TRUE linkswear Stealth - Review

[GolfSpy Tim]

TRUE linkswear Stealth Shoe Reviewed

These might just become my next set of slippers

 

 

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Giveaway - (WIN A PAIR)!!!!

 

Read through to the end for info on TRUE's giveaway with this review

 

Intro:

 

If you haven't heard, TRUE linkswear is known for making some of the most comfortable shoes in golf. Now the question is, just how comfortable? In my recent review of the TRUE phx shoes I was impressed by the phx, but I wasn't blown out of the water, so I came into the Stealths holding my breath - these shoes have been played up as if they are to golf shoes as memory foam is to beds (maybe that's because they have memory foam in the heal!?).

 

So, is it true? Will your feet love you for buying these shoes?

 

 

Features:

 

Barefoot Platform

Memory Foam Heel

TRUE Sock-Fit Liner

Leather liner and insole

Premium waterproof leather upper

2 year waterproof guarantee

 

 

Comfort:

 

In case you missed it, these shoes are marketed as being comfortable. If that's your marketing ploy, you had better score well in this category.

 

There's no beating around the bush - the Stealths set a new standard for comfort. Not only do these shoes score a PERFECT score in comfort, I almost feel obliged to go back and lower the comfort scores on any previous shoes review that I've written.

 

 

The "TRUE Barefoot Platform" really started to make sense to me with these shoes when I was digging around in the bushes looking for a lost ball. As I walked, I'd feel something in the tall grass that I thought was a ball, I'd reach down, and voila, I was finding balls with my feet - I literally will walk into tall grass with these shoes and let my feet do half of the looking now.

 

Score: 30/30

 

Style:

 

From a style standpoint I didn't think much of these shoes when they first arrived, but they've grown on me, mostly due to the compliments I've received from people and friends on the course.

 

 

I'm learning the idea of

style - not something I normally run after or attempt to embrace, but when you've spent more than a minute in a pair of Stealths, you begin to be ok with understated.

 

For the right guy (ahem, my dad), these might be stunners, but to me, they look good, but are a little on the quiet side of things.

 

Score: 16/20

 

Performance:

 

The Stealth shoes have performed nearly flawlessly. I have only had two slips with then, one was taking a short cut at my home course on a steep hill with dry grass and I slipped, another was on a wet tea box when I was trying to swing out of my shoes and the shoe slipped a little bit. These two situations were extremely minimal and should not have been something that would happen in 99% of rounds I play.

 

 

I played this past weekend in some pretty wet conditions (wet conditions by Southern California standards, so maybe not what others would call wet, but I'm not used to the heal of my pant legs soaking through on the first hole) As stated, these shoes never let a drop of water through.

 

 

The shoes have performed better than I would expect, especially for as minimal of a tread patter as they have.

 

Score: 29/30

 

Value:

 

A perfect score in the comfort department, a near perfect score in the performance department, a $199 price tag, who can complain.

 

Sure, it's more than maybe the average recreational golfer might spend on a pair of golf shoes, but with a 2 year waterproof guarantee, and unbeatable comfort, I think these shoes are worth every penny.

 

 

I have no doubt these shoes will last two seasons for me - the only question is how the tread will hold up over time.

 

Score: 10/10

 

Peanut Gallery:

 

I didn't think much for the looks of these shoes until the Peanut Gallery started taking it upon themselves to compliment me on my new shoes. Nothing but nice things to be said by the peanut gallery - I would have let someone else put them on their feet, but they felt so comfortable on mine.

 

Score: 10/10

 

Total Score: 95/100

 

Conclusion:

 

These shoes lived up to and performed beyond my expectations. I'd heard the buzz and been holding my breath. Half of me was hoping for an opportunity to knock these shoes off their pedestal and rip them a new one, but in several months and TONS of rounds of golf, never once did I find a hole to pock in the Stealth shoes.

 

 

Outside of wanting something extremely flashy (I just like being loud, either with my mouth or with what I wear) These shoes just about nail it. Only on a super wet or rainy day would I feel the need to switch over to a shoe with some more substantial spike pattern.

 

That's it folks, these shoes DO live up to the hype. They ARE incredibly comfortable, and they have changed the standard to which I will hold all other comfort oriented shoes in the future.

 

 

Giveaway:

TRUE linkswear has generously offered two pairs of shoes as a part of this review for MGS readers - 1 pair of Tours and 1 pair of phx shoes.

 

Tell us why you want to try a pair of barefoot style shoes and the winners will be picked at random at the end of next week.

[Tyk]

Good review, fix your title though! Just curious, how do you feel these compare to the True Phx?

[GolfSpy Tim]

Yeah, saw the title went wrong the minute I posted it...

 

These BLOW the phx out of the water. They are two entirely different shoes.

 

The liner inside of the Stealth and the uppers on these shoes are soooo much more comfortable.

 

I was a little let down by the phx, the Stealths are all that they've been cracked up to be.

[Tyk]

That is my opinion as well, I could tell just wearing them around the store that the Phx did not compare to the Tours or Stealths.

[JohnBarry]

Man I need a pair!!

[GolfSpy Dave]

True TOURs are also a solid, not-ever-wearing-regular-shoes-again, pair of shoes.

Review will be posting soon

[GolfSpy Tim]

Updated with TRUE's giveaway offer for MGS readers. Leave a comment telling us why you want to wear barefoot style shoes to win.

[Matt Saternus]

I was also able to test the Stealths by TRUE. Since I certainly can't improve on Tim's photography, and he hit all the high points in his review, I'll give a quick summary of what I thought.

 

*Note: Tim and I distribute our points slightly differently.

 

 

Comfort:

 

Simply the most comfortable shoe I've ever worn. Any style, any type (basketball, running, golf, etc)...this is it. I really liked the PHX when I first tried it, but after wearing the Stealth, it's hard to go back. The lining is so soft and cushioned, it's lightweight...simply great.

Score: 25/25

 

 

Style:

 

Did I mention that they're comfortable? Ok, that's a bit of a joke, but in all seriousness, these are not the best looking/most stylish shoes in the world, but they're not bad either. I will say that the leather gives them a much classier appearance when compared to the PHX or any other barefoot shoe I've seen.

 

 

Score: 17/20

 

 

Performance:

 

Of all the barefoot and spikeless shoes I've worn, I would say that the traction of the TRUEs is at or near the bottom of the list. I don't mean to say that it's bad, I just don't feel that it's on par with the VivoBarefoots or Kikkors for traction. If you look at the soles, you can easily see why: the "spikes" on the TRUEs are fairly short and not sharp. In truth, however, I think I'm coming to believe that traction might be overrated, at least in good conditions. When I swing well I end up in balance, when I swing wildly, I'm off balanced. No shoe really changes that for me.

 

I haven't had a chance to test the waterproof aspect yet, but with a two-year waterproof guarantee, I feel pretty confident that they will do what they say. If I'm wrong, I'll report back.

 

Score: 17/20

 

 

Value:

 

To me, a great value score means you're getting more than what you paid for. At $199, these shoes are a full grain leather with a 2 year waterproof guarantee. That's not extra, that's what you should get at $199, in my opinion. What is "extra" is the tremendous comfort and the light weight. All in all, if I had $199 to spend on one pair of shoes, I would probably buy these.

 

Score: 18/20

 

 

Peanut Gallery:

 

The Peanut Gallery did like the look of the Stealth's markedly better than the PHX. Also, most of the guys in the group have tried TRUEs by now, so they know how comfortable they are. Not everyone in the group was ready to spend $199 on shoes, but that's not a knock on these: they just don't want to spend that kind of money period.

 

Score: 14/15

 

 

 

Conclusion:

 

Maybe it's all the sleepless nights with my newborn, but it seems like my scores are coming in lower and lower these days. Perhaps I'm just getting pickier in my old age. Regardless of the score, the Stealth is an awesome shoe. I wear it every day to work and have no desire to wear anything else. At $199, it's not cheap, but for someone that spends all day on his feet, going cheap on shoes does not make sense.

 

Are there shoes with better traction out there? Yes. Are there more stylish shoes out there? Hell yes. Is there any other shoe that my feet would rather I wear? Absolutely not.

 

Total Score: 91/100

[GolfSpy WD]

At that price range, these really need to be compared to MyJoys or Eccos in terms of style and comfort. Has anyone done this comparison? My Ecco streets are extremely comfortable, but they get dirty way too easily to wear on the course. The waterproof options to compare to these would be either the Ecco Casual Cool II GTX and MyJoys.

 

Ecco Casual Cool II GTX looks really nice, but I haven't had a chance to try them yet. The MyJoys are just fun, again I haven't tried them, but it's getting harder to resist ordering a pair.

 

As I've said many times, I really wish True would come out with a narrower option. I really don't care about freely moving my toes around and I'm not sure I would wear the current version because of the width. My size 13s are big enough as it is without adding girth .

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

[

Giveaway:

TRUE linkswear has generously offered two pairs of shoes as a part of this review for MGS readers - 1 pair of Tours and 1 pair of phx shoes.

 

Tell us why you want to try a pair of barefoot style shoes and the winners will be picked at random at the end of next week.

 

Guess this is where we enter the giveaway--

 

Have lost 63 lbs in the past year - and in the process have become a dedicated course walker (carts are for events only!). Comfortable shoes are a must to keep this newly lean, mean golfin' machine from going back to his porky ways! Have also promised myself a major golf present if I can lose the last 8 to get back to my college weight (I'm 51!), can use all the help I can get!

[Matt Saternus]

At that price range, these really need to be compared to MyJoys or Eccos in terms of style and comfort. Has anyone done this comparison? My Ecco streets are extremely comfortable, but they get dirty way too easily to wear on the course. The waterproof options to compare to these would be either the Ecco Casual Cool II GTX and MyJoys.

 

Ecco Casual Cool II GTX looks really nice, but I haven't had a chance to try them yet. The MyJoys are just fun, again I haven't tried them, but it's getting harder to resist ordering a pair.

 

As I've said many times, I really wish True would come out with a narrower option. I really don't care about freely moving my toes around and I'm not sure I would wear the current version because of the width. My size 13s are big enough as it is without adding girth .

 

IMO, there's no comparison between the TRUEs and any other shoe when it comes to comfort: Footjoy, Ecco, doesn't matter, no one else is in the same ballpark.

[GolfSpy WD]

IMO, there's no comparison between the TRUEs and any other shoe when it comes to comfort: Footjoy, Ecco, doesn't matter, no one else is in the same ballpark.

 

That definitely changes things...I always walk, so comfort and water proof take preference in style. My current waterproof Eccos are nearing two years old, so it's about time to change. After I see how much I spend getting fit I'll see if I can justify a $200 pair of shoes. The PHX are probably out of the question since we need waterproof around here.

[GolfSpy Tim]

I think the phx are out of the question across the board, I just wouldn't buy those expecting the comfort you've heard about from TRUE.

 

The Stealth or the Tour seems to be where it's at in the lineup. Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to try the Tour, but I believe Dave will be chiming in soon with some input on those.

 

TRUE's Stealth are for sure all they are cracked up to be and they won't let you down.

[GolfSpy WD]

I think the phx are out of the question across the board, I just wouldn't buy those expecting the comfort you've heard about from TRUE.

 

The Stealth or the Tour seems to be where it's at in the lineup. Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to try the Tour, but I believe Dave will be chiming in soon with some input on those.

 

TRUE's Stealth are for sure all they are cracked up to be and they won't let you down.

 

Looking forward to Dave's review. I just checked out the TRUE website. The Tour White/Green are the nicest looking of the bunch and $149 is definitely nicer than $199 . For the stealth, the White/Mud doesn't seem bad. Would be interested in hearing how the different types of leather hold up to water.

[JonasVenture]

I currently have the Tour Black/Black (last year's version) and I love them! I'd love even more to have another pair of Tours or a pair of the phx to add more possible combos to the wardrobe.

[Tyk]

I'd like to try the Tour White/Green, want to see if the new sole pattern is better than the old style, and with summer coming, my black Trues will be out of the mix and I'm not sure what I'm going to do!

[18birdies]

I already own a pair of the original True linkswear Tours. This new sole looks "grippier". I'd love to see for myself how much better they've gotten.

[Will Par]

I keep hearing how comfortable these are so I would love to have a pair to play in. The Stealth appears to be exactly what I would be interested in. Leather and waterproof are what I look for when selecting a golf shoe. Thanks for the opportunity.

[Kilikagolf]

Love the True shoes. just bought my 2nd pair this week. i work as a chef so am on my feet all day. when i am puttong my old shoes on after work i was always wishin i had my true tours cuz they are so comfy. so i finally bought another pair of phx shoes for daily wear....better than any of the usual suspects!

[JDFish]

Looking forward to Dave's review. I just checked out the TRUE website. The Tour White/Green are the nicest looking of the bunch and $149 is definitely nicer than $199 . For the stealth, the White/Mud doesn't seem bad. Would be interested in hearing how the different types of leather hold up to water.

 

I don't know about the difference int he leather holding up to water, but I have last year's Tour and this year's Stealth. I tried on this year's Tour (and the PHX which were really uncomfortable to me) and purchased the (distressed brown) Stealth's because they were a better fit and the most comfortable golf shoe I've ever had on my feet. I also found that last year's Tour were more comfortable than this year's version - they fit somewhat differently. I'm looking foward to buying a pair of white stealths, unless they come out with some cool color combos.

[RoverRick]

You know for the past couple of months I was so envious of you guys getting all of this new equipment to test out. Club, clothes, shafts, carts, balls, bags, tees, shoes, and then all of a sudden it totalled up to be work.

 

You can not find something you like and stick with it, or like the rest of us, do it for fun.

 

 

I got the email from GolfSpy X and when I looked at the list of stuff that was reviewed in April and and it was like, Holy Sheep Dip Batman! this is a lot of work involved here. Keep up the good work and I think I will just read and dream and if I see something I can not live without, I will buy it and not have to write about it.

 

I was trying out a new phone app and did not like it so I stopped using it. If you do not like it or it is something that does not interest you, you have to keep using it and then tell why.

 

 

Good work, lads!

[Damon]

I own a pair of the original shoes and get comments/questions on them all the time. I would love to try the new models, especially the Stealth. The more comfortable the shoe, the better I play!

[bgolfing]

bet these would help with my knee pain. enter me!

[postfold]

I love the look of the Stealths (great, great pics ITT) but went with the Tours for my initial tryout of Trues and barefoot technology. Now that I've had them for a couple months, I don't think I'm ever going back. Great shoes, super comfortable, no more foot and ankle pain!

 

And, um, yeah I'd love to have another pair...

 

Thanks for the detailed review.

[golfndude]

in the market for lighter shoes and would love these, they look great

[david11690]

After reading the review I am ready for the comfort that the pros have on tour. I wear a Nike tennis shoe style golf shoe and thought they were the best for comfort but after reading the review and I am just exited at possibly winning a pair of what is called slippers for a golf course! No one can go wrong with a shoe with memory foam in the heal!!!

[Golfer 'K']

Those are some stylish looking shoes. That's the only thing I disagree with the reviewer about. I currently have a pair of foot joy and they are comfortable, but the reviewer states that these are 30/30. I would like to try a pair and if true I'd be sold on this brand!

[JimMan]

I bought a pair of the 2011 True Tours planning to just use them on the range and hitting into the net in my yard. I have always worn Nike or Adidas "spikes" becuase i like to feel connected to the ground and didnt think you would get that from a spikeless shoe. Man was i wrong. Not only are these the most comfortable golf shoes ive worn, they are the most comfortable shoes period. after walking 1 round at pinehurst in them, i dumped my $300 Adidas shoes. Cant wait to see how the 2012 have improved on last years product.

[nike7227]

I would love to own a pair of high end shoes. Especially a pair of the new True Linkswear styles. They seem extremely comfortable and I love the way the newer models look. I was not a fan of last year's because of how wide the shoes appeared. The new lineup promises to be a hit with people wanting a soft, yet responsive, spikeless golf shoe. I promise to wear them with pride...lol

[The Artful Duffer]

I'd love to give these a try. I've tried on a lot of the barefoot running style shoes and just didn't suit me so if these would make a believer out of me I'd shout it from the rooftops(ok, twitter, facebook etc but you catch my meaning) After reading the tour review about them actually seeming to help from getting too far over the toes I'm taking a seriously hard look at them anyway but free stuff is always my favorite.