If you aren’t familiar with Crocs, then I assume that you either don’t have kids or have never seen one. I suppose because Crocs are so easy to manage, lightweight, comfortable and a year round choice (yes, even with socks.) they seem to be the shoe of choice in at least my neighborhood. As a parent, what I love about the boys’ Crocs are that they are odor and bacteria resistant – very beneficial with 3 boys in the house. Yet, I have never owned a pair nor really thought about needing a pair. So when I heard Crocs now has women’s golf shoes, I was more than excited to try them out, but for a different reason.

Not your kids Crocs

If you have read any of our shoe reviews you may have noticed at least half of us have miserable foot issues. In my case I recently had foot surgery that went horribly wrong. What should have been a relatively simple outpatient procedure turned into a serious 9 day hospitalization. The recovery was brutal and I am only now beginning to wear “real” shoes. When I say real shoes, I mean running shoes because I am still not able to comfortably wear anything else, including golf shoes.  This, of course is not ideal as golf sometimes requires you to hit shots out of the sand or other areas of bad footing (not that I am ever in such a position). Therefore, I was very excited and a bit anxious to try out the Crocs Golf Shoes for women. I mean, our kids seem to be on to something, right?

Yes, that’s the inside

Croc’s Golf Shoes for Women are part of their Hank Haney Collection. (Hank Haney is an internationally recognized golf instructor who is best known for coaching Tiger Woods and Mark O’Meara, but I am SURE you already knew that.) He has paired up with Crocs to design a shoe that is intended to be worn both on and off the course. Crocs Golf Shoes with Hank Haney was selected as one of three overall “Best New Products” at the 2012 PGA Merchandise Show. So far this has my name written all over it – golf to dinner?? Excellent.

You can go with this, or you can go with that

I received the Women’s Bradyn golf shoe in white and fushia. The first thing I noticed is that these golf shoes look like a sneaker. They are super cute with interchangeable leather kilties and shoe laces in either white or pink. I feel like I have 2 different pairs of shoes! The second thing that I noticed is the inside of the shoe. It has the same look as the kids’ Crocs, including the bright color and Croslite material that provide form to foot cushioning. (I’m not going to lie – I wore my son’s Crocs when I had to walk the dog – and, dang it, those bumpy shoes WERE comfortable.) Lastly, I turned over the shoe to check out the bottom. My Crocs Golf Shoe has a multi-traction TPU pink outsole that looks like hard rubber cleats, although they are spikeless and fit into the hybrid category of golf shoes. Cute, but how are these going to feel on my messed up foot??

Are nubs the new norm?

Did I mention the Crocs Golf Shoes for Women looked like a sneaker? Well, they feel like one, too. I was THRILLED to be able to put this shoe on and not immediately want to take it off. These shoes are so incredibly light and not tight at all with regards to width. Ok, so they felt fine for the moment, but I thought I better take my running shoes with me in case these Crocs start to hurt. Guess what – I never needed to change shoes. I couldn’t believe it. I played 18 holes of golf, with a foot that has lawsuit written all over it, and never thought about changing into my running shoes. If there could ever be an endorsement for a pair of shoes, this is it. Crocs Golf Shoes for Women will be your new favorite golf shoe, even if you don’t have dreadful feet.

You can learn more about Crocs golf on their website. Crocs Braydn run about $99.

Crocs Golf Shoes: Let me start by saying that I have never ever owned a pair of Crocs, nor have I ever wanted to own a pair of Crocs. This is not to say I have never bought a pair – it’s just the opposite as I think I have plopped down cash for at least 12 pairs between my three kids, but zippy Crocs for this guy. So in the spirit of non-judgmental reviews, I figured I was the perfect choice.

Why I never owned a pair of Crocs

I first became aware of the Croc Golf shoes at the 2012 PGA show  while strolling around the 9 million square foot venue . . . I literally made a double take when I passed their booth. What I saw reminded me of Crocs but were somehow different, somehow much cooler, somehow not as “crocish” as the Crocs my kids decorated with doo-dads and stomped around in. Well one thing led to another and the next thing you know, three pairs showed up and I was off to the races.

Croc Braydn Golf Shoe

Unlike some golf shoe companies that have basically one look with various color options, Crocs are widely styled but maintain the distintive Croc look – kinda like the Baldwin brothers. So no matter if it is in a saddle, black or wing-tip version, the Crocs vibe is apparent and unmistakeable. While I liked all three styles, I was pretty jacked that the black Braydn version was my size.

Croc Braydn Golf Shoe

One of the first things I noticed was the nubbed insoles, which is kind of like having a Sharper Image foot massager inside your shoe. Nothing new to long time Croc lovers, but a whole new ball game for me. I have no idea of the science behind the Crocs but there is definitely a springy feeling when you walk, much like a new running shoe has. I guess this should not come as a surprise as Crocs whole gig is that they make virtual sponge for your feet.

Crocs Preston Golf Shoe

In terms of the sole, I think one of the best features is the matching accent color they used to tie the whole shoe together, ie green sole with shoes that have a green trim and orange sole with the orange trim. As for the actual cleats, they are plentiful and sturdy. There is no slipping with these shoes as you have a virtual mouth full of gator teeth to grab the earth. As and added bonus, there is a nice gripping sound when you walk on pavement that reminds me of the days of metal spikes but in the rubber version. Despite the excellent traction, the spikes are not too bulky allowing you wear them anywhere without feeling like you are wearing golf shoes. In fact, I am pretty sure these are the same shoes Hank Haney wears 24/7 – or at least every time he is on TV (same thing?).

Crocs Preston Golf Shoe

For the purposes of this review, I took my new Crocs to Pinehurst for a 3 day, 5 round golf outing. I figured, what better way to see how they hold up. From a comfort standpoint, I love ’em. 36 holes in one day demands a shoe with lots of cushion and is not too bulky. Moreover, I was not is any rush to shed the shoes in between rounds or even after we finished our marathon day. In fact, I put them on in the morning and did not take them off until nearly 8pm (as opposed to a bunch of guys who would quickly ditch their spikes to throw on their flip flops as soon as they finished their 1st round).

Crocs Drayden Golf Shoe

While Croc golf shoes certainly have a “look”, I personally like the style and have made them my current shoe of choice. The only issue I found, and I think this would be the case for any non-traditional spiked shoe, is in pine-straw. While I had no problem with grip in the fairway, sand or rough, I did find it a bit hard to “dig in” when hitting out of deep pine-straw which is prevalent in Pinehurst. Other than that, I was absolutely thrilled with the Croc golf shoes.

Crocs Drayden Golf Shoe

A quick note on the Drayden shoe which is slightly different than the others as there are holes throughout allowing for added ventilation. This is a really nice feature for summer time play.

Finally, all of the Crocs are less than $100 so they will not break the bank. My only wish list item would be that they were offered in half sizes.

So there you have it, a full confession from a former Croc hater. I am going all in, these buggers have style, performance and comfort. What more do you want? Hank Haney’s name inside? Oh yea, they have that too.

You can learn more on the Crocs website.

Three Guys Golf Blog is giving away TWO FREE pairs of Crocs!

We are giving away 2 pairs (your choice of style and size). Simply leave us a comment or tweet this post. Contest ends June 22th. We would sure love for you to follow us on Twitter too!

Winners: CONGRATS to Logan and @chineline

2012 PGA Show:  Having just returned from my first visit to the 2012 PGA Show I am feeling a bit punch drunk. Much like a kid in a candy store, the PGA Show had so many sweets it was easy to go overboard and end up with a sugar high. So without further adieu, lets get to some of the highlights.

PGA Show Driving Range

Equipment:  Yes, all of the big boys had a huge presence at the show but for me it was a great time to learn more about some of the boutique companies. In the putter and wedge niche, I was able check out Edel, Piretti and T.P. Mills putters which are simply stunning (I only wish I had taken pictures). Newer on the scene but also impressive is a line of putters from former player Chris Carnahan who makes both wedges and putters for Carnahan Golf.  Finally, in the putter and wedge area, we visited with Rife putters and Renegar Golf, both of which I really like and look forward to taking out on the course.

While I did not make the demo day, I did get to spend some time with Stephen Boccieri of Boccieri Golf who explained his weighted club design. In short, his clubs, or separately sold grips, are weighted at the butt end to promote greater lag and hence better club speed.

Golf Shoes:  Since Ecco came out with their Fred Couples street shoes, everyone seems to be jumping on the band-wagon. While Ecco is not about to go away, new mid-sized companies will give them a challenge. For example Kikkor added about 4 more lines to their portfolio including, wait for it, a high top. TRUE Linkswear is simply exploding with new styles and even Crocs is jumping into the market. However, the most minimalist shoe I found was Barefoot BERBS which are as close to no shoes as you can get. While each brand has a unique style, consistent among them is a lower profile, closer to the ground feel. Stay tuned as we will be putting these shoes to our 18 hole test in the coming months.

Even Crocs is getting into the golf shoe game

Golf  Apparel: Although am no fashion expert, it seems like the Europeans are having an impact on the fashion industry. Bright colors were everywhere – this was no more evident than at the LoudMouth booth where everyone was decked out in the zany attire.

LoudMouth Golf PGA Booth

While not quite as colorful as LoudMouth, Ian Poulter’s collection is just as unique as you would expect from the man who seems to always be ahead of the fashion curve. As an added bonus Ian made an appearance at the booth and I can honestly say he is a super nice guy.

Ian stops by to sign a few autographs

Speaking of super nice, let me just say that just about everyone at the show was awesome, but a quick shout out to some of the folks were were particularly welcoming to Three Guys Golf Blog:

Kikkor:  Hosted an awesome night golf event.

Sligo:  Great clothing selection plus they had Brian Gay stop in for a while.

Abacus:  A Scandinavian company who will be outfitting the Euros this year.

Cross Golf USA:  Great outerwear and clothing.

Tattoo Golf:  We have already done a product review for Tattoo so it was cool to meet Bill and Greg in person.

Arnie Wear:  Can’t wait for this new line of clothes that was literally designed using real items from Arnold Palmer’s closet.

Other Stuff I liked: There was so much great stuff and hopefully we will get a chance to review much of it in greater detail, but for now this is a quick list of items that caught my attention.

Asher Golf:  Makers of creative golf gloves and part owned by the #2 long distance driver in the world Ben Tua’one.  I was lucky enough to play 9 holes of night golf with Ben and suffice it to say we used all of his drives in the captains choice except when he hit it too far and it went into a lake we did not see 325 yards out.

Jan Craig:  Wonderfully hand made head-covers.

59 Belts:  In the top 3 coolest belts I have ever seen.

Pro Mental Coach:  Computer brain training for us mental disasters. Look for a review in a couple of months when I finish my training.

Jones Bag:  Throw back to the simple days of golf when bags did not have 36 zippered pouches.

Kentwool Socks:  Saved my feet on Saturday.

Optishot:  Affordable indoor golf simulator.

Flavor Flav:  Yes, Flavor Flav was in the house with the Back 9 channel. No idea why but Matt is such a huge fan that I got him a signed hat.

Flavor Flav shouts out to Matt!