Looking back at the year that was in golf footwear, there’s no denying the landscape has evolved rapidly; not too long ago, most people bought shoes at their local country club shop or large retailers. Now there are lotteries and resellers flipping shoes for twice the MSRP, like the 2021 Air Jordan 4 Golf ‘Masters Tournament,’ which goes for over $1000 USD on GOAT. And although the big players in the space are largely the same — namely adidas, Nike and FootJoy — products are being designed and marketed with on or off course versatility to appeal to the new golf consumer.Over the course of 12 months, Nike, Jordan and adidas dipped into their extensive catalogs of OG favorites like the AM97, AJ1, AJ12, Samba and Stan Smith, and updated them for the golf course with heftier outsoles and cushier midsoles. Meanwhile, FootJoy elevated its classic Premiere silhouette into collaborative offerings with Jon Buscemi and GLCO, as the brand fed off an onrush of PR thanks to Tiger Woods, who shocked everyone at the ’22 Masters when he arrived wearing a pair of FJ Packards. There are also sleeper picks making the list, as Malbon Golf shook hands with New Balance and Drole de Monsieur pushed out an unexpected shoe for a collaboration made in France.Read on to see the full list, and let us know in the comments if we left out any of your favorites.Waffle House x adidas TOUR360While tournament themed products are nothing new in golf, brands are getting more creative with their seasonal releases, and this entry from adidas is a prime example. Celebrating the 2022 Masters Tournament, adidas went with the food theme, partnering with a restaurant that’s synonymous with southern comfort food: Waffle House. Nods to the restaurant chain’s staples are abundant, as a waffle pattern is embossed into the leather upper and the outsole oozes a maple syrup motif.Vice Golf x adidas Stan Smith GolfA collaborative effort between two German brands, Vice Golf and adidas joined forces in March to introduce the Stan Smith Golf in a bold neon green. Vice’s signature black paint splatter accents arrive on the midsoles, tongues and heel overlays, while the recognizable Stan Smith patch finds its way onto the tongues. This was the second time that the two brands came together, the first having been a fresh take on the UltraBOOST, and this was certainly one to remember.adidas Samba OG GolfThe Samba took off in the summer of 2022 from a fashion standpoint, and as fall arrived golfers wondered if the shoe would be getting a reintroduction to the fairway. The Samba OG Golf hits all the signature characteristics of the original like the serrated stripes, suede toe overlays and gum soles, while three rubber spikes are placed strategically underfoot to help with traction. Soccer lovers eat your heart out.Jon Buscemi x FootJoy Premiere Tarlow2022 was the year that FootJoy began operating more like a sneaker imprint, and its first collaboration of the year was with west coast creative and designer Jon Buscemi. With the shoes releasing in March, the warm tones paid homage to the Players Championship, while Buscemi branded gold lace locks provided a touch of bling.GLCO x FootJoy Premiere PackardNot long after the Buscemi release, FootJoy followed up with an unexpected collaboration with eyewear designer Garrett Leight. Playing on this theme, the side saddle section receives a turtle shell pattern, while the base and accents remain in white full grain leather. Classic menswear patterns and silhouettes are coming back in full force, and these shoes pair so well with dressy pleated trousers.Drole de Monsieur x Paraboot Thiers SportA quiet release from back in April, the quirky French streetwear brand Drole de Monsieur teamed up with footwear designers Paraboot for a golf-inspired take on the Thiers model. The shoe displays a mixed material construction of leather and suede, as well as a color blocked design with bright hues. This approach references the collaboration’s ethos of combining fashion and sport, and was accompanied by a small apparel capsule collection consisting of a Paraboot-branded hat and a hoodie declaring “Not From Paris Madame.”Malbon Golf x New Balance 997G “Evergreen”Collaborations are nothing new for Malbon Golf, and for 2022 the brand brought back one of its fan favorites, the New Balance 997G, a year on from its initial debut. Following the classic lines of the runner silhouette, but with a reimagined midsole, the shoes come dressed in New Balance’s signature neutral shades of beige and grey along with black accents and a pop of green. It’s a versatile style that pairs equally well with chinos or sweatpants.Eastside Golf x Air Jordan 1 High Golf NRGOut of all the new, up and coming golf brands, one could argue that Eastside Golf had the biggest 2022, and the Air Jordan 1 High Golf NRG symbolizes that success. The shoe was one of six footwear models that released as part of Eastside Golf’s first full collection alongside Jordan Brand, and the AJ1 High G was the cream of the crop. “Red clay” dominates toe, forefoot and heel overlays, while the Eastside swinging chain logo makes a prominent appearance on the left tongue and hang tag.Air Jordan 12 Low Golf “Playoffs”Jordan Brand produced a number of AJ12 Low Golf colorways in 2022, including the “French Blue,” “Cherry” and “Metallic Gold,” but something about the “Playoffs” version hits different. The color scheme was first seen in 1997 during a Michael Jordan playoff run, and the fairway ready version features a black leather rising sun upper, white pebbled mudguard and seven removable twist spikes.Nike Air Max 97 Golf “Zebra”Potentially the loudest and definitely the furriest golf shoe of the year was the Nike Air Max 97 Golf done up in a “Zebra” colorway. The shoe was part of a safari themed pack that also included the AM90 G “Leopard” and the AM1 G “Tiger.” The outsole offers a large white Swoosh and toothed tread pattern for enhanced grip on the fairways.
