“Did you forget your golf shoes?” If I heard that one time while wearing the adidas S2G Spikeless Leather 24 (hereafter the S2G SL 24), then I heard it 100 times. I can confidently say 100 times because these have become my go-to shoes whenever I’m going to be striking a golf ball.
The adidas S2G SL 24 is a serious performer and when you combined with the MC80 Spikeless and the MC Z-Traxion, they give adidas a well rounded stable of golf shoes that can compete with any other current golf shoe manufacturer.
I could wax poetic a little longer but I think diving right into the categories would be the best way to highlight how great the adidas S2G SL 24 really is.
adidas S2G Spikeless 24
Price: $110 (literally stealing)
Sizing: True to size (with plenty of room for wide footed folks)
Style
The tagline for the adidas S2G SL 24 is, “it’s streetwear that plays”, and this shoe seriously lives up to that description. I’ve seen other reviews and even some releases from adidas where these shoes are compared to a running shoe, but anytime I see a leather upper constructed this way, my mind immediately goes to basketball. I think that’s what makes me love the look of this shoe so much.
As a former hooper I always gravitate towards basketball shoes because that’s what I’ve spent most of my life in. But as we all know, basketball shoes aren’t always the best choice for everyday footwear. So now, anytime I go shopping for shoes, I’m trying to find something that will give me that basketball silhouette with the toned-down styling and performance of a running shoe. It can make shopping for shoes a chore, and next to impossible when looking at golf shoes, which is why I think I love the look of the adidas S2G SL 24 so much.
The adidas S2G 24 combines everything I look for in a day-to-day shoe with the chassis of a spikeless golf shoe. I realize that I might be in the minority of consumers, so in preparation of this review, I asked more than ten people I’ve played golf with what their thoughts were on the styling of the S2G SL. I asked men and women, ranging from 22 all the way to 65+. Without hesitation each of these people I informally polled said that they not only liked how these looked, but would immediately add them to their rotation.
Traction
I like to think about traction in a golf shoe as much as I like to think about a ref during an NBA game, which is to say, hopefully not a lot. If I come away from watching a basketball game and I have thoughts about the ref, then he or she has done their job poorly. The same could be said about the traction on a golf shoe.
If I’m thinking about the traction, the shoe has failed. The adidas S2G SL 24 gave me no reason to think about my traction or connection to the ground during the rounds I’ve logged, and that’s about the highest praise I could give to a golf shoe.
Cushion
When thinking about the cushion on the adidas S2G SL 24 one word comes to mind: responsive. While the other adidas golf shoes I’ve tested this year have featured Boost technology in the midsole, these shoes have a Lightstrike setup that my feet really responded well to.
It’s a firm, yet comfortable ride that has done well the longer I have played. With this firmer midsole I also felt like I “sank” less into my shoes which is something I noticed while wearing the other adidas models, especially while putting. Two things could be playing into that feeling. The first is that I could have actually sunk deeper into my shoes while wearing the other models, or, and this is the most likely reason, I am in the middle of battling putting issues and am looking to shift the blame to anything but my performance.
Support
Whenever I do one of these reviews, I always check to see the ratings on the manufacturer’s website, and if I’m being completely honest, I sort it down to the 1 and 2 star entries. When I did that for these shoes, I noticed that a lot of people had issues with their ankles and heels being rubbed excessively.
This could be another instance of adidas just fitting me perfectly, but I haven’t had that problem once while wearing the adidas S2G SL 24. Whenever I wear these shoes I find that the higher support around the ankle and heel, combined with the full leather upper, give me a locked in feeling that is second to none.
adidas S2G Spikeless Leather 24 Summary
At this point I’m wondering if the person designing adidas golf shoes just has the exact same feet as me, because I have had to strain to find any faults with their offerings this year. The other thing that I need to mention here, that I don’t typically bring up, is the price. These shoes are retailing for $110 which is a complete steal when you consider the materials being used. These are pound for pound, and dollar for dollar, the best golf shoes I’ve tested this year.
How the Author Golfs
Aron Carroll (5 handicap): Although Aron doesn’t play as many 18 hole rounds as he used to, he still manages to do something to improve his game at least once a week. His new focus with golf is to get his kids more involved with the game.
Disclosure
While adidas did send a pair of the adidas S2G Spikeless Leather 24 to facilitate this review, the company had no involvement in this review, didn’t receive an advance look at it, and has not attempted to influence it.
