Footjoy Classic Shoes

[Nessism]

I've been a Dryjoy and Icon user for decades and have enjoyed them.  They fit me well, and up until recently, I've had good luck hunting NOS shoes off eBay for decent prices.  More recently, I've come to learn that the plastic Footjoy uses in the soles of their shoes doesn't age well; the soles blow apart at premature mileage.  Anyway, I noticed these on eBay, for less than a great price, but if they last, they will be worth it.  I've seen two versions: Classics and Classic Dry Premiere.  Is it fair to say the Premiere has features to keep the shoe dry, compared to the regular Classic?  Any idea how old these shoes are?

 

 

Edited August 12, 2023 by Nessism

[seis]

I have had these for about 10 years now and wear them primarily in Spring and Fall when I wear long pants. They have held up remarkably well.

[Nessism]

11 minutes ago, seis said:

I have had these for about 10 years now and wear them primarily in Spring and Fall when I wear long pants. They have held up remarkably well.

 

What model are those?

 

 

[seis]

24 minutes ago, Nessism said:

 

What model are those?

 

 

The Classics, same spike arrangement as pictured in your photo. Thinking about it they may be considerably older than 10 years.

[cristphoto]

To the OP:

 

They are the original Classics and are at least 25 years old or likely older. It's easy to tell since they have 12 spikes. Newer models have 11 spikes. Note also that both of these are not waterproof and will leak if you happen to step in a puddle or play early mornings. After these models there was the Classics Dry model which was waterproof despite the full leather sole. They can be identified by "Classics Dry" etched in the leather sole and inside the shoe.. The final model was the Classics Dry Premiere which was their most advanced (but also the heaviest). It's easily identified by the portion of rubber stitched to the leather sole. I have all three of these models and they are still in excellent condition considering their age. Basically I never wear them as they are noticeably heavier than my current shoes (Icon Black). To me the Icon Black was the last excellent quality shoe Footjoy made (not counting the short-lived 1857 series that were around  $800).

 

Edit: I just looked at the photo and see these shoes have been resoled. Despite them saying waterproof I would question that as the Classics Dry models were constructed differently with a membrane.  

 

Edited August 12, 2023 by cristphoto

[fjk]

How are the Sizing on these?

[1s1k]

My favorite shoes. I have a few pairs. 

[hammergolf]

15 hours ago, Nessism said:

I've been a Dryjoy and Icon user for decades and have enjoyed them.  They fit me well, and up until recently, I've had good luck hunting NOS shoes off eBay for decent prices.  More recently, I've come to learn that the plastic Footjoy uses in the soles of their shoes doesn't age well; the soles blow apart at premature mileage.  Anyway, I noticed these on eBay, for less than a great price, but if they last, they will be worth it.  I've seen two versions: Classics and Classic Dry Premiere.  Is it fair to say the Premiere has features to keep the shoe dry, compared to the regular Classic?  Any idea how old these shoes are?

 

 

The Classics Dry Premier were built the same, but they had a rubber layer added to leather sole to help them stay dryer and not get waterlogged like the plain leather sole did. They were AWESOME shoes! Wish they still made them.

[Nessism]

I pulled out my last (spare) pair of Icon Black's for yesterdays round.  Walked 18 and the feet felt GREAT!  Damn, I love Footjoy!  Too bad these shoes don't last.  My last pair only made it about 50 rounds or so, walking, before they fell apart.  

[cristphoto]

32 minutes ago, Nessism said:

I pulled out my last (spare) pair of Icon Black's for yesterdays round.  Walked 18 and the feet felt GREAT!  Damn, I love Footjoy!  Too bad these shoes don't last.  My last pair only made it about 50 rounds or so, walking, before they fell apart.  

 

That's sad to hear. I have six pair of Icon Black's that are still going strong as they are rotated and well cared for. Even the cork liners still look good. I walk about a third of my rounds which helps life.  Did your soles come loose from the upper? For the last 40 years I've ONLY worn Footjoy models (mostly their top of the line models which have given good life). 

[hammergolf]

5 hours ago, Nessism said:

I pulled out my last (spare) pair of Icon Black's for yesterdays round.  Walked 18 and the feet felt GREAT!  Damn, I love Footjoy!  Too bad these shoes don't last.  My last pair only made it about 50 rounds or so, walking, before they fell apart.  

I’m going to pick up a pair of these next month on my Portugal golf trip. 
 

https://lambdagolf.com/product/ferrara-black/

[Orchardist]

Hammergolf,  I have four pair of lamda's and you will not be disappointed.  Sometimes they come with latex footbed, sometimes cork.  They likely are not for the majority of new school golfers, that would be my hunch.  They are stiff and use a real heel that players of tennis shoe style golf shoes feel out of balance on. But damn does that stiffness provide Excellent support and connection with the ground.  Truelinks style users would go out of their mind wearing a pair of lambda's. 98% of my rounds I walk and like ski race boots your foot has to break in a bit at the start.  Highly recommended if you like a stiff handmade performance golf shoe.  Thank goodness they still exist in the modern day of the marshmallow.  These shoes perform and really let you torque from the ground.

[hammergolf]

1 hour ago, Orchardist said:

Hammergolf,  I have four pair of lamda's and you will not be disappointed.  Sometimes they come with latex footbed, sometimes cork.  They likely are not for the majority of new school golfers, that would be my hunch.  They are stiff and use a real heel that players of tennis shoe style golf shoes feel out of balance on. But damn does that stiffness provide Excellent support and connection with the ground.  Truelinks style users would go out of their mind wearing a pair of lambda's. 98% of my rounds I walk and like ski race boots your foot has to break in a bit at the start.  Highly recommended if you like a stiff handmade performance golf shoe.  Thank goodness they still exist in the modern day of the marshmallow.  These shoes perform and really let you torque from the ground.

That’s what was always so awesome with Classics. They provided such a solid stable platform for your feet. I’ve always found as the shoe gets more cushioned the stability gets reduced as well. 

[Orchardist]

Hammer,  pick up some extra spikes and laces when you get them.  They use the champ stinger small thread and it's not always so easy to find them here in white, too often I've had to settle for mustard yellow.  It's also hard to find a good lace as a replacement, easiest to get spares with the shoes.

[hammergolf]

1 hour ago, Orchardist said:

Hammer,  pick up some extra spikes and laces when you get them.  They use the champ stinger small thread and it's not always so easy to find them here in white, too often I've had to settle for mustard yellow.  It's also hard to find a good lace as a replacement, easiest to get spares with the shoes.

Their offices are in Lisbon, so that’s where I’m picking them up. But their factory is up by Porto. I’m staying an extra week after the golf trip and might try to stop by on my way to the mountains to see how they are made.

[mshills]

On 8/14/2023 at 10:12 PM, hammergolf said:

I’m going to pick up a pair of these next month on my Portugal golf trip. 
 

https://lambdagolf.com/product/ferrara-black/

 

Excellent! Can you report back on sizing? I want to order a pair before I’ll be able to get over there and am waffling on 44 or 45.

 

For me, the extra support is worth the extra weight. It’s not because I have so much club head speed 😂….it’s that I have a bad foot and there is nothing that feels as good as my last pair of Classics.  

[Orchardist]

"Their offices are in Lisbon, so that’s where I’m picking them up. But their factory is up by Porto. I’m staying an extra week after the golf trip and might try to stop by on my way to the mountains to see how they are made."

 

Hammer, that sounds like great visit to the area, including lambda.  I would be surprised if you get out of there with a single pair! 

[hammergolf]

7 hours ago, Orchardist said:

"Their offices are in Lisbon, so that’s where I’m picking them up. But their factory is up by Porto. I’m staying an extra week after the golf trip and might try to stop by on my way to the mountains to see how they are made."

 

Hammer, that sounds like great visit to the area, including lambda.  I would be surprised if you get out of there with a single pair! 

I do have a golf shoe problem, so I have a feeling you’re correct.

[Orchardist]

Ha!...a golf shoe problem?   The cork footbeds they build are something to experience.  They really help provide a connection with the ground unlike anything else. I would be shocked if you didn't find more leg torque from these shoes.  Look forward to a report.

[DoughBack18]

On 8/13/2023 at 12:15 AM, 1s1k said:

My favorite shoes. I have a few pairs. 

I have wanted a pair of those brown gators since I was a kid. Quite jealous of that pair sir!!

[Nessism]

I bought the Classic Premier saddle shoes posted above.  I don't mind a real leather shoe, which requires break-in, since they tend to last longer than the modern EVA sole jobbies, which crush down and fall apart.  I've been burned by purchasing NOS shoes before, though, because Footjoys don't age well in my experience.  I hope these are the exception.

[mshills]

Unfortunately I’ve had the same experience with both NOS Classics and a couple pair of Ecco World Class. Disintegrated, just fell to pieces. The World Class did it to me on #5 tee….played 5-18 barefoot!

[Nessism]

12 hours ago, mshills said:

….played 5-18 barefoot!

 

Did you ever play with Sam Snead? 😃

[mshills]

16 minutes ago, Nessism said:

 

Did you ever play with Sam Snead? 😃

 

Ha ha, no, but have been in a group with Rocco Mediate who's a huge advocate of barefoot play!

[Nessism]

On 8/14/2023 at 2:31 PM, cristphoto said:

 

That's sad to hear. I have six pair of Icon Black's that are still going strong as they are rotated and well cared for. Even the cork liners still look good. I walk about a third of my rounds which helps life.  Did your soles come loose from the upper? For the last 40 years I've ONLY worn Footjoy models (mostly their top of the line models which have given good life). 

 

Sorry, I didn't catch your question until just now.

 

To answer the question, the heal has an outer molded cup that pulled away.  I tried to glue it back down, but the glue didn't stick for some reason.  The shoes are knackered anyway, to in the trash they went.  Very comfortable shoes, but short lived.

 

The Dry Premier's arrived today and damn, are they beautiful.  No way these were resoled.  They are stiff and heavy.  I'm afraid to take them straight out until I figure out a way to break them in, since I walk.  Guess I'll wear them around the house!  Thank god for plastic spikes!

 

Edit: walking around the house and I'm leaving chunks of plastic spikes behind on the carpet!  Yup, the plastic (spikes) are blowing apart.  I hope these shoes don't have any other plastic in them...

Edited August 18, 2023 by Nessism

[Nessism]

The seller gave me a kickback for some new spikes.  Ordering now...

[Shifty242]

Big fan of footjoys and also wish they still made 'em like the used to.

If you need a service that can help rebuild your Footjoys, I would highly recommend Larossa Shoe. 

https://www.larossashoerepair.com/services/footjoy-shoe-repair/