Sunday, May 16, 2010

Kikkor Golf Eppik Review


James Lepp from Kikkor Golf was kind enough to send me a pair of black Eppiks for review. They are currently available through their web shop (CAN$109 or USD$89 with free shipping both ways) and at various retailers.

Reviewer: That would be me. I have skateboarding roots dating back to 1988 and I picked up golf in 1998. To this day, I do both on a weekly basis. I play off a GTHC of 15. I'd like to think I'm fairly competent out on the links LOL. I pretty much always walk and carry when I play. My current pair of golf shoes are the Adidas Stanzonian AT.

Sizing: I wear a 10 in most skate shoe brands (Lakai, DVS, Vans, Emerica, eS, DC etc etc) and Kikkor's are right in the mix. I'd probably call them a slightly tight 10. Going up to a 10.5 would've been too big for me.


Shape: From the top, they have a medium round toe. I thought they would look more bulky so this was a nice surprise.


Features: Based on the stock photos of the shoes, it's obvious that they have a cup sole construction and look like a skate shoe with golf spikes. The latter is actually not entirely the case. The sole has a support shank in it for stability and gives the sole a stiff feel. I was planning on take the spikes out and do a little video skating in them but I don't think they will flex enough. Also, the Q-LOK threads would probably get ruined. The uppers are leather and waterproof, which is always good for golfing in the Pacific Northwest and other damp regions.

Comfort: When you're walking around for 4+ hours during a round, comfort is king and these shoes don't disappoint. I've had several range sessions and walked 36 holes and my feet are super happy. When you walk on level hard surfaces, you definitely feel the spikes as they are not recessed in the sole. When walking on grass, it's not noticeable and the traction is great. I haven't had one situation yet where I've slipped out. The spikes do collect quite a bit of grass debris so make sure you brush them off when you get the chance. The insole is kinda interesting... it's a waffle type construction and I think may be one of the reasons they are so damn comfortable.


The height of the sole from heel to toe is relatively even which is quite different from my Adidas, which have a noticeable lower toe relative to the heel. Because of this, the Kikkors took a bit of getting used to. I definitely feel taller when I'm wearing the Kikkors than my Adidas. My friend was commenting how it looks like I'm floating when I'm walking on concrete.




Misc: In the skate shoe game, there's a huge overlap in each companies' offerings. Most have a manchester style, era style, dunk style, campus style, chukka style etc etc. There are only so many decent looking silhouettes to go around.

Conclusion: Overall, I highly recommend these golf shoes if you like the aesthetic. They really are super comfortable. The two monotone colorways are plain and simple. The Ocean and Blaze are too loud for my taste but if you're into the colours and like something that pops, go for it. The sole does have a fairly even gradient from heel to toe which made me feel taller compared to my current golf shoes but I got used to it fairly quickly.

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