Review TRUE linkswear TL-01 Golf Shoes

Sox_Fan

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I received a pair of these shoes at the end of last week and have played in them twice. I did not see much information of them on THP so thought I would start a thread to try to generate a little buzz about them. First of all, if you are a fan of walking the course, it is hard to fathom there being a better option out there in terms of comfort and performance.

Some details about these shoes:
  • Colorways available: White, Gray, Black
  • Upper material: Weatherproof full grain Nappa leather
  • Weight: 8.7 oz
  • Sole: Zero drop (completely level from heel to forefoot) and the tallest "tread" I have seen on any spikeless golf shoes
  • Versatility: Ability to wear everywear with the minimalist appearance and spikeless sole

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Looks

As mentioned above, these shoes have a very minimalist appearance. Single color leather upper and no overbearing logos or branding give the shoes a very clean and versatile appearance. If you are a fan of flash in your course footwear, these are probably not for you. They can look very natural with any outfit on or off the course.

Fit

Whereas many TRUE linkswear models in the past have featured a pretty generous toe bed, this particular shoe model has a standard, natural width that, in combination with the Nappa leather upper, will mold to foot width over time. My foot witdh would probably be classified as narrow to average. The shoes were a little snug when I put them on for the first time but the snug feeling was gone after about 5 minutes of walking in them and they felt very natural.

Comfort

In my opinion, this is one area where these shoes really shine. The comfort of walking in these shoes is definitely superior to all but one (Adidas PrimeKnit spikeless are their equal in this regard) pair of the many, many spikeless shoes, from various brands, I have worn over the past 8 or so years. The weight, or lack thereof, of these shoes certainly aids in the comfort on the feet and while walking in them.

Performance

This is where the rubber meets the road in terms of golf course footwear. If shoes do not provide the appropriate stability and traction during the swing, the other positive aspects of the shoes are pretty much negated in terms of on course viability. Through two rounds of wearing these shoes, I have been very pleased with the stability and traction afforded by these shoes. Prior to trying them on the course, I did not think that traction would be an issue because of the aggresive tread pattern on the soles but was honestly a little skeptical about the stability due to the extremely lightweight nature of these shoes. Not once have I felt the stability was not more than adequate during my swing. For comparison sake, the other pair of extremely lightweight spikelss shoes I have owned (Adidas PrimeKnit) were far inferior in the stability aspect in my opinion.

Also worth noting, it has been a good while since it has rained here so I have not experienced these shoes in wet conditions yet. I will make another post once regarding the traction of these shoes in wet conditions when I am able to test that out.

Added Value

These shoes did not come in a typical shoe box that is pretty much useless and just takes up space if not immediately discarded. Instead, they came is a cool, reusable cotton canvas shoe bag.

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Interesting info @Sox_Fan
I have to ask about this shoe bag. Asking genuinely here, but why would anybody want a cotton shoe bag for long term use? The one fiber that takes in every odor, etc wouldn't be ideal for athletic shoes, right?
 
Interesting info @Sox_Fan
I have to ask about this shoe bag. Asking genuinely here, but why would anybody want a cotton shoe bag for long term use? The one fiber that takes in every odor, etc wouldn't be ideal for athletic shoes, right?

I have not used it yet so not sure what it will be used for. More than likely, my wife will be the one to figure out a use for it. The machine washability will be a plus.
 
I know my PUMAs and others came with the same bag inside of the box so its a nice saver there by the brand to eliminate the box part.
 
Had money in hand ready to purchase these the day they were released.....Until I sent the picture of them to my wife and she had mentioned how the sole is an off white which annoyed the crap out of me! I cannot understand why they just didn't go with the same white throughout. I even emailed TL in hopes they would release a true all white shoe which they replied they would not and it isn't that much of a difference. Thoughts on the off-white sole?
 
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Had money in hand ready to purchase these the day they were released.....Until I sent the picture of them to my wife and she had mentioned how the sole is an off white which annoyed the crap out of me! I cannot understand why they just didn't go with the same white throughout. I even emailed TL in hopes they would release a true all white shoe which they replied they would not and it isn't that much of a difference. Thoughts on the off-white sole?

I agree with your wife.
 
Had money in hand ready to purchase these the day they were released.....Until I sent the picture of them to my wife and she had mentioned how the sole is an off white which annoyed the crap out of me! I cannot understand why they just didn't go with the same white throughout. I even emailed TL in hopes they would release a true all white shoe which they replied they would not and it isn't that much of a difference. Thoughts on the off-white sole?
I didn't even notice until you pointed it out. yeah not big on that at all
 
Had money in hand ready to purchase these the day they were released.....Until I sent the picture of them to my wife and she had mentioned how the sole is an off white which annoyed the crap out of me!
I agree with your wife.

Still looks better than the gray.

TL-01
 
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Nice write up Sox! From the pictures it almost looks like the sole/tread is somewhat more narrow than the foot area of the shoe. Maybe its the arch that is throwing my eye off, but it seems quite large and it cuts into the sole of the shoe quite a bit. Thoughts?
 
Good info, Sox! thanks for sharing. I will own some TRUE shoes at some point.
 
Had money in hand ready to purchase these the day they were released.....Until I sent the picture of them to my wife and she had mentioned how the sole is an off white which annoyed the crap out of me! I cannot understand why they just didn't go with the same white throughout. I even emailed TL in hopes they would release a true all white shoe which they replied they would not and it isn't that much of a difference. Thoughts on the off-white sole?

My wife said the same thing when I was deciding between what color to order. She liked the black and I probably would have gone with that option if I ever wore long pants on the course. I don't so went with white. The contrast does not bother me. The laces are the same off white color as the sole.
 
Nice write up Sox! From the pictures it almost looks like the sole/tread is somewhat more narrow than the foot area of the shoe. Maybe its the arch that is throwing my eye off, but it seems quite large and it cuts into the sole of the shoe quite a bit. Thoughts?

That was somewhat of a concern when I was deciding whether to order them or not. None of the reviews I read mentioned that as an issue and I have not regarded it as a traction issue 3 rounds in now.
 
Love these. Thanks for the reviews and pics. I will likely own a pair eventually.
 
These do look slick. I've been wearing a pair of Ashworth spikeless shoes that are amazing, but can't find them anymore.
 
Good information man. I've always wondered about their comfort so it's good to hear they perform in that area. If they ever have a sale I may have to pick up a pair of the Original or OG Premium.
 
Still really liking these shoes. Have played in them another 5 or 6 times since initially posting this thread and the comfort in walking in them for 18 holes is tremendous. Still really happy with traction and stability that they afford as well.
 
Still really liking these shoes. Have played in them another 5 or 6 times since initially posting this thread and the comfort in walking in them for 18 holes is tremendous. Still really happy with traction and stability that they afford as well.
Do you wear them outside of golf as well? I know that is one of their big marketing points is that you can wear them pretty much anywhere.
 
Do you wear them outside of golf as well? I know that is one of their big marketing points is that you can wear them pretty much anywhere.

So far just to the course and from the course in addition to playing. The looks certainly have the versatility to wear for any casual occasion.
 
So far just to the course and from the course in addition to playing. The looks certainly have the versatility to wear for any casual occasion.
I just noticed you're in Georgia. Call it ignorance but I assume it has been pretty warm out there for you? Any chance you have played with these after rain? Here in Utah the courses can be fairly wet going into the fall.
 
I just noticed you're in Georgia. Call it ignorance but I assume it has been pretty warm out there for you? Any chance you have played with these after rain? Here in Utah the courses can be fairly wet going into the fall.

Yes regarding the heat (finally "cooled" down to high in the upper 80s this week) and not yet on wet ground. Has been crazy dry here for over a month. Will post a report here once I do play in them in wet conditions.
 
I am probably weird, but I actually like the off white soles. I think a bright white shows all the smudges and this might look clean longer.
 
How have these held up SoxFan?

I too would prefer a bright white sole but the off white some is very popular right now with the youngens. Adidas sells Stan Whites with the discolored sole now. No clue why.

Anyway, I want the whites anyway. Thought about the TL Majors but my dad loves the black TL-01 I got him for Xmas.
 
How have these held up SoxFan?

I too would prefer a bright white sole but the off white some is very popular right now with the youngens. Adidas sells Stan Whites with the discolored sole now. No clue why.

Anyway, I want the whites anyway. Thought about the TL Majors but my dad loves the black TL-01 I got him for Xmas.

Very well. Definitely my favorite shoes for walking the course I have ever owned. Will likely end up grabbing another pair (probably gray) soon. A couple of their new offereings are tempting but I love how light these are the leather uppers are much easier to clean than knit uppers.
 
Interesting info @Sox_Fan
I have to ask about this shoe bag. Asking genuinely here, but why would anybody want a cotton shoe bag for long term use? The one fiber that takes in every odor, etc wouldn't be ideal for athletic shoes, right?

I got one of these bags with the eco knit model and I don't plan to use it for shoes. Most likely it will be my dirty clothes bag on trips. just throw them in there then can throw it in to the washing machine when I get home.

The bag that came with the majors is pretty awesome, a thicker synthetic material that seems waterproof and won't hold smells.
 
How are the Majors? I'm liking the all white ones but the suede toe gives me pause as i would think it would be impossible to keep clean from wet or nasty weather.


The TL-01 def look easy to wipe down. I was afraid they wouldn't be comfy enough to walk in. That's why i wanted them. The CodeChaos so far have been the most comfy to walk in buy I haven't tried on the TL-01
 
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