Spring lands in Cheshire with a kind of stubborn enthusiasm — the kind that has you on the range at seven in the morning wondering if the ground's thawed enough to take an iron divot. With the season properly under way, the question that's been on most people's lips at the counter is the same one as every spring: what shoes should I be playing this year?
Here's where we've landed for 2026. We've put miles into all of these on Cheshire's clay — which, as anyone who's played it knows, is the only meaningful test.
FootJoy Pro/SLX 2026
Still the bench-mark. The 2026 update is mostly evolutionary — a softer midsole and a slightly redesigned outsole that grips a touch better in the wet. If you've worn the previous Pro/SLX you'll feel immediately at home; if you haven't, this is the safe pick that almost no-one regrets.
Adidas Tour360 24
Heavier, more aggressive, and unapologetically stable. The Boost midsole is a particular love-it-or-hate-it; we'd say it suits bigger swingers and players who plant hard. If your knees grumble toward the back nine, the Tour360 is worth a look — the cushioning is genuinely class-leading.
Nike Air Zoom Victory Tour 4
Lighter, sleeker, and increasingly the choice for players who walk thirty-six. The Zoom Air pod under the heel is doing real work, but the bigger story is the upper — Nike's waterproofing has finally caught up with FootJoy's, and the shoe holds its shape over a wet round in a way the previous Tour 3 never did.
The honest take
For most of you, the right answer is whichever pair fits your foot best. We have all three on the wall at the shop — come in, try them on with a sleeve of balls, walk around the carpark for ten minutes, and we'll be honest about which one we'd pick if we were paying.
