TRUE FS-01 Shoe Review

TRUE FS-01 Shoe Review

True FS-01 Shoes
Grade: A+
Teachers’ Comments: My favorite shoes ever – golf or otherwise.

TRUE Linkswear recently sent a pair of their FS-01 shoes for review, and they quickly have become my favorite shoes – on or off the course.

The FS-01 is styled like a classic sneaker, with clean lines and no mad stripes swooshes or other adornments. The “Fog” colorway that I received is just grey. Grey uppers. Grey soles. Grey laces. Perfect.

Indeed, as much as the FS-01 is designed as a golf shoe, I have worn them much more as an everyday shoe in my classroom. They are so light, cool and comfortable that I want them in multiple colors so I can wear a pair every day of the week.

The FS-01 comes in the grey fog, black with white soles, all white, brown with white soles, white with a sea foam sole, and white with a soft rose-colored sole. All are understated and good looking.

The material in the uppers is recycled leather that TRUE calls “Eco-Genuine.” It is amazingly soft with a bit of a brushed suede look and feel. TRUE says it is “highly scratch resistant, odor free, strong, flexible and easy to clean.” I have no reason to doubt any of those claims.

I was initially concerned that if I got water on the FS-01s, they would lose that luxurious finish and feel. It turns out I need not have worried. Morning dew on a couple of occasions has not changed either the look or feel.

The soles are of a translucent natural gum rubber that — again — has a classic sneaker vibe. The FS-01 doesn’t have see-through windows, pumps, bubbles, exposed springs, crash pads or strange protrusions. It’s a comfortable, one-piece unit stitched to the upper.

The tread is composed of a series of chevrons that are on a level with the outer edge of the sole. My initial reaction was that it wouldn’t provide sufficient traction. I was wrong. It’s fine.

Caveat: I am not a particularly fast swinger. I think it is possible that a tour level speed swinger might want a more aggressive tread. On the other hand, PGA TOUR player Ryan Moore is one of TRUE’s founders, and several other TOUR players are on staff. I imagine they have tested these treads.

The sole material and tread design are such that they are also perfect for walking around off the course.

The insides of the FS-01 are well padded with what TRUE calls an “Ultra Plush Insole System.” The comfy bed sits atop the midsole, rather than being stiffly glued in.

Notably, the FS-01 has a floating heel cushion that really makes a difference when trudging up and down the hills at my home course (Washtenaw GC). I call it “floating” because it is not merely padding stuffed into the heel or collar, but rather a distinct cushion, which is actually separate from the upper at the top.

TRUE says that the insoles have anti-microbial properties to keep them fresh.

For those who care about such things, the FS-01 strikes me as being pretty eco-friendly. The uppers are recycled, “Global Recycled Standard” (GSR) leather, with a minimum of polyurethane for a scratch resistant finish. The outsoles are gum rubber with some silicone. The uppers are stitched directly to the insole without any lasting board or midsole, reducing the need for harmful adhesives.

Kudos to TRUE for the effort.

The FS-01 is a perfect shoe for wearing directly from work to the course — or just wearing to work, period.