member of the Canadian PGA. He has won five professional golf tournaments in Canada and narrowly, I mean narrowly, missed qualifying for the US Open last year. Well, OK, it was a few shots. Andrew writes for a number of golf magazines in Canada, the US, and Europe. His new book, titled "One Flew Over The Caddyshack," can be ordered at www.falconpress.ca. He can be reached at andpenner@shaw.ca.