Payntr Golf Shoes Review: How Do the X 003 F Perform?
Payntr golf shoes are new to the scene, so we took them to the course for this life-tested review
Your relationship with Payntr golf shoes falls into one of three categories. Most likely, you’ve either never heard of them (this was me only a couple months ago), or you’ve heard how comfortable they are. The third category is the growing number of golfers who have actually experienced how comfortable they are, which is me today.
I sunk my feet into a pair of Payntr’s X 003 F golf shoes and logged several hours hoofing around a golf course. Here’s my complete life-tested review.
What is Payntr Golf
First of all, Payntr golf shoes are extraordinarily comfortable. For those of you just now joining the second stage of Payntr Golf awareness, welcome.
While Payntr’s golf shoes are gaining popularity, the brand began by making cricket shoes that embodied the comfort of a running shoe.
Payntr Golf is based in Portland, Oregon, and applies that running-shoe comfort to a line of spiked and spikeless golf shoes.
Payntr launched its golf shoes in 2021 through the site’s direct-to-consumer model. In 2022, Payntr partnered with several retailers, including PGA Tour Superstore. Today, you can buy Payntr golf shoes directly from payntrgolf.com, at one of hundreds of green grass facilities, or through one of Payntr’s retail partners.
Payntr Golf X 003 F: The Final Verdict
Find at PayntrShop PGA Tour Superstore
MSRP: $139
Colors: Black/White; White/Navy; White/Silver; Grey/Black
Spikes: TPU spikeless outsole
Waterproof: Water-resistant
Playing golf in Payntr golf shoes is thoroughly enjoyable. The Ortholite Footbed is the real deal, welcoming your foot to the shoe for the long haul. As a golf shoe for walkers, Payntr’s X 003 F checked all the boxes for me. On top of that comfort, there was no breaking-in period, and the outsole gave me more than enough connection to the ground.
Given how well the X 003 F performed in relatively soggy and muddy conditions, I’m surprised Payntr doesn’t promise more from a waterproof standpoint. Payntr does offer that these shoes are water-resistant, thanks to the NeverWet superhydrophobic solution, and after trekking the course through plenty of moisture, these shoes – and more importantly, my socks – were indeed never wet. Still, you won’t find the word waterproof attached to these Payntr golf shoes.
That said, I personally wouldn’t hesitate to walk the course in them in light-rain conditions, and they’re and easy go-to for walking in any conditions more mild than that.
Payntr X 003 F Pros & Cons
Given that Payntr is relatively new to the golf shoe space, you probably want a quick rundown of where these shoes excel, and where you should be cautious. Based on our on-course testing, these are the most important pros and cons you should be aware of.
Pros:
- Excellent comfort for walkers assisted by a noticeably lightweight build
- Safe style that looks nice without being over the top
- Water-resistant material performs nicely in moisture and inspires confidence even in mildly wet conditions
- Outsole provides all the stability you could ask for from a spikeless golf shoe
Cons:
- No promise of being waterproof
- Laces are a little too short
Specs & Features
Find at PayntrShop PGA Tour Superstore
MSRP: $139
Shoemakers are notorious for using unintelligible jargon to highlight the benefits of their shoes. Payntr’s headliners include Clarino (artificial leather), Pebax (lightweight polymer known for class-leading energy return), and Single Density PMX Foam (maximum energy return from the midsole). If reading this list of features is like reading a novel in a foreign language, don’t worry, that’s what the rest of the review is for.
- Clarino microfiber upper provides water-resistance
- Pebax propulsion plate
- TPU outsole offers excellent stability
- Single Density PMX Foam boosts comfort and energy return in the midsole
- NeverWet superhydrophobic protection for even more water-resistance
- Ortholite Footbed
Payntr X 003 F Life-Tested Review
It’s time to take a deeper dive into how the Payntr X 003 F performed on the golf course, where it excels, where it could be better, and who I think would benefit most from this shoe. I’ll evaluate it on looks and style, stabilty, water-resistance, and comfort.
Look & Style
I personally like the look of the Payntr X 003 F. Regardless of which color-scheme you choose, it’s a two-tone design with the primary color taking over the front of the shoe, and the secondary color getting the heel. This design is accompanied by Payntr’s red accents.
Overall, the design is safely in the middle of the golf shoe spectrum. There’s nothing over-the-top or polarizing about the look, and there’s also no new-meets-old blend of nostalgic looks with modern materials.
Traction & Turf Interaction
Whether you call it traction, turf interaction, stability, or something else, you depend on your golf shoe to give you the connection to the ground that you need, and the aforementioned TPU Outsole provides excellent stability that’s as good as any spikeless golf shoe I’ve tested.
If you’re typically a walker and prefer a spikeless golf shoe, the X 003 F will keep you connected to the ground with no problems.
Waterproof & Water-Resistance
My suspicion is that Payntr is underselling the X 003 F’s ability to keep your feet dry. Yes, the shoes are billed as water-resistant, but after studying the shoes and putting them through testing, I’d be plenty confident to wear them even in moderate rain.
That said, I’m sure Payntr knows more than I do about its shoes ability to resist moisture, and there’s a reason these get the water-resistant tag, not waterproof.
Comfort & Sizing
We’ve been talking about it since the first sentence of this review, and we’ll say it again. These shoes are all about comfort. I love the way my feet feel in them, that there was no break-in period, and how good I feel after walking 18 in them.
The sizing was spot on as well.
One issue I found with these shoes, however, was with the laces. They were a little too short to give me the little slack I like on the tongue and still tie in a nice, tight knot. Ideally, I’d like some length for a double-knot, but instead, I found my standard knot coming undone once per side.
Who Should Consider Payntr Golf Shoes
From my experience, the Payntr X 003 F golf shoes scream great golf shoe for walkers. As a golfer who prefers to walk myself, I prefer a spikeless shoe that’s lightweight, comfortable, keeps my feet dry, and keeps me connected to the ground. These Payntr golf shoes check all the boxes.
Perhaps the wettest 15% of my rounds each year would be too much for these Payntrs, but other than that, I see these as an excellent daily driver for golfers who want to snag one pair of golf shoes and run them into the ground over the course of a few seasons.