REVIEW: FootJoy Pro/SLX Golf Shoes

FootJoy has had some of the best footwear in the golf space for a long time, and with the recent release of the Pro/SLX Golf Shoes, their tradition of bringing quality and effective products to the market has continued.

FootJoy was great enough to send a pair that arrived a few weeks back and I tested them that day, along with several times since. What I’ve experienced is a culmination of several things: a new, more casual look with better comfort and more effective technology to ensure stability and balance throughout the golf swing in a variety of conditions.

Pardon my countertop, as it was recently Valentine’s Day when I finally got the chance to test these. In all honesty, the bouquet of flowers fits how I felt about these. They were really a great shoe that offered a lot of things that I look for in a golf shoe, and there were a few things I’d like to see changes with.

Unrivaled Traction, Grip, and Stability

When these shoes were initially released, FootJoy was sure to mention several details about the Pro/SLX’s ability to provide incredible grip and traction, despite not having a typical golf spike. I can vouch for this, as these were some of the best spikeless golf shoes I’ve tried in that category.

While I am a fan of Nike AirMax and other comparable shoes, they simply do not offer what the Pro/SLX does in terms of stability. In wet or muddy conditions on some courses, it is not ideal to have something that will have you sliding around and questioning your feet during impact and follow through. 

Instead, your only focus should be on the golf swing. Even as I walked nine holes in these on the day they arrived, I never felt any sort of question as to whether I would be in trouble when putting a little extra on a swing.

Instead, after the first hole I knew that I was not going to have any sort of issue. Simply put, these will offer you the traction needed.

FootJoy credits the PWR TRAX System and innovative 3D X-Wing for the incredible traction and stability:

“PWR TRAX System, transforming golf footwear with its innovative 3D X-Wing, effectively redistributing energy during your swing for enhanced stability. The Race Trak outsole, featuring Radial Disc Traction, extends into the ground to optimize overall traction, addressing varied on-course conditions and walking needs.”

The 3D Carbon X-Wing comes on the Carbon model of the Pro/SLX, and that is what was arguably the best part of the shoe, at least for me. I felt that this feature alone makes these shoes worth the price tag. 

I liked how it allowed my heel to move freely within the shoe comfortably, without being too loose where it felt like the shoe didn’t fit. It was stable but comfortable. I do not mean that my heel was coming up and out of the shoe, as the insole and my heel/bottom of my foot were always touching. 

However, there was room for my foot to feel free and not restricted and tight.

Insoles and Overall Comfort After A Round

Walking nine holes, I usually like to put new products to the test with a local course that is extremely difficult to walk. Upon arriving at the course, another gentleman was walking for his first time there, as the club pro said, “Have you ever walked here before?” The answer was no. 

“You might want to consider a cart your first time.” I chimed in and said it is a tough walk, he decided to give it a go, but I ultimately ended up passing him as he was catching his breath between the massive hill that follows the second hole and takes you to the third tee box.

In other shoes, I generally have serious issues with my lower back and feet the following days. I recently wrote about VKTRY Insoles, which helped alleviate a lot of that pain. Between the stock insoles that come with most golf shoes and the VKTRY, I would say these FootJoy Pro/SLX with Ortholite® Impressions FitBed® insoles are somewhere in between.

They are not the $149 insoles that VKTRY offers, but they’re much better than the flimsy foam that comes inside of most golf shoes. They offer much better support and comfort and help absorb a lot of the shock of walking.

The thing with these insoles is the fact that they are designed to mold to your foot over a period of time and not remain the same as when you bought them.

Overall Thoughts and Final Tidbits

These FootJoy Pro/SLX golf shoes could very well be the best of the best in terms of what comes out for the 2024 season. While everyone is offering new and innovative tech, very few make drastic changes from their previous year’s model.

I am hoping for more colorways of this shoe in the future if they decide to re-release it; blue, highlighter, grey, and white are not necessarily colors I would feel as ideal, but then again, I am someone who likes a lot of my shoes to be white and very few other colors along with it.

In terms of usefulness and coming through on claims, FootJoy has done a spectacular job of making a shoe that does everything it says it will.