Nicklaus Golf Shoes By Allen Edmonds Review

Jack Nicklaus Muirfield Village Golf Shoes by Allen Edmonds
Grade: A+
Teachers’ Comments: Top quality, comfortable

Respected American shoemaker Allen Edmonds and Jack Nicklaus have teamed up to produce a line of golf shoes, and the result is worthy of both their names.

From the outset, the “Muirfield Village” model that I tested was quite comfortable. The footbed is well cushioned with an Ortholite insole and the tongue and collar have sufficient padding. Perhaps most important to me is that the toe box is relatively wide. In spite of what fashionable shoe makers would have you believe, feet do not come to a point. When walking a round — or even just trotting from cart to tee box — your toes have got to have room to move.

The shoe is built on a JN9 last (Jack Nicklaus 9). Here’s what the company says:

The JN9 was created for the Jack Nicklaus Collection. The last has a modern, squarer toe and broader toe box to allow for the use of an orthotic. The extra room also lets your foot breath during a long day on the golf course.

The Muirfield Village models are spikeless, which is a style that I have really come to appreciate over the last few years. I find that spikeless golf shoes are much easier to walk in, while still providing sufficient traction. Your own mileage may vary, depending upon the terrain you play and the force of your swing.

The soles of the Jack Nicklaus Muirfield Village golf shoes are designed on a wide platform. That’s supposed to generate greater balance and support through the weight shift.  More stiff than the Ecco Biom Hybrids that have been my mainstay for the last several years,  I nevertheless found the adjustment to the Nicklaus shoes quite easy. The stiffer platform might actually help my lower body remain stable through the swing. The jury is still out on that one.

Craftmanship on the Allen Edmonds golf shoes is superb. The leather is top notch, and the stitching precise.

In making the shoe, Allen Edmonds employs a technique called the 360° Goodyear welt:

From there, an operator attaches a 360° Goodyear welt, a strong leather strip stitched around the shoe. Created in the United States in 1871, this process of joining the shoe’s upper to its insole is labor intensive and more expensive than more modern cementing techniques. However, the durability of a Goodyear welted shoe is unmatched and provides the opportunity to re-craft the shoe down the line.

In addition to the unique welts, and the Ortholite insoles, the shoes feature a “Wave” fabric lining that is both breathable and waterproof.

A couple of interesting notes about Allen Edmonds. The company was started in 1922 in Belgium, Wisconsin and is one of a handful of manufacturers who make still make shoes in the United States. Allen Edmonds was a supplier of shoes to the American Army and Navy during the Second World War, which led to a devoted following among many servicemen upon their return.

I really like the comfort, fit and finish of the Jack Nicklaus golf shoes produced by Allen Edmonds. These are a winner.