adidas Tour360 XT Twin Boa: Adjustability, Comfort & Traction without Laces

Laceless golf shoes are becoming increasingly popular.  Instead of tying your laces and then repeatedly tightening throughout the round, the laceless systems embrace the “set-and-forget” mentality by allowing your tighten the tension and never worry that the system will release or loosen at any point during the round, no matter how many sidehill lies you encounter.

While each major brand has their own version, adidas has taken their flagship, laceless golf shoes to the next level by addressing perhaps the only inherent flaw.  Indeed, while every other shoe on the market features one tightening point (thereby preventing you from dialing in the different sections of your shoes), the Tour360 XT Twin Boas allows you to adjust how tight you want your lower foot and upper heel to be separately.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by adidas Golf (@adidasgolf) on Jul 26, 2019 at 11:48am PDT

To start, adidas’ Tour360 golf shoes have been a consistent top performer since in 2015.  Indeed, Dustin Johnson, Jon Rahm and Xander Schauffele—all players with powerful swings who crush the ball over 300 yards off the tee—have been spotted wearing the different iterations of the Tour360s over the years.

However, the most recent version of the Tour360 XT truly sets itself up to be the best culmination of adidas’ technologies thus far.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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To start, the most obvious development is the twin Boa dials.  While the prior-gen only had one, which basically acted as a complete shoelace replacement, the Tour360 XT provides golfers the option to customize how tight the different sections fit with an added source of support.

To explain, the lower dial is located in between the mid-foot and forefoot so that it can work in tandem with the 360°, microfiber wrap and provide a locked-in feel during lateral movements (during those pressure shifts in the back and down swings).  Meanwhile, the second dial’s system is designed to provide tension around your heel to really secure your foot so that you don’t lose any power.

This was a huge plus for me over the mainstream, 1 tightening point systems often put too much pressure on the middle of my foot at the expense of having a snug fit. In contrast, the Tour360 XT allowed me to tighten the second dial and really lock my heel into the shoe without fear of slipping, while the first dial allowed me to comfortably secure my mid-foot so I wasn’t sliding or shifting around, but could still have feeling in my toes.

And for anyone who has doubts about the reliability and durability of the Boa system laces, it’s worth noting that they’re nylon-coated stainless steel strands that adidas estimates are good for up to 600 pounds of force.  In other words, feel free to tighten to your heart’s content because it’s more likely you’ll lose circulation in your foot before complaining that the Boa laces aren’t tight or strong enough.

The next, but more subtle development was the changes made to the outsole.  Indeed, the new X-shaped outsole provides better traction, despite removing two cleats from the prior model.  As a result, the Tour360 XT provides even more traction in a lighter weight shoe.

In my experience, the new sole design really shined while playing from bunkers, uphill/downhill lies in from the wet, thick fall rough.  It goes without saying, but having a proper, secure footing in any of these conditions is essential to putting a quality swing on the ball.  After settling into my stance, the Tour360 XT provided plenty of reassurance that I wouldn’t lose my footing and be sliding around, even when I needed to get after from, for example, a fairway bunker.

Finally, perhaps one of the most appreciated features is adidas’ BOOST foam technology.  Prior to this, most golf shoes I had owned reminded me of old metal baseball cleats: traction at the expense of comfort.  In contrast, the Tour360 XT are proof that you can have tons of grip and comfort packaged together in one shoe.

To explain how this is even possible, BOOST is designed to compress under pressure for better shock absorption and instantly bounces back to its original shape.  In that regard, think of BOOST like a memory foam mattress that contours around the pressure being exerted through your feet.

Due to the fact that BOOST offers this industry exclusive technology, it’s not too difficult to understand why the Tour360 XT are incredibly comfortable to walk around in, particularly on uneven terrain.  Indeed, while visiting Florida a couple weeks ago, I walked 36 holes, with only a brief break in between rounds to change my socks and inhale a light lunch.  Despite spending approximately 8 hours walking around with a golf bag, my feet felt great after finishing that last hole, no pain or discomfort whatsoever.

In light of the foregoing, it’s no surprise that some of the most powerful guys on the Tour trust the foundation of their swing trust the newest footwear from adidas to help them compete their best.  With respect to the rest of us mere mortals, the Tour360 XT are designed to be super comfortable, walking-ready and blister-free from the second you take them out of the box.  Add in adidas’ new X-shaped outsole pattern with spikes, the twin Boa dials and a 2-year waterproofing warranty, and there’s no doubt that the Tour360 XT will provide you with tons of comfort and traction that won’t be rivaled anytime soon.