I love it when boxes show up at my doorstep. The long, skinny brown boxes are the best, but the small rectangular ones can bring their own special kind of joy.
I was not, however, prepared for what happened when I opened the box from a new-ish golf shoe and lifestyle brand Heathlander.
These just might be my go-to shoes for the foreseeable future.
Heathlander: These shoes are made for walkin’ …
On the company website, Heathlander sums up my philosophy on life quite nicely.
Any day you’re playing golf is a good day.
I knew right away we were going to get along.
They sealed the deal when they followed that statement up with another of life’s fundamental truths.
Proper golfers walk.
I had never heard of Heathlander before these shoes arrived but after a couple of rounds, I gotta say they check the comfy, colorful and stable boxes. Comfort is always a fine line with golf shoes. Often, what you gain in comfort you lose in stability and/or traction. These Heathlander golf shoes strike a reasonable balance. Traction was excellent, stability was fine and walking 18 last weekend at the marvelous Biddeford-Saco Country Club in Maine was a breeze.
Sweet sole music
Heathlander’s distinctive styling begins with a synthetic leather upper (with a one-year waterproof guarantee). The sole design is where the fun starts. Its three layers include a foam sock liner insole, a soft, cushiony EVA midsole and a pink rubber outsole with an aggressive nine-millimeter-deep rubber tread.
The sole is made from a fairly soft rubber material that’s built into the EVA midsole. The idea is to provide more cushion underfoot while not leaving nasty tread marks on greens or tee boxes.
I also appreciate Heathlander’s simple approach for naming its shoes. The basic model is called, quite simply, The Golf Shoe. It’s available in a white upper with Heathlander’s signature pink sole. You then get your choice of sole trim color: pink, yellow, light blue, dark blue or green.
The Navy Golf Shoe is the same basic shoe but in a navy blue upper and green trim. The Red, White and Blue Shoe is the same shoe yet again but with a white upper, red trim, a blue midsole and red outsole.
All three shoes are in men’s and women’s sizes. If you have wide feet, Heathlander suggests going up a half-size.
Heathlander golf shoes: Price, availability and final thoughts
If you’re on a budget, Heathlander probably won’t be the shoe for you. The standard Golf Shoe sells for $205 while The Navy Golf Shoe and The Red, White and Blue Golf Shoe go for $225. Heathlander doesn’t nickel-and-dime you, though. That price includes a nylon zippered shoe bag, an additional cloth bag and two pairs of shoelaces in contrasting colors.
Heatlander also offers higher-end apparel, including long-sleeve merino wool jackets (Heathlander calls them “wind sweaters”), quilted vests and Italian cashmere crewneck and V-neck sweaters in various styles. There is also a hoodie and a couple of branded hats.
Gotta say these shoes surprised me. My go-to shoes this season have been the adidas Tour 360 Spikeless, Asics Gel-Ace Pro M and Sqairz ProS2 LT. After two rounds with the Heathlanders, there’s another shoe in the rota.
For more information, visit the Heathlander Golf website.
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