Skechers GOgolf Elite 5 - Slip 'In Unofficial Review

[MissionMan]

 

Introduction

First off, apologies for the lack of pictures. I’m away on a non-golfing family holiday and I put this together killing time on the plane. I’ve inserted a picture of the product from the Skecher website and I’ll add some photos when I get back next week.

About a year ago, I bought some sketcher sneakers with something called slip in technology, and since then, the convenience of not having to tie a lace has won me over. The thing I liked with the Skecher slip in was that it offered convenience without compromising performance.

After 6 months of slips in's, I was coming to end of life on my Footjoys so I decided to see if they had a pair of golf shoes. They did, a model called the Elite.

Construction & Durability 4/5

I put construction at about a 4/5. It's good, lightweight and strong. When I first got them, I had concerns it was too lightweight but it has proven itself to be durable enough for regular use. I'm nearly 6 months into my purchase and they are still going strong. I’m not sure if they will last longer than 12 months, but I can’t validate that yet.

I’m not convinced about the construction on the Boa-like feature that Skecher call Twist Fit. It simply isn't up to the Boa standard and I can't help feeling they developed their own second-rate version to avoid paying a patent. It hasn’t failed me yet but it feels more flimsy than Boa and I would have preferred to pay more for a better quality product.

Aesthetics 4/5

Aesthetics aren’t that important to me, but for some they are. The shoes are available in both a black and white variation which is typical of many shoes these days. I don’t think they look as good as some of the Ecco shoes, but they still look good. I don’t feel embarrassed wearing them around although the material does allow dirt to stick more readily to it. The black or white is personal preference.

Comfort and support 3/5

On the comfort side, the sketchers score well. They are comfortable, more comfy than my previous footjoys. The base of the shoe is really soft, memory foam like. 

Where they lose points is on support. I don't feel they offer the same level of support as most of my other golf shoes, as the upper section feels a little light weight. Oddly enough, they actually feel less supportive than some of the non-golf Skechers I have which I would not have expected.  They sit a little low around the ankle, which seems to feel less supportive.

Usability/Ergonomics 3/5

The ergonomics on the shoe is a mix of good and bad.

Getting them on and off is as simple as stepping into them, and then tightening the Twist Fit attachment to the preferred tightness. One of the things I do like the default tightness is good enough for practice and warmups. I normally slip them on, do a warm up, and then tighten them as I head onto the first tee. So why 3/5 stars?

There are two issues I have:

1. The lowness of the sides is a problem. I tend to get dust and grass in the shoe. This means occasionally slipping the shoe off and emptying it out because you have something sticking into your foot. It's not a regular occurrence, maybe once every second round, but I don't recall having to do it nearly as much with my previous shoes.
2. The Twist Fit feature isn’t easy to tighten. I feel like it gets to a medium tightness and you need hands of steal to make it tighter. I think the dial isn't thick enough so it's a little like tightening a coin. I didn’t have this issue with the Boa on my Footjoy so it seems like the original is a better solution. I can get around this by tightening the shoe before I put it on, but it makes the slip in process a little more uncomfortable.

Grip 5/5

The grip on the bottom is one of the areas that I have no concerns. It’s really handed some dismal wet, dry and sandy conditions with no issues whatsoever. I did slip walking down a steep slope but I’ll call that more of an owner problem than a shoe problem. I shouldn’t have walked around to fetch my tee. 

Waterproofing 4/5

Waterproofing has been good to date, although I’ve been fortunate to avoid some of the worse weather since these shoes arrived. The low side do result in a little more water entering the shoe from the top than other shoes, but it’s not excessive.

Price/Value 3/5

Price value for me is in the medium territory. I feel they are midrange for the price, bordering on poor value for money and you’re probably overpaying for the slip in technology. In Australia, I could get a pair of discounted Ecco Biom C4’s for the same price as the Skecher. Yes, it’s unfair to compare discounted vs non-discounted, but I’d rather wait for the Biom’s to be discounted, than buy a pair of discounted Skechers because I think the quality of goods you’re getting for the price is better. 

Conclusion 3.5/5

I really wanted to like them, and I do, but there are enough annoyances for me to look elsewhere for my next pair, perhaps deviating to a premium shoe like Ecco to see if I have more luck there. I'm still sold on the slip-in concept for golf shoes, just not this implementation of it.

If I was Skecher, I’d be making some improvements with their next version, namely slightly higher around the foot with more support and a better implementation of Twist Fit. Better yet, just pay for Boa. If they did that, I’d be happy to reconsider them again.

I'll probably keep these as range shoes due to the on/off convenience, but when they disappear to golf shoe heaven, I don't think I'll be replacing them.

Would I recommend them? For me, slip in is a convenience, not a necessity so for someone who have issues with flexibility, it may be a great option. If its not, there are better options out there so I'd consider an alternative. I really hate to say this because I do love their other slip in shoes.

[MissionMan]

Well, my concerns about the quality of the Skechers boa equivalent turned out to be correct with the attachment on one of my shoes breaking today. The skechers twist fit is poor quality.

I will say the warranty claim was addressed quickly after I sent a picture of the broken Twist Fit and they credited my account within an hour of lodging the claim.

Edited April 16 by MissionMan