SQAIRZ SPEED BOLD Shoes - 2023 Forum Review

[BobW]

"Javs" good to hear from you ... thanks for the kind words!!   

[OdinSnipes414]

On 5/30/2023 at 5:37 AM, Blaine Dye said:

Reporting live at the battle between the shoes. First, I would like to thank MSG and Sqairz for this amazing opportunity

Before we get too far into this, my name is Blaine Dye I’m 28 and I live in NW Arkansas with my beautiful wife of 2 years. I started playing golf about a year and a half ago when we first moved. The apartment complex that we live at has a small 9 hole course that residence can golf for free. I love free entertainment, so I gave it a shot.  What I didn’t know is that golf is not anywhere close to a cheap sport, but it was too late. I was hooked. I would consider myself an avid golfer. I play 2-3 times a week including some practice sessions as well. My strengths are chipping and hitting off the tee box. I am not as consistent with approach shots and putting. I am an Engineering tech which is just a fancy way of saying I set machines up to run at a very high precision to cut metals. We make tools and bits for commercial mining, but enough about me let’s get back to the battle.

 

My current “champion” is my FJ Tour Alphas BOA. I love them, but what I enjoy more is Competition  Our challenger brings that with him, the Sqairz BOLD! And Boy, does he make some BOLD statements! I am so excited to put to the test, but will a shoe really help my swing speed and give me more distance? Will the sta-put laces hold tight like my BOA does?  How much will the squared face really help with alignment? Do they hold up in the weather like they claim to? Here in NWA in could be sunshining without a cloud in the sky and next thing you know it’s raining. Will the Squared toe help someone with a wider foot t? I am eager to see what the results will be throughout this testing.

 

I’m a big believer in if you look good, you feel good, you play good. And growing up wearing boots (A 10E so I got a wider foot) I should feel right at home….

Will the Sqairz Bold defeat the current champ or will they just need to throw in the towel? Tune in for the next update to find out more about the Sqairz Bold.

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS 9/10

shipping was very fast especially since I ordered the wrong size and still under a week to get not one but 2 pairs of shoes

the boxes have a little message on the inside which isn’t important but something I find amazing gives it a personal touch working with the owner on fit and just hearing him talk about the passion he has for his shoes and  you can tell he really cares about every customer which is a great touch 

now for the shoes first off I love them and love the fact they give you socks and colored laces to match. I think personally the AIR in SQAIRZ should be bigger these shoes are very light for the stability they give 

I took a point off because for the most part of wearing them for around a hour at home my feet started to get hot and they don’t breathe after looking at the website they do carry a mesh option so it’s not to see a solution to my only problem so far

the soles are surprisingly comfy for how thin they are so we will see how they hold up 

Love that you went with a bold color

[JeremyD]

Initial impression is up. This is a pretty cool shoe so far. I know I missed something on my initial, and may make updates

[JeremyD]

On 6/13/2023 at 1:34 PM, BobW said:

My name is Bob Winskowicz, founder of SQAIRZ.  I want to thank the MY Golf Spy team for the opportunity to participate in the Forum product test program.  I'd like to also thank the five people selected for taking the time to do the review.  For those of you who have never tried the shoes, the following is our promise to you, which is what we so boldly advertise:  When you put something on your body, it becomes part of your performance.  In all land based sports, there is NOTHING more important than ground connection, balance, and stability.   Without balance and stability, you will never use all the energy you create with the ground (distance); and you'll never be consistent (accurate) as your arms follow your body.  My promise to you ... the design of SQAIRZ, with our 7 patents, will improve your balance, stability, and ground connection.  If we can improve these three things, it will result in more distance and better accuracy.  The design of our toe box simply allows the toes to sit and function naturally which will give you better balance.  We widen the base under the ball of your foot ever so slightly to add even more balance and stability.  As a result, there is now more surface area coverage of the ground to promote a more efficient energy exchange.  All of this is proven and measurable with a pressure mat.  The removable cleats are strategically positioned and supported by traction lugs.  If you are wearing a spikeless golf shoe (without removable cleats) your are compromising ground force and giving up distance.  The studies, available on line, state in upwards of 10 yards loss.  There is a reason why 82% of all tour players wear removable cleats.  There are two connections in the game, hands to the club, feet to the ground.  Without balance and stability, the $600 driver and ball you are playing are irrelevant.  All the rage with the players today is "how to use the ground" better.  Your only connection to the ground is your golf shoes.  They can help you or hurt you.  SQAIRZ will most definitely help you play better golf.  

It was a pleasure to speak with you, Bob. I was just in Bangor and it was not the same place as I remember even 3 years ago. Having the shoes waiting for me when I returned home today was wonderful.

[JeremyD]

Interesting first round in these. My misses were different. I was thinning. Got home and saw the difference between my worn out FJ's and the Sqairz. I was almost an inch higher in the Sqairz. I will say, when I did connect with my driver, it did go. I felt really connected to the ground. The attached pic was my longest drive today. I’m usually a 270 guy so this was a pleasant surprise. Could be several factors including the shoes 

Edited June 17, 2023 by JeremyD
Added content

[Javs]

7 minutes ago, JeremyD said:

Interesting first round in these. My misses were different. I was thinning. Got home and saw the difference between my worn out FJ's and the Sqairz. I was almost an inch higher in the Sqairz. I will say, when I did connect with my driver, it did go. I felt really connected to the ground. The attached pic was my longest drive today. I’m usually a 270 guy so this was a pleasant surprise. Could be several factors including the shoes 

Very interesting. I found the same result when I switched from the FJ Alpha to the SQAIRZ. I went from a 268 to 275 guy to 280 to 300 guy. That is a huge gain in distance off the tee. 

[JeremyD]

1 minute ago, Javs said:

Very interesting. I found the same result when I switched from the FJ Alpha to the SQAIRZ. I went from a 268 to 275 guy to 280 to 300 guy. That is a huge gain in distance off the tee. 

I also had a couple of high 280 shots. Even a 265 with my 3W. Off the tee, I'm seeing a difference, but not much off the fairway. Again, my swing needs to adjust to the slight height difference from what I'm used to. 

[Blaine Dye]

Well I have worn these 3 times now I haven’t seen the change in distance yet but I am hitting the ball I feel like more straight I had a lot less miss hits and I will say the putting has actually improved idk if that’s the work I’ve been putting in but you can feel the slope better in these and I use the aim point method so feeling is everything hopefully I’ll start to see those distance improvements soon but I definitely don’t think it is a instant thing in my opinion 

[MacTourney]

On 5/30/2023 at 9:09 AM, fixyurdivot said:

Count me among the skeptics as to the degree to which a golf shoe design will move the needle on performance..... 

Interested in following this too, especially how the shoe may affect balance.   

On 5/30/2023 at 9:09 AM, fixyurdivot said:

...but, perhaps your reviews will sway me.  

We saw what you did there...

[JeremyD]

Better misses today. No thins. Better shots, worse score

[ScramblinMan]

“So now I gotta cut loose. Footloose, kick off the Sunday shoes”! I have to admit my skepticism about these shoes were met with a “Ground control to Major Tom” feeling of great stability and  traction on a wet morning the first time wearing these Sqairz. Definitely felt very grounded. As for yardage gained, it was a cooler wet morning so distances were pretty close to the norm but my tee shots felt more balanced then my FJ’s under similar conditions. Also I feel more upright when wearing these shoes especially compared to any of my spikeless shoes. Looking forward to next round testing in warmer and drier conditions.

[Ben_Howell34]

Got to play in a scramble with them for the first time yesterday and I have to say they performed well. Pretty comfortable and I had some longer drives too. Hard to know if it is the shoes but I did feel more connected to the ground. Eager to play a true round in them soon, preferably walking. 

[scubahoops]

I have to say that these shoes have been really great.  I have played about 3 full rounds in them so far and I am playing again tomorrow in addition to a couple of times on the range.  Overall I am very happy with the shoes and that is just from a feel perspective. I have some data I will be posting from my time on the range last night using a launch monitor.  

Also, like @Ben_Howell34, during my last round I hit a couple of really long drives.  Through the use of the on cart GPS it was determined that one of my drives went 354 yards! It was aided by some wind but compared to the others in my group, it was well past their drives.  To use the words of Mars Blackmon, "It's gotta be the shoes!!!"

[GolfSpy_APH]

1 hour ago, scubahoops said:

I have to say that these shoes have been really great.  I have played about 3 full rounds in them so far and I am playing again tomorrow in addition to a couple of times on the range.  Overall I am very happy with the shoes and that is just from a feel perspective. I have some data I will be posting from my time on the range last night using a launch monitor.  

Also, like @Ben_Howell34, during my last round I hit a couple of really long drives.  Through the use of the on cart GPS it was determined that one of my drives went 354 yards! It was aided by some wind but compared to the others in my group, it was well past their drives.  To use the words of Mars Blackmon, "It's gotta be the shoes!!!"

How is comfort after a full 18?

[ScramblinMan]

Recently played at one of my favorite courses(Farm Neck on Martha’s Vineyard) and wanted to let you @scubahoops know that Mars Blackman (aka Spike Lee) has a house on the 18th tee! Love his movies but since I am a Boston area guy, I’m not a big fan of the gigantic New York sports team flags he’s always flying! That latest round was the second time I’ve worn these Sqairz shoes and as I’ve stated before “it’s hip to be square”. These shoes definitely create the most stability of any other shoe I’ve ever owned. Being an 8 handicap with a swing speed of around 90 mph,my drives average about 265 yards. If I have gained any distance with these shoes,it might be 5-7 yards but I’m definitely not hitting the ball 300 plus yards(helping wind) like my fellow testers. These shoes also aide with your alignment while putting so I feel more confident with my setup which in turn creates a more fluid/consistent putting stroke. Also, in my initial review of the tacky bubble shoe laces, I reported that the laces remained firmly tied walking around my yard. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case in real world golf course conditions. I had to re-tie them several times during my round. In conclusion, with a few rounds under my belt, I really like these shoes. They are very comfortable,have incredible grip on both dry and wet turf, and I dig the look of these shoes. In the famous words of Pink Floyd. “I have become comfortably numb”!

[scubahoops]

6 minutes ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

How is comfort after a full 18?

 So for comfort I need to note that I have not walked a round yet in these.  In the AZ heat, walking 18 is a bit challenging.  I still do quite a bit of walking but not nearly the same amount.  The shoes have been very comfortable walking around so far. My biggest complaint is that since these shoes are 100% water proof they are not very breathable and with 100 degree temps while I play my feet get hot.  During this time of year with the dry heat the SPEED Mesh would probably feel better , but with that said, if this is my only pair of Sqairz, I would still wear them in the heat.   

[Blaine Dye]

54 minutes ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

How is comfort after a full 18?

i have walked a full 18 and I will say they are very comfortable in my opinion like i said in my first impression my only complaint is my feet are getting sweaty I'm going to try this Saturday and wear my normal socks and not the Sqairz socks and see if its just the socks 

[Blaine Dye]

Well I got out and have been really playing hard in these and I will say I feel so much more confident in my drives because the balance these shoes give ( I know I know you should be able to finish every shot balanced but that's not me) being able to hold my finish or maybe just have more confidence has helped a ton. ALSO thanks to this great Arkansas got to test out the waterproof part and I must say it holds true my feet stayed dry I wasn't running around jumping in puddles or nothing  but as far as just wet grass and light to medium rain it held true to its word  

[Willie T]

46 minutes ago, Blaine Dye said:

Well I got out and have been really playing hard in these and I will say I feel so much more confident in my drives because the balance these shoes give ( I know I know you should be able to finish every shot balanced but that's not me) being able to hold my finish or maybe just have more confidence has helped a ton. ALSO thanks to this great Arkansas got to test out the waterproof part and I must say it holds true my feet stayed dry I wasn't running around jumping in puddles or nothing  but as far as just wet grass and light to medium rain it held true to its word  

Like how you are confirming the stability side of the shoe.  Having little to no lateral stability with the left foot (transmet amputation of all the toes from motorcycle wreck), enjoying hearing how the shoes work for folks.  

[jbern]

On 6/17/2023 at 10:33 AM, Javs said:

Very interesting. I found the same result when I switched from the FJ Alpha to the SQAIRZ. I went from a 268 to 275 guy to 280 to 300 guy. That is a huge gain in distance off the tee. 

Are you guys seeing added distance with every club or only the drives?

[Javs]

10 minutes ago, jbern said:

Are you guys seeing added distance with every club or only the drives?

I personally added yardage to my entire bag. However, the shoes added stability which have allowed me to take more aggressive swings without worrying about slipping. I was gaining distance with my PXG’s wearing these shoes. Then once I switched to the Callaway Paradyms the gains were even greater. I am a believer in the shoes.  

[Ben_Howell34]

36 minutes ago, jbern said:

Are you guys seeing added distance with every club or only the drives?

I played in a scramble so hard to tell but it felt like most of the clubs. I hope to play a true round with Arccos next week and will see then. 

[ctg44]

I am not in this test, but I have had a pair of Sqairz for almost a year. When I wear them consistently, my swing becomes more consistent and my index goes down. When I switch back to my Nikes (only other shoes that fit me at all because of a stupid narrow heel with a just shy of wide forefoot...14M in Nike / 13M in Sqairz), I end up with a less consistent swing and my scores go up. I have been back in the Sqairz since early May and my index has gone down from 7.2 to 4.9.

Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk
 

Edited July 14, 2023 by ctg44

[ScramblinMan]

12 hours ago, jbern said:

Are you guys seeing added distance with every club or only the drives?

Definitely longer on iron shots  but I switched to new Paradym irons 3weeks before receiving these shoes and the lies are a couple of degrees stronger on each club. Full swings feel more grounded compared to my other shoes though…

[JeremyD]

19 hours ago, jbern said:

Are you guys seeing added distance with every club or only the drives?

Now that I’m a little more comfortable in these shoes I’ve gained up and down the line. While it’s easiest to tell on drives, I’ve tried clubs that I used to hit at certain distances and am closer to those old distances than I was with other shoes. For example my 7 iron was my 165-170 club years ago and in the past year it was my 155 club. I’m confident I can hit it 160-165 at this point. That’s huge to me. 

[JeremyD]

I will second the hot feet thing, but I’m ok with it. Also I was concerned that a higher heel back would rub. I’ve had issues of bleeding with former shoes for years and would often have to put band aids on my heels to golf. I haven’t had issues at all. They rub slightly as all shoes night but I don’t really notice any damage to my heels

[Javs]

Hey I will throw this out there. I have two pairs of the Bold and love them. I just purchased a pair of the speed (grey) and played in them today. They are awesome as well! 

[GregB135]

I was a member of the first Sqairz testing group a couple of years ago. Love the performance and comfort of the shoes. The originals were kind of heavy though. I still have my original pair, and I've since purchased two more. The only thing I've found to complain about is the fabric in the interior of the heel cup has worn out on all three pairs. Have any of you noticed anything similar yet with the Speed bold?

[GregB135]

On 6/23/2023 at 2:32 PM, ScramblinMan said:

Recently played at one of my favorite courses(Farm Neck on Martha’s Vineyard) and wanted to let you @scubahoops know that Mars Blackman (aka Spike Lee) has a house on the 18th tee! Love his movies but since I am a Boston area guy, I’m not a big fan of the gigantic New York sports team flags he’s always flying! That latest round was the second time I’ve worn these Sqairz shoes and as I’ve stated before “it’s hip to be square”. These shoes definitely create the most stability of any other shoe I’ve ever owned. Being an 8 handicap with a swing speed of around 90 mph,my drives average about 265 yards. If I have gained any distance with these shoes,it might be 5-7 yards but I’m definitely not hitting the ball 300 plus yards(helping wind) like my fellow testers. These shoes also aide with your alignment while putting so I feel more confident with my setup which in turn creates a more fluid/consistent putting stroke. Also, in my initial review of the tacky bubble shoe laces, I reported that the laces remained firmly tied walking around my yard. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case in real world golf course conditions. I had to re-tie them several times during my round. In conclusion, with a few rounds under my belt, I really like these shoes. They are very comfortable,have incredible grip on both dry and wet turf, and I dig the look of these shoes. In the famous words of Pink Floyd. “I have become comfortably numb”!

As far as the Sta-put laces go, the original laces that came with my first two pairs seemed to stay tied very well. The replacement laces I ordered for pair number one needed to be retied frequently. Not sure what makes the difference, but it seems hit or miss on whether or not they actually 'sta put'

[ScramblinMan]

23 minutes ago, GregB135 said:

As far as the Sta-put laces go, the original laces that came with my first two pairs seemed to stay tied very well. The replacement laces I ordered for pair number one needed to be retied frequently. Not sure what makes the difference, but it seems hit or miss on whether or not they actually 'sta put'

I think if they put those "tacky little bubbles" on both sides of the laces they would remain tied more frequently. I noticed that when the laces were tied with the bubbles making contact with each other they untied less often...