“I Got the Need…The Need For (SQAIRZ) Speed… Golf Shoes“
The Set-Up
“Talk to me Goose”.
With the subtitle being what it is, I just couldn’t help myself. A blatant reference to “Top Gun” which by the way my older sister Susan just watched for the first time. So, now that I got the cheesy “Top Gun” reference out of my system I can now commence with this article.
Before continuing, I’d be remiss if I failed to thank the CEO and Founder of SQAIRZ Golf (Robert Winskowicz) for giving me the opportunity to test golf shoes from this New England-based golf footwear brand. SQAIRZ Golf shoes are the brainchild of golf industry veteran Robert (Bob) Winskowicz. Bob was the Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Arnold Palmer Golf Company. Also on his resume, Bob held an executive leadership position at MacGregor Golf.
Due to tight travel restrictions and a case of COVID-19 last winter, I was unable to attend the 2022 PGA Merchandise Show which welcomed back in-person attendance. I really had planned on visiting the SQAIRZ Golf booth down in Orlando. It would be a chance to see first hand what the deal was with these golf shoes. You know, the ones we’ve seen and heard about so often on television and the internet. Seriously?! Sir Nick (Faldo). You mean to tell me that a square-toed golf shoe can give me an extra club worth of distance. Heck! Sign me up.
Visiting the show wasn’t meant to be but through the wizardry of modern technology and the “interwebs” I was able to meet Mr. Winskowicz (Bob) virtually through Zoom, where ultimately a podcast with him was recorded (see below) and a testing opportunity arose.
Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to test golf footwear from a variety of brands and even though I know that a lot of research goes into designing a golf shoe, I truly had no idea what it took until talking to Mr. Winskowicz. The amount of time dedicated to research and technology that Bob and the R&D team at SQAIRZ Golf has invested in is truly mind-boggling, to say the least. But, if you want to do something right, it takes time, perseverance, and hard work.
Whether its sourcing out the right leathers, investigating the profiles of thousands of different feet, figuring out an innovative spike pattern that will make a difference for golfers, and of course how wide to design the upper all of this takes time and careful consideration. Even something as small as the shoe laces.
Golf footwear or footwear in general is very important to me. As a Diabetic that continually has to fight Diabetic Foot Ulcers I always have to be cognizant of what I put on my feet. The slightest “nick of the skin” can turn into a full-blown foot ulcer where the consequences can range anywhere from a nasty infection to gangrene and even amputation. I’ve always said that the goal here at “The Next Tee” was to educate golfers when it comes to something that may or may not help others like myself. When these types of testings arise the education turns into something more akin to a crusade.
The SQAIRZ Golf Speed Golf Shoes are packed with all sorts of technology. Some of the technologies or shall I say features incorporated into these golf shoes are…
• Patented square toe creates more space for your toes to spread naturally and more connection between the ball of your foot and the ground.
• Proven to increase swing speed and distance. Wider base under the ball of the foot provides unparalleled balance and stability.
• Played on tour by players like Sepp Straka and John Daly.
• TPU heel stabilizer creates improved range of motion.
• Guaranteed 100% waterproof for two years.
• Designed to keep sand and debris out.
• Six strategically placed replaceable Pivix Softspikes® maximize traction.
•Sta-Put Laces customize your fit and lock it in place without having to adjust or re-tie.
• Fits up to 2E width.
• EVA foam mid-sole provides maximum responsive cushioning.
So, with all of this being said how do the SQAIRZ Golf Speed Golf Shoes perform?
The Transition
For the testing and review I went with a pair of their White/Black combination. After all, this colour combination is easy to match with literally any outfit in your apparel arsenal. For sizing purposes, I elected to go with a Size 10.5 and I must say that in a way I felt like “Cinderella” (err… I mean “Cinderello”. The”o” makes it more masculine). When I put the first shoe on my foot, it felt perfect. I have a partial amputation of my right “Great Toe” and my second toe has always been longer than my “big toe”. So I’ve always had to go by the second toe.
When I talked to Bob about the testing he informed me that it would be best to wear my new shoes around the house while watching television etc. I took his good counsel to heart as I would watch television, write, play guitar, and yes I even fell asleep in bed with them on my feet. No, it wasn’t on-purpose. All that I know is that these Speed golf shoes were soft and comfortable right out of the box. I literally fell asleep with them on my feet.
In my opinion, there are three key contributors to these golf shoes from SQAIRZ Golf that make these shoes “tick”. The first is the square toe box something that has been overlooked in the golf footwear industry. Until SQAIRZ, I had never seen it. Secondly is the leather. It is pretty subtle out of the box. Thirdly, the width (2E) of the shoe itself which allows for a wider base and more stability. But, more on that later.
The width of the shoe and toe box allows the foot to lay flat as nature intended as opposed to being “scrunched up”. Please feel free to look at your sneakers or current golf shoes. This is a realization that I never had until this testing and podcast recording with Mr. Winskowicz. I wish I knew this sooner. It’s hard to fathom that SQAIRZ employing the square toe was an epiphany while on a driving range in New England.
Just from a comfort standpoint, the SQAIRZ Golf Speed golf shoes are worth every penny. But, you want to know about improved distance don’t you?!
The science behind these shoes makes all of the sense in the world, especially if you know anything about “ground forces”. Ground force comes from more surface area of the foot/shoe maintaining contact with terra firma for as long as possible. It’s simple physics and logic, really. Terry Hashimoto, a leader in ground force research (as it relates to the golf swing) uses body mapping through the use of BodiTrak (Adam Scott’s trace seen below). His research has shown the above-stated to be very true.
**Note the amount of pressure in the trail foot in the transition and the red area in the finish.
While I have no concrete data about myself as it relates to distance here’s what I can tell you. I’m way more stable over the golf ball through the impact zone. While I do have a tendency to have a shift on the way back and again through the golf ball is an issue (a major fault that I’ve employed to be able to swing with an ailing back in dire need of surgery) wearing SQAIRZ settles this fault right down. While wearing the SQAIRZ Speed shoes I’m in the hitting area for a longer period of time. It’s totally conceivable that due to this I’d be able to generate more speed and as a result, more distance.
The team at SQAIRZ Golf has gone out of their way to ensure that any level of golfer will benefit from more ground force. To this point, it’s known that Ben Hogan had an extra spike placed onto his shoes. SQAIRZ Golf has six strategically placed spikes (Pivix SoftSpikes) on the sole of the shoes and coupled with an aggressive tread pattern the stability of this shoe is a point that’s driven home with an exclamation mark.
I’ll be honest, when I first saw these shoes on the internet and television I thought to myself “Those look really hokey. Clown shoes.”. I couldn’t be more wrong. When I opened and unboxed the SQAIRZ Speed shoes for the first time, I immediately started looking for a crow to eat. Like I’d ever eat my spirit animal. The shoes look much better than pictures do them justice. I really like the “carbon-type” weave of some of the accents. The STA-PUT laces are a great touch and even though they have become untied on a couple of occasions the laces really do “cinch ‘n’ clinch”.
While I sure hate to keep flogging a dead horse I feel necessary at this point to touch on one last though regarding the stability of these shoes Unlike almost every other golf shoe in the industry the SQAIRZ design doesn’t twist. If you were to hold one of the shoes at the heel and toe and start twisting it, you’d find that the shoes doesn’t bend or contort. Meaning that your foot will no get sloppy in the “boot”.
These shoes are designed to not allow debris like pebbles, sand, and so on to enter the shoe. I have yet had to take off a shoe in order to get foreign objects out of them. Again, very important to diabetic patients and their feet. I’ve had a pebble get into a golf shoe of mine that caused a pressure wound. The result was an ulcer. If you suffer from Peripheral Neuropathy you lack sensation in your feet.
The Finish
There are some golfers that might gripe about the cost of these shoes from SQAIRZ Golf, especially if the foreign exchange rates and duties don’t favour you. To you, I simply say “bupkus”. Many of these same golfers don’t blink twice when it comes to purchasing a new club (say driver) that you may use 13 times in a round. If you can spend that $500-$800 for 13 shots, then why can’t you spend $199.99 USD for something that you use during the rest of your 100 strokes or whatever you may shoot during a round of golf?
SQAIRZ Golf produces a shoe that I consider the best golf shoe in the golf industry. Comfort that never quits and stability that can improve your game. SQAIRZ Golf Speed shoes are the real deal.
I went from being a cynic and skeptical to being a true believer. Believe the hype these golf shoes are the real deal. For more information please click here.
Until The Next Tee!!
#fightandgrind #seeuonthenexttee
The Next Tee (TNT) 