Enter the Jordan 1 Low G, the low-cut golfer’s remake of the evergreen and ever popular Jordan 1. Both insanely hyped and good looking, I set out to determine if this iconic silhouette proves to be a solid spikeless performer, rather than just a nostalgic blast from the past.
As one of the lucky golfers who actually scored a pair (with full intentions of taking them straight to the course), here’s my detailed performance review of the Jordan 1 Low G.
First Impressions:
Honestly, when I grabbed these off the shelf at Golf Galaxy in the early hours of a Saturday morning, I was more drawn to the looks than anything. Sleek and sexy, the Shadow colorway hooked me from the jump. However, my main concern about the shoe was the traction. In my experience, spikeless golf shoes are either really good or just a poor attempt at turning a lifestyle shoe into something semi-functional for the course. In this case, I was extremely skeptical about how the traction would perform…but you’ll hear more about that later.
Materials
Golf is a game of luxury, and with regard to the Jordan 1 Low G, Nike blessed us with a great looking and feeling leather upper. My biggest worry about the materials was that the upper would be too stiff. That worry was quickly quashed after a few swings. The genuine leather upper proved breathable, flexible, and plenty malleable for any movement you’d make on the course. Plus, as with most Nike golf products, they come with a one-year waterproof warranty!
I was also pleasantly surprised with how resistant the toe box was to creasing, especially considering that your trail foot generally ends up on pointe by the end of the swing. This was a win for sure.
A (mostly) traditional Jordan 1 rubber outsole and midsole complete the retro look and feel.
Speaking of the outsole…
Traction
Remember my skepticism about the traction? Well, turns out there was nothing to worry about. The traction on the Jordan 1 Low G was awesome, and I think I know why.
Our very own Chris is often quoted as saying that the Jordan 1 has the best traction pattern ever, so it only makes sense that the golf iteration would do just as well.
By taking the traditional Jordan 1 outsole and traction pattern and raising some of the nubs and edges, the shoes had no issues grabbing the turf. Even with the most vigorous of swings, the shoes refused to slip or slide. To say the least, I was pleasantly surprised with how well these performed. I felt completely grounded and confident in making powerful moves while wearing them, something that can’t be said for some of Nike’s other spikeless offerings.
Cushion
Just like its basketball-oriented brother, the Jordan 1 Low G doesn’t feature much in the way of cushion. A lone air unit in the heel provides a modest amount of comfort and impact protection, but nothing more. For those of you that ride, this won’t be an issue, but I foresee some achy feet for those who generally walk all 18 holes.
All in all, if you’re looking for a golf shoe with amazing step-in comfort that you can walk around in for days, definitely look elsewhere. Adequacy is the name of the game here.
Stability
I’ve had some issues with support in past Nike golf models, mainly due to some models feeling too narrow, almost unbalanced. This was not the case with the Jordan 1 Low G. Steady and stable, I never felt out of balance no matter the lie or terrain.
Fit
While your mileage may vary, I thought these fit true to size (shockingly). In the past, I’ve always gone a half-size up in Nike golf shoes due to them fitting a little narrow and sometimes a little short. With these, I would have been perfectly fine with my normal size.
In general, I like my golf shoes to fit semi-snug, but not so tight that I feel like I’m being choked. These hit the middle ground perfectly for me. Be warned though, on two occasions I did experience a little heel-slippage, but nothing that threw me out of rhythm or messed up my swing.
Jordan 1 Low G Summary
Overall, the Jordan 1 Low G far exceeded my expectations. And while they’re not going to be the best all-around performing golf shoe out there, I think that these accomplish exactly what they were made to do; blend the lines of fashion and function in a form-factor that’s impossible not to love.
