MEMBER REVIEWS: True Linkswear TRUE FS-01 Golf Shoes! See What Members Are Saying!

[GolfWRX_Official]

 

We are lucky to have 5 member testing out the new TRUE Linkswear TRUE FS-01 golf shoes and ready to report back to you! Please feel free to ask any questions you might have to these testers! The members providing reviews are...

 

@dfeldss

@jl3424

@CAGOFORIT

@golfman009

@MisterT

 

To see more on the new TRUE FS-01 take a look HERE!

 

We also want to give a big THANK YOU to TRUE Linkswear for putting on this great testing event!

[Minarets]

These look good.  And sound more cushioned that typical Trues.  I’m interested.  Looking forward to some reviews.  

[Warrick]

I did a pre order the other day during the VIP sale, be a few weeks before they get in though, looking forward to reviews.

[golfman009]

Hello!

 

Was excited to be chosen as one of the winners!  Will get some initial photos and thoughts up tomorrow. Heading to the range on Friday and will get some swing reviews in than and heading to the course next Monday and can post more info after that. 

[elwhippy]

Very clean design. Classy. 

[MisterT]

I am very excited to be chosen as one of the testers. The weather has been crappy here since the shoes arrived, so I haven't had the chance to wear them yet.

 

As for me, my shoe of choice has always been the Adidas Tour 360. They fit like a glove and I could wear them out-of-the-box for 18 holes without issue. I since have come into possession of two pairs of Sqairz shoes (they are REALLY comfortable) and, most recently, a pair of Adidas CodeChaos 22 that I expect will be used most often for comparison in my review updates. 

 

The shoes arrived quickly via FedEx in this nice bubble-wrap packaging. It protected the shoes and also would be usable should they need to be returned for some reason.

 

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The shoes come in a carry bag which will be nice when packing them in a suitcase or golf bag for a trip and when traveling to/from the course.

 

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Once the shoes were out of the carry bag, they looked as good as (or maybe better than) expected. The leather has a nice luster to it - not too shiny, but also not too flat. I think this will aid in keeping them clean and looking nice as time will tell.

 

 

 

That's it for today but more to come...

[jl3424]

Thanks to TRUE Linkswear and GolfWRX for the opportunity to test these out! Mine arrived today, so I've only been able to try them on and wear them around the house a bit so far. I'm looking forward to getting them out to the range and course later this week. 

 

Some first impressions after trying them on:

-I love the look, they nailed the classic/minimalist design. Will look good with pants or shorts.

-I went with my normal size that I typically wear in sneakers/golf shoes (mainly Nike/Adidas) and they fit great. I'd recommend going true-to-size (maybe 1/2 size small if you're in between sizes, the toebox seems to have plenty of room.)

-The leather seems like it will be durable/easy to clean

-I was very surprised by how comfortable/supportive they feel. I guess based on the classic design I wasn't expecting too much in terms of cushioning, but the insole is very comfortable.

-The reusable shoe bag is a nice touch

 

Updates to follow after testing them out on the course!

 

 

 

Edited November 15, 2022 by jl3424

[golfman009]

They're here! They were actually here about a week ago but was out of state for a wedding.

 

Shoes look sweet, got them in the Soft Rose color. I won't be able to try them while hitting a ball until Friday but echo everyone else's comments about the quality of these from my initial inspection.

 

 

One thing of note that hasn't been mentioned yet...really interesting to see how this cup thing in the back heel plays out while swinging and walking 18. Really comfortable to walk around in the house but you definitely feel it there. Hopefully it provides more security and doesn't rub the back of the foot. 

 

 

Also a smaller thing of note, it came with this cool True branded micro towel. Not sure if it's supposed to be a mini towel for a golf bag as it has a clip loop or made to keep the shoes clean. I'll probably keep it in the shoe back and use it to wipe down the shoes after a round. 

 

 

Be back on Friday for swing reviews!

[golfman009]

Actually ended up heading to the range today...only other shoe I own at the moment is the True Lux Knit and only other shoe I have enough memory of to compare them to are the True Knit II's.  They FS-01 are much more stable than both of those when swinging and I would say equally as comfortable although a little more rigid for sure. Weird thing is I felt noticeable taller in these than the Lux Knits. Not sure if the sole is thicker or if its just some weird subjective feeling but I'm going to put one on each foot when I get home to see if it is still noticeable. Felt it the most when I was using my putter.  All in all the shoes were great, will be playing 18 in them on Monday and will report back.  Only complaint so far is the laces seem really long, almost have to double knot them. 

[MisterT]

Update - Thank you again to TRUE Linkswear for providing this testing opportunity. It has been an eye opening experience after one day of testing.

 

Summary

Today was ~40 degrees when I hit the course and walked 18 holes in my TRUE FS-01 shoes. My thought was to see how they really perform right out of the box with no break-in period... and they did surprisingly well!! Right now I could see myself wearing these when riding or walking. Riding might save some wear and tear on the shoes, but I'd have no reservations wearing them to walk 18 again and again. This is how the looked after the round.

 

 

Fit

I always wear size 9 and these shoes are true to size (no pun intended). Due to the cold (and potential for new shoe blisters), I wore a pair of socks with a thin liner inside. My feet were comfy and warm, yet I could still move my toes with ease. What I really loved was the heel cup that seemed to lock me into the shoe. When my other shoes wear out, it is always from the inside as a result of my heel slipping around, so this was a big plus for me. There is still room to tighten the laces if I am earing thinner sock and I expect the same level of comfort will be maintained that I experienced today.

 

Traction

Feeling like my feet are connected to the ground is important to me not worrying about that and playing well. I never thought I could wear spikeless shoes as the connection wouldn't hold up to the torque generated through my feet. Today, I forgot I was wearing new shoes much let alone new spikeless shoes. It was never an issue when swinging and I went up and down steep hills, on both grass/leaves and wet/damp blacktop cart paths, and never slipped or felt close to losing traction. The spacing between raised elements on the sole (I hate to call them spikes) seems to be better than my CodeChaos 22 which I have slipped in a few times.

 

Comfort

Simply put, I could have walked another 18 in these shoes. I did sense through the sole of the shoe when I stepped on a larger stone or a really rough cart path surface, but never to the point of concern. In some ways, it seemed to reinforce my connection with the ground through the shoes. They were incredibly stable for a shoe that is this light and flexible.

 

 

Looks

A few of my golf group immediately noticed the new shoes and commented on the looks. I love the metal tipped laces. Not only do they look sharp, but I believe they'll keep the laces looking nicer longer. That's always been a problem with my other shoes. I was

 

More to follow...

[CAGOFORIT]

Thank you @GolfWRX_Official for the opportunity to review these shoes. 

 

Baseline:

Usually I wear Ecco Street or the Ecco Biom Yak shoes in a size 47.  I have a pair of Footjoy Contours in a 12.5 wide which I wear when I am playing a wet/soggy course; they are my best-fitting shoes.  I do not buy Adidas or Nike golf shoes since they tend to run a but to narrow for me.

I like the Ecco shoes since they do not look like golf shoes and I often wear them to work and around town. They are especially useful when it is raining or wet out since they are waterproof and the soles are somewhat less slippery than some of the sneakers I own. 

 

First impressions:

I really like the minimal packaging and the shoe bag and cloth that they included. The leather feels soft out of the bag and the contrast of the very black uppers and very white sole looks great.  The tongue is connected to the shoe with elastic cloth that I think keeps the tongue from slipping while you are wearing the shoes.  The comfort pad for the achilles does a nice job of cushioning that part of the foot as well as aiding in heel slipping for those of us with narrow heels. 

Because the Ecco shoes tend to be a bit firmer feeling I was concerned about the soft feeling of the shoe.  As I said, I have a wide foot, and they did not look like they had a wide-toe box like the OG True shoes. 

 

Daily wear:

I wore these shoes every day to work and while running errands on the weekends.  There was a bit of luck for this review as it rained the first 3 days after I received them so I got to test out the water resistant claims as well. 

When I first put the shoes on, they felt a bit snug. After about a day of wearing them, the shoes broke in nicely and they fit great.  The top of the insole has a finish that keeps your foot from slipping around in them. This is a nice feature of the shoe as you do not have to really ratchet the laces down to keep your foot from slipping around in the shoe.  These do not have much in the way of arch support, so if that is important to you, please keep that in mind.  The shoes feel fairly flat suits me just fine.

 

Despite the soft feel of the shoe, I did not find them to be mushy at all.  After a full day of wearing the shoes, my feet did not hurt at all.  It was no different than when I wear my running shoes.  I walked through puddles as well as wet grass with no problems.  My feet did feel a bit damp as I continued to walk around in the rain, but considering that these are not waterproof, I feel like they did great.  The one thing I would caution, about is that the gum rubber soles are very slippery when they are wet and you are walking on a smooth surface like tile or polished concrete.  I almost ended up on my butt when I rounded a corner at the post office and I stepped in from the rain onto the terracotta tile floor.  I know this is not unique to this shoe, but I felt it warranted a comment.  I do not have the same issue when I wear my Eccos in the rain. 

 

Here are pictures of what they look like after 2 weeks of wearing them around town, 4 range sessions, and 2 rounds of golf walking the course. The leather wipes easily with a damp cloth and still looks great.  The very white soles I mentioned at the beginning of my review are also very easy to clean.  I like to take care of my things and try to keep them looking nice as long as I can.  I have a sneaker cleaning spray and brush I use for a lot of my shoes including my golf shoes to clean off dirt after wear. The side of the soles cleaned up very easily with the brush after daily wear. There were a few stubborn dirt stains that would not come off and those stains came out with few brushes from a Mr. Clean magic eraser. 

 

 

The interesting part of the shoe is that insert is very thick in comparison to other shoes, and they make up a good amount of the height of the sole as opposed to a thick sole with minimal insert like my Eccos.  I wonder if that is what contributes to the soft but stable feel of the shoes.  As you can see in the picture below the insert is very thick.

 

 

Golf wear:

 

I love that I can just put these shoes on at home, and walk directly onto the range, or golf course. 

 

These shoes grip very well on golf mats as well as on grass.  I play in the mornings so I start off the day on dew-covered tee boxes and fairways.  My feet did not slip and felt like the shoes were very stable through my swing.  I tend to swing hard and push with my legs a lot so they would have slipped if these shoes were prone to that.  The pattern of the sole does not get clogged up with wet grass like my Eccos which helps the shoes maintain traction without having to constantly pick grass out of your shoes with a tee.  Walking while carrying my bag was very comfortable and I do not recall my feet feeling better after a round wearing any other shoes. 

 

Conclusion:

After 2 weeks of constant wear, the shoes have held up well and are now at the top of my rotation for golf shoes.  I am going to order another pair in a different color during the Black Friday sale.  I would highly recommend these to anyone that is looking for a casual pair of golf shoes that can pull double duty. 

 

Thank you again True and GolfWRX for the chance to review these awesome shoes. 

[getair23]

Are these still close to 0 drop in the heel like the old True shoes?  Insole looks thicker than the older ones. 

[CAGOFORIT]

2 hours ago, getair23 said:

Are these still close to 0 drop in the heel like the old True shoes?  Insole looks thicker than the older ones. 

 The shoe itself is 0 drop, but since the build up is all in the insert, you are right. The heel is thicker than the forefoot and so there is a bit of a drop.  I roughly measured about a 1" drop from heel to toe.

[dfeldss]

Thank you to GolfWRX and True Linkswear for the opportunity to test these!

 

Haven't made it to the course with them just yet due to weather and life getting in the way, but i should be able to get out there in the next few days. I'll post some pictures and my thoughts on seeing them and the fit when i get home

 

Just to add some initial thoughts when i first tried them on too: Very comfortable and feel very cushiony. I like this style of golf shoe with a wide base (i have a pair of FJ traditions and AJ1). These definitely have more cushion than the AJ1s, and probably more than the FJs too. At first try on they do seem to run a hair big. Not sure of the other reviewers experience on that. Ordered a 10.5 which i wear in most shoes and they're just a little more room in the toes than I'd like. 

 

More to come

 

 

Edit to add: You can tell these are a premium product right when you get your hands on them. The packaging they shipped in was great, the shoe bag is an awesome touch (tangent: what a great idea from TL, who needs a shoebox. They decided to give the consumer something we'd actually use rather than just throw in the trash or recycling bin). 

Edited November 28, 2022 by dfeldss

[postfold]

These are great looking shoes.  Thanks for the reviews - I can't wear this model (not wide enough), but it's nice to see True Linkswear putting out quality products.

[jl3424]

Update- I’ve walked 9 holes and spent about 2 hours on a simulator since getting these, and so far I’m a huge fan. As other testers have said, these shoes are very comfortable and super stable. I had no issues with traction (playing on a dry, but cold New England day) and felt very connected to the ground when swinging. I like the achilles heel pad as I’m sometimes prone to blisters on the back of my heel, I appreciate the added comfort. My feet felt much better after a walking round than they do after a round with my regular golf shoes (Nike Lunar Control IV.) I really have no complaints about this shoe, I guess my only concern would be about how long the sole lasts before it starts to wear down and affect traction. I’ve never had spikeless golf shoes before so that would be a concern for me with any spikeless model, and these seem like quality materials so I’m not too worried about it. I’m probably going to buy another pair in a different color while they’re on sale this week. 

 

Edited November 23, 2022 by jl3424

[golfman009]

Got to play 18 in these yesterday. I rode a cart so didn't put in all the miles of walking in them but still could tell they were very comfortable. Wouldn't see any issues if walking even right out of the box. I was initially wondering how the cup heel thing would perform and it feels great. Doesn't provide any type of hot spot feel and definitely adds a level of keeping your foot locked in.  

 

Last thing to note, these definitely feet/feel more like traditional shoes than some of the other more minimal shoes that True offers. I mainly wear low profile, barefoot style shoes in real life and love Trues on the course for that reason.  After wearing these on the course, they are bulkier than most of the other shoes I own including other Trues.  Nothing crazy compared to your traditional Adidas or Nike but definitely a different shoe profile. 

[MisterT]

Update - One range session and two more rounds completed - one riding and one walking. I am really enjoying these shoes and others are commenting on their styling!

 

Fit

The shoes seem to have expanded slightly as it took a little more to snug them up today, but nothing I haven't seen with other shoes. The heel continues to please me as I don't have any rubbing, yet feel secured in the shoes.

 

Traction

Today I walked 18 after a long night of rain. I was interested to see how the shoes did on the wet cart paths and was surprised again how good the traction was. There was only one point where I felt a bit of give and, after examining the spot, I found it that had some moss on the concrete. I am not sure any shoe would have completely held on there. On the course, they were great. I have forgotten these are spikeless shoes.

 

Comfort

I was surprised after walking 18 holes again how good my legs feel. Our courses are pretty hilly and there have been other times where my lower legs ached. That hasn't occurred with these.

 

Lastly, a quick wipe with a damp cloth cleaned them up so they look as good as new. I continue to be impressed.

[dfeldss]

Finally got out to the course with these over the weekend, and I couldnt be happier with the shoes. I love a nice classic, minimalist shoe, but sometimes you sacrifice some comfort with that. Certainly not the case with these. The heel notch(?) is a nice addition that i was a bit unsure of.

 

I don't think I thought about my feet once, which IMO is the biggest compliment you can give a shoe. I'll also add that i played early in the morning after a couple days of rain. I'd typically wear my spiked golf shoes over my spikeless in this situation, but i figured in the name of testing I'd break these out. Back to the above point, never thought about my shoes, never worried about slipping. I think they arguably have better traction than my spiked shoes. If these can perform in those conditions, they'll perform in any conditions IMO. 

 

Overall I was impressed with these. They're definitely going to the top spot of my golf shoe rotation. Compared to the AJ1, they're definitely more comfortable and I feel more glued to the ground in my swing. I have a fairly aggressive swing, so i need all the traction i can get and these delivered. 

 

Kind of rambling at this point, but will report back after i get out there with them a couple more times. I also didn't see my color so I'll post pics below from my phone. Might also try to get some pictures on course next time i play.

 

Thanks again GolfWRX and True Linkswear for the opportunity to test these out. 

[dfeldss]

[ChristopherMcDonald]

These are undeniably sharp. Thinking of grabbing a pair in the fog color:

[MisterT]

Update - I walked 18 holes today after a night of rain - biblical in proportion, splashdown in the fairway, hope to be able to find a "preferred lie" kind of rain. The shoes were comfortable, kept my feet dry, and had outstanding traction.

 

Fit

The shoes did not expand at all when wet. I wasn't sure what might occur, but they felt the same after 18 holes as they did when I started the day. I still love the heel cup and how secure the shoe feels.

 

Traction

Not a hint of slipping anywhere and it was WET!! I actually thought abut wearing spiked shoes, but had to give these a go and am happy I did. The comfort they provided would not have been found in my spiked shoes... not in my CodeChaos 22s which I wore earlier this week and regretted as it had just rained.  

 

Comfort

In addition to everything I noted in earlier posts, my feet were dry! Not all of my playing partners could say the same after today's round. It was nice to go from the course to the bar without having to change out of soggy shoes.

Thank you again to GolfWRX and TRUE Linkswear for this opportunity. I am a convert and look forward to adding additional pairs of True FS-01 golf shoes in different colors to my collection.

 

I hope others found my feedback valuable. This will be my last post in this thread unless someone has specific questions of me.

Edited December 1, 2022 by MisterT
Missing word in sentence

[golfman009]

Want to chime back in after wearing these and my Lux Knit shoes on a few different golf excursions. The FS-01 definitely feel a little more like a "traditional" shoe than the Lux Knit & some other Trues that I've had over the years. Soles feel a little thicker and while the toe box still feels wider than your Nike or Adidas, they don't feel quite as wide as the Lux Knit or the Knit II. Those two have more of a barefoot shoes stay feel to them. 

[eric61]

Oddly specific question for the reviewers like @MisterT,  @dfeldss, @jl3424 who have commented extensively on fit: How is the width in the midfoot? I'd love to hear comparisons on the fit there to other True Linkswear shoes, Ecco, Adidas or anything else. 

 

The reason I'm asking is, my biggest problem in finding shoes is that I have a wide midfoot. My current go-tos are Ecco Biom H4s, but this plastic piece causes all kinds of problems in the area where my foot is widest -- circled below. I love the classic looks of these, what you all are saying about comfort overall sounds great and I love True Linkswear as a brand ... just looking for something with a better fit and more give in that area, specifically. 

[dfeldss]

16 hours ago, eric61 said:

Oddly specific question for the reviewers like @MisterT,  @dfeldss, @jl3424 who have commented extensively on fit: How is the width in the midfoot? I'd love to hear comparisons on the fit there to other True Linkswear shoes, Ecco, Adidas or anything else. 

 

The reason I'm asking is, my biggest problem in finding shoes is that I have a wide midfoot. My current go-tos are Ecco Biom H4s, but this plastic piece causes all kinds of problems in the area where my foot is widest -- circled below. I love the classic looks of these, what you all are saying about comfort overall sounds great and I love True Linkswear as a brand ... just looking for something with a better fit and more give in that area, specifically. 

 

To be honest, that's not really something i've ever considered so not sure I would have a great answer for you.

 

I would think that a shoe like this would be perfect for a wider midfoot, but that's just a guess.  Hopefully the other reviewers will be able to give you some more clarification

 

[eric61]

23 minutes ago, dfeldss said:

 

To be honest, that's not really something i've ever considered so not sure I would have a great answer for you.

 

I would think that a shoe like this would be perfect for a wider midfoot, but that's just a guess.  Hopefully the other reviewers will be able to give you some more clarification

 

Gotcha, thanks! I'm optimistic about these because of the lack of any sort of plastic or elevated rubber piece on the sides. (I know that in other brands and models, those pieces are intended for stability, and they work. But if they don't fit your foot size... it's a problem!)

[bellken]

The non-white soles utilize Silicon, have any of those with non-white soles noticed any differences? 

[MisterT]

21 hours ago, eric61 said:

Oddly specific question for the reviewers like @MisterT,  @dfeldss, @jl3424 who have commented extensively on fit: How is the width in the midfoot? I'd love to hear comparisons on the fit there to other True Linkswear shoes, Ecco, Adidas or anything else. 

 

The reason I'm asking is, my biggest problem in finding shoes is that I have a wide midfoot. My current go-tos are Ecco Biom H4s, but this plastic piece causes all kinds of problems in the area where my foot is widest -- circled below. I love the classic looks of these, what you all are saying about comfort overall sounds great and I love True Linkswear as a brand ... just looking for something with a better fit and more give in that area, specifically. 

 

I had to go try my shoes on again before answering as I have small, narrow feet... but have worn thicker socks in these shoes without issue. Based on the design differences, they should have more give than your Ecco's with the plastic piece. Given they also stretch a bit, I'd expect that they could work well for you. Good luck!

[DMVGolfing]

Has anyone tried these new FS-01s who also has had the older TL-01s?  I have the TL-01s, and I like them.  My only criticism of the TL-01s is that the toe box is slightly too narrow for my preferences.  I like the somewhat wider toe boxes on other True Linkswear models.  Can anyone compare the toe box of the FS-01 to the toe box of the TL-01?

[MisterT]

On 12/9/2022 at 9:15 AM, DMVGolfing said:

Has anyone tried these new FS-01s who also has had the older TL-01s?  I have the TL-01s, and I like them.  My only criticism of the TL-01s is that the toe box is slightly too narrow for my preferences.  I like the somewhat wider toe boxes on other True Linkswear models.  Can anyone compare the toe box of the FS-01 to the toe box of the TL-01?

Sorry - I can't help you as I never owned a pair of TRUE shoes previously.