True Linkswear: Zero drop vs. “transitional” drop options?

[eric61]

I’m hoping to get some feedback from folks who have had True Linkswears.

 

How do the shapes of their shoes with a slight drop from heel to toe compare to the zero-drop shoes? True Knit II vs. OG Feel, for instance. Do the transitional drop shoes have the same width, same wide toebox? Would you recommend the same size in both?

 

Also, comfort-wise, how would you compare them? And to take it a step further, how would you compare the Trues with Wanderlux and a transitional drop like the Knits to, for example, Adidas Boost? Is it similarly cloud-like, or firmer, or softer…?

[TheIslander]

I have True Knit 2.0, True Lux Sport and True OG Sport (I pre-ordered True Lux Sport in 2 colors and they sent an OG Sport, and they offered to pay the return shipping and send the proper pair but I ended up liking them so they gave me $25 coupon and the $10 difference).

 

True Knit 2.0 are definitely the most… malleable knit of the lot. Meaning they get a bit more stretched out/loose, which if you have very wide feet may not be an issue as you’ll have the ability to tighten them, but I have a fairly narrow mid-foot and found the lacing closure system difficult to get tight enough in that region after 2 months of pretty solid wear of both walking rounds and practicing, and you can see the difference between it and the sport style lacing on the images. 
 

True Lux Sport and True OG Sport run a bit higher on the foot (Lux maybe a touch higher), but not above the ankle. If you’ve played any cleat sports and work the above ankle pairs, it isn’t like those (I disliked those) and it comes to below the ankle, but just a bit higher than your usual shoe. I really like it, I’ve always hated shoes where the back in the heel feels a bit low/cut off, and it isn’t restrictive at all. 
 

True Lux Sport (and Knit 2) is the transitional drop, True OG Sport is minimal. 4mm is pretty mild, but the difference is noticeable. I’ll speak on only the sport style from here as I haven’t worn my Knit 2, and I genuinely do believe both of the sport pairs are better than the Knit 2s, the lacing system is just superior regardless of foot style or shape and the knit seems as if it holds up better (I haven’t noticed any of the issue of it being too malleable on either that I had with the Knit 2). 

 

True Lux Sport the toebox is smaller than the OG Sport. It is noticeable, but I wouldn’t classify it as small either. I wear Vivo’s often/nearly full time (barefoot shoes with a wide toebox) and my toes are pretty spread, and I don’t get any restriction on either, but the OG Sport definitely is wider. 
 

Midfoot is roughly the same and both can be adjusted as needed in that area, I can get them narrow there but they don’t start narrow feeling there at default (which you can loosen up), so I’d say you’re safe regardless of foot shape.

 

As noted the drop is noticeable, OG Sport definitely feels more like a barefoot shoe but the drop in the transitional is slightly less than the drop was in my Adidas Boost (the knit ones, it was ages ago and I forget the name of them, they had spikes) and a bit more than that when comparing to my Nike 270G. 
 

The other notable, in fact I’d say probably the most notable aspect, is the rigidity of the sole itself. The Lux Sport is the firmest, flexible enough that it is very comfortable to walk wearing them but definitely firmer than the OG Sport, which are very flexible and really do feel very much like a barefoot shoe as a result. Very comfortable as well, probably slightly more comfortable but that would vary depending on your preference/needs in that realm. The Knit 2 fall somewhere in the middle of those 2 in that realm. 
 

In regards to walking, OG Sport edges it (barely, it could easily flip entirely for someone else) for me as I’m used to a flexible sole and find it comfortable. However if you aren’t used to a very flexible sole you may find these give you a bit of soreness on the bottom of your foot initially, especially if your posterior chain mobility (especially calves) is tight and puts even more strain on the plantar fascia on the bottom of your foot as a result. 
 

In regards to hitting the ball, I prefer the firmer feeling of the sole of the Lux Sport. Again mild but probably less mild than the difference in walking comfort, since these are the ones I wear the most. Your mileage will vary here too depending on your preferences, but I played football (soccer) for years and all of my athletic stuff always occurred in a boot (cleat) that had a very rigid sole (carbonfibre in lots of them, so very, very little give at all), and I like the feeling of that rigidity when swinging. 

That said when doing speed training I’ve worn both pairs and it has always come out the same, so it really is just going to be a preference thing there. 
 

Regarding the wanderlux insole, it is just a nice, high quality insole. Nothing fancy, just comfortable. The Adidas Boost shoes I wore I remember having an almost springy feeling when walking from the middle of the shoe which was where their boost technology was. It wasn’t anything to do with the insole (I wore out that insole fast), just the shoe. You won’t get that ‘spring’ with any of these, but they are super comfortable and very easy to walk in and honestly I prefer any of them to walk in over any other golf shoe I’ve worn. 

The only thing I’d note about them is that they are spikeless and don’t feel like they’ll have any slippage on anything damp, but once the ground got to where it was sometimes a bit softer/muddier, I had the odd shot often enough where I didn’t love the traction and I bought a pair of spiked shoes, but even though the spiked shoes are comfortable I really find myself trying to push it to not wear them as they aren’t nearly as comfortable feeling as the True’s. The OG Sport are definitely the best gripwise, bottom of the sole is different and has more grip and I can get away with those in the muddier conditions. 
 

I’ll note on the above that I have a bit of a flying left foot (left foot does a bit of a rainbow movement, think a much less exaggerated version of the long drive guys and more along the lines of how much you’d see on the fast guys on the PGA Tour, just without the ball going nearly as close to where I aimed it…) on anything 7iron to driver (SS 120 on course currently) and driver was where I felt a bit too little traction, so if you don’t move your feet at all or notice any real ground damage/scuffage after you swing from your feet pushing into it, I doubt you’ll have any issue in almost any weather that spikes would fix. 

 

[eric61]

1 hour ago, TheIslander said:

I have True Knit 2.0, True Lux Sport and True OG Sport (I pre-ordered True Lux Sport in 2 colors and they sent an OG Sport, and they offered to pay the return shipping and send the proper pair but I ended up liking them so they gave me $25 coupon and the $10 difference).

 

True Knit 2.0 are definitely the most… malleable knit of the lot. Meaning they get a bit more stretched out/loose, which if you have very wide feet may not be an issue as you’ll have the ability to tighten them, but I have a fairly narrow mid-foot and found the lacing closure system difficult to get tight enough in that region after 2 months of pretty solid wear of both walking rounds and practicing, and you can see the difference between it and the sport style lacing on the images. 
 

True Lux Sport and True OG Sport run a bit higher on the foot (Lux maybe a touch higher), but not above the ankle. If you’ve played any cleat sports and work the above ankle pairs, it isn’t like those (I disliked those) and it comes to below the ankle, but just a bit higher than your usual shoe. I really like it, I’ve always hated shoes where the back in the heel feels a bit low/cut off, and it isn’t restrictive at all. 
 

True Lux Sport (and Knit 2) is the transitional drop, True OG Sport is minimal. 4mm is pretty mild, but the difference is noticeable. I’ll speak on only the sport style from here as I haven’t worn my Knit 2, and I genuinely do believe both of the sport pairs are better than the Knit 2s, the lacing system is just superior regardless of foot style or shape and the knit seems as if it holds up better (I haven’t noticed any of the issue of it being too malleable on either that I had with the Knit 2). 

 

True Lux Sport the toebox is smaller than the OG Sport. It is noticeable, but I wouldn’t classify it as small either. I wear Vivo’s often/nearly full time (barefoot shoes with a wide toebox) and my toes are pretty spread, and I don’t get any restriction on either, but the OG Sport definitely is wider. 
 

Midfoot is roughly the same and both can be adjusted as needed in that area, I can get them narrow there but they don’t start narrow feeling there at default (which you can loosen up), so I’d say you’re safe regardless of foot shape.

 

As noted the drop is noticeable, OG Sport definitely feels more like a barefoot shoe but the drop in the transitional is slightly less than the drop was in my Adidas Boost (the knit ones, it was ages ago and I forget the name of them, they had spikes) and a bit more than that when comparing to my Nike 270G. 
 

The other notable, in fact I’d say probably the most notable aspect, is the rigidity of the sole itself. The Lux Sport is the firmest, flexible enough that it is very comfortable to walk wearing them but definitely firmer than the OG Sport, which are very flexible and really do feel very much like a barefoot shoe as a result. Very comfortable as well, probably slightly more comfortable but that would vary depending on your preference/needs in that realm. The Knit 2 fall somewhere in the middle of those 2 in that realm. 
 

In regards to walking, OG Sport edges it (barely, it could easily flip entirely for someone else) for me as I’m used to a flexible sole and find it comfortable. However if you aren’t used to a very flexible sole you may find these give you a bit of soreness on the bottom of your foot initially, especially if your posterior chain mobility (especially calves) is tight and puts even more strain on the plantar fascia on the bottom of your foot as a result. 
 

In regards to hitting the ball, I prefer the firmer feeling of the sole of the Lux Sport. Again mild but probably less mild than the difference in walking comfort, since these are the ones I wear the most. Your mileage will vary here too depending on your preferences, but I played football (soccer) for years and all of my athletic stuff always occurred in a boot (cleat) that had a very rigid sole (carbonfibre in lots of them, so very, very little give at all), and I like the feeling of that rigidity when swinging. 

That said when doing speed training I’ve worn both pairs and it has always come out the same, so it really is just going to be a preference thing there. 
 

Regarding the wanderlux insole, it is just a nice, high quality insole. Nothing fancy, just comfortable. The Adidas Boost shoes I wore I remember having an almost springy feeling when walking from the middle of the shoe which was where their boost technology was. It wasn’t anything to do with the insole (I wore out that insole fast), just the shoe. You won’t get that ‘spring’ with any of these, but they are super comfortable and very easy to walk in and honestly I prefer any of them to walk in over any other golf shoe I’ve worn. 

The only thing I’d note about them is that they are spikeless and don’t feel like they’ll have any slippage on anything damp, but once the ground got to where it was sometimes a bit softer/muddier, I had the odd shot often enough where I didn’t love the traction and I bought a pair of spiked shoes, but even though the spiked shoes are comfortable I really find myself trying to push it to not wear them as they aren’t nearly as comfortable feeling as the True’s. The OG Sport are definitely the best gripwise, bottom of the sole is different and has more grip and I can get away with those in the muddier conditions. 
 

I’ll note on the above that I have a bit of a flying left foot (left foot does a bit of a rainbow movement, think a much less exaggerated version of the long drive guys and more along the lines of how much you’d see on the fast guys on the PGA Tour, just without the ball going nearly as close to where I aimed it…) on anything 7iron to driver (SS 120 on course currently) and driver was where I felt a bit too little traction, so if you don’t move your feet at all or notice any real ground damage/scuffage after you swing from your feet pushing into it, I doubt you’ll have any issue in almost any weather that spikes would fix. 

 

Thank you so much for this post -- this is all incredibly helpful. I've read it closely a couple times already. 

 

I'm arriving at these shoes in a bit of a different way than you did. I have an extremely wide midfoot. Look down at your right foot, and imagine it's shaped like a D -- where the middle is the widest part. That's me. It's just my bone shape, always has been. It's not too hard to find wider toe boxes, but it's exceptionally difficult for me to find golf shoes that can accommodate my wide midfoot. (For example, my New Balance shoe size is 10 6E, which is about the widest anybody makes, and I'd still like a little bit more room in the midfoot. I often wear Ultraboosts, just because the knit is so stretchy that my foot can kind of hang over the side comfortably.)

 

I'd heard True Linkswear was wide, and so far I'm finding that to be basically true. During the Black Friday sale I got a pair of OG Feels and OG Premiums. The OG Feels are pretty great, because they're somewhat wide and are a loose enough knit that they accommodate the weird parts of my feet. The OG Premiums are too small with the extra-padded insole they shipped, but when I put the OG Feels' insole in them, they fit well -- so True Linkswear is shipping me an additional thin insole for the OG Premiums for free. 

 

(Side note, their customer service is exceptional. Seriously, SUPER helpful. That alone makes them a company I want to keep buying from.) 

 

I'm a little worried about the zero drop aspect and how my feet will hold up walking six or seven miles that way. I have some insoles that support the middle of my mid-foot that I think I'm going to throw in the golf bag, and just have them on hand just in case I find myself 12 holes in and struggling, the first few times I wear these out on the course. I do normally wear shoes with a lot of support -- I've already mentioned New Balance and Ultraboosts. But I also have a pair of New Balance Minimus (they're older ones ... 20v4 maybe?) that I wear from time to time, too. I like them -- they help prevent me from walking on the outsides of my feet. I've long had a problem with shoes that have supportive arches causing me to walk on the outsides of my feet. Maybe it's just because of my ridiculously wide midfoot, but they feel like they're tipping me out that way. If there's going to be support, I need it to be not on the inside of my arch, but rather under the middle of my foot, which is what I get from insoles like these. 

 

I like to play early in the morning while dew is still on the ground. So I've been thinking the OG Sports -- which are supposed to be waterproof, but also a knit material that should have some give to help out my midfoot -- might be the perfect pair for me. I'd also been thinking about the Lux Sports, but if they're not as wide, I'm just concerned they wouldn't work for me. I suppose I could always return them, though.

[TheIslander]

21 hours ago, eric61 said:

Thank you so much for this post -- this is all incredibly helpful. I've read it closely a couple times already. 

 

I'm arriving at these shoes in a bit of a different way than you did. I have an extremely wide midfoot. Look down at your right foot, and imagine it's shaped like a D -- where the middle is the widest part. That's me. It's just my bone shape, always has been. It's not too hard to find wider toe boxes, but it's exceptionally difficult for me to find golf shoes that can accommodate my wide midfoot. (For example, my New Balance shoe size is 10 6E, which is about the widest anybody makes, and I'd still like a little bit more room in the midfoot. I often wear Ultraboosts, just because the knit is so stretchy that my foot can kind of hang over the side comfortably.)

 

I'd heard True Linkswear was wide, and so far I'm finding that to be basically true. During the Black Friday sale I got a pair of OG Feels and OG Premiums. The OG Feels are pretty great, because they're somewhat wide and are a loose enough knit that they accommodate the weird parts of my feet. The OG Premiums are too small with the extra-padded insole they shipped, but when I put the OG Feels' insole in them, they fit well -- so True Linkswear is shipping me an additional thin insole for the OG Premiums for free. 

 

(Side note, their customer service is exceptional. Seriously, SUPER helpful. That alone makes them a company I want to keep buying from.) 

 

I'm a little worried about the zero drop aspect and how my feet will hold up walking six or seven miles that way. I have some insoles that support the middle of my mid-foot that I think I'm going to throw in the golf bag, and just have them on hand just in case I find myself 12 holes in and struggling, the first few times I wear these out on the course. I do normally wear shoes with a lot of support -- I've already mentioned New Balance and Ultraboosts. But I also have a pair of New Balance Minimus (they're older ones ... 20v4 maybe?) that I wear from time to time, too. I like them -- they help prevent me from walking on the outsides of my feet. I've long had a problem with shoes that have supportive arches causing me to walk on the outsides of my feet. Maybe it's just because of my ridiculously wide midfoot, but they feel like they're tipping me out that way. If there's going to be support, I need it to be not on the inside of my arch, but rather under the middle of my foot, which is what I get from insoles like these. 

 

I like to play early in the morning while dew is still on the ground. So I've been thinking the OG Sports -- which are supposed to be waterproof, but also a knit material that should have some give to help out my midfoot -- might be the perfect pair for me. I'd also been thinking about the Lux Sports, but if they're not as wide, I'm just concerned they wouldn't work for me. I suppose I could always return them, though.

The Lux Sports are only not as wide in the toebox area, and they’re still nothing to note as what I’d call narrow, the Nike shoes I own are definitely way more narrow there than them. I’d put them in the category of just wider than standard, with the OG Sports classified as wide. In the midfoot I’d say the Lux Sport just as wide as the OG Sport, give or take.
 

I’d also note if you’re worried about the zero drop, you already have two pairs with zero drop in both the OG Feels and OG Premiums so if you don’t notice anything with them off putting in that regard, you won’t find anything with the OG Sport off putting either. 
 

Side note since you mentioned it, the waterproofing does actually work on the Sports. It isn’t going to stop torrential rain soaking your feet and don’t go jump into the water after a ball, but light rain and dew won’t be noticed getting through unless it comes via seeping in using your sock, which no golf shoe can really prevent. I was pleasantly surprised, I don’t really care about rain, played enough of other sports in it/stood around during practices getting soaked that it doesn’t bother me, but I did notice the other day that my feet were bone dry after a particularly dewy day that walking through the long rough got my pant cuff wet. 
 

As someone with a narrow midfoot I’ve always struggled with keeping shoes from feeling like my heel slips, so I recently stumbled across the fact there are lacing styles to address that, but also a ton of other foot shapes too. No idea if you’ve seen or tried them before, but apparently it is pretty common in the running world and it is something I wish I had known before. You can find most of them at the link below, Google probably has even more, and give it a go until maybe you find one that makes things fit even better. 

 

https://runrepeat.com/top-10-running-shoe-lacing-techniques

[eric61]

4 minutes ago, TheIslander said:

The Lux Sports are only not as wide in the toebox area, and they’re still nothing to note as what I’d call narrow, the Nike shoes I own are definitely way more narrow there than them. I’d put them in the category of just wider than standard, with the OG Sports classified as wide. In the midfoot I’d say the Lux Sport just as wide as the OG Sport, give or take.
 

I’d also note if you’re worried about the zero drop, you already have two pairs with zero drop in both the OG Feels and OG Premiums so if you don’t notice anything with them off putting in that regard, you won’t find anything with the OG Sport off putting either. 
 

Side note since you mentioned it, the waterproofing does actually work on the Sports. It isn’t going to stop torrential rain soaking your feet and don’t go jump into the water after a ball, but light rain and dew won’t be noticed getting through unless it comes via seeping in using your sock, which no golf shoe can really prevent. I was pleasantly surprised, I don’t really care about rain, played enough of other sports in it/stood around during practices getting soaked that it doesn’t bother me, but I did notice the other day that my feet were bone dry after a particularly dewy day that walking through the long rough got my pant cuff wet. 
 

As someone with a narrow midfoot I’ve always struggled with keeping shoes from feeling like my heel slips, so I recently stumbled across the fact there are lacing styles to address that, but also a ton of other foot shapes too. No idea if you’ve seen or tried them before, but apparently it is pretty common in the running world and it is something I wish I had known before. You can find most of them at the link below, Google probably has even more, and give it a go until maybe you find one that makes things fit even better. 

 

https://runrepeat.com/top-10-running-shoe-lacing-techniques

Good stuff! I've got the link pulled up to check out. Thank you. 

 

And just to clarify, on my OG Premiums and OG Feels -- I got them during the Black Friday sale, and they were delivered in late December. It's winter here in Chicago, so I definitely won't be able to walk 18 in them for the first time for a few more months. I suppose I could wear them on the treadmill, though. 

 

I can also see where the flexible sole is going to take a little adjusting on my follow-through -- keeping balance while my back foot is toe-down might be an adjustment.

 

All in all, though, these shoes are so far ahead of any of their competitors in terms of comfort that I'm going to try really hard to make them work.

[Ger21]

I've only got one pair of True's, the Lux Knit, and they are on the narrow side. I've seen several reviews that said to go up 1/2 size.

[WarEagleGolf]

The knit versions seem a bit less wide than the other, leather versions imo.  

 

The drop is pretty interesting...so the zero drops are crazy comfortable, I was surprised...but the "wanderlux" sole,.so the more progressive drop sole is probably the most comfortable shoes I own.  

 

Lux Pro definitely has that sole and man...I'd wear them everywhere if I could.  I'll probably get a couple more pairs as my others start to wear.  

 

Two pairs of majors...have the OG soles, zero drop. 

 

Two pairs of knits..knit 1 and 2...not the wanderlux, but doesn't seem to be zero drop.  

 

Lux Pro...

 

Rip stop...like these alot.  More stable version of the knit and waterproof-ish...

 

I have wide toe box and narrow high arches...i put a cushion insole in all the knits to keep them tight, no issues with the leather ones...

[vandyfan]

Very stupid incoming question....does anyone who plays with the zero drop sole feel like it helps you "stay back" at all. I have a tendency to get my weight over my toes and I have always wondered if there is any difference (positive or negative) in terms of keeping your weight centered over the mid foot with a zero drop vs a traditional heel?