One of the coolest products to come out of this year's PGA Merchandise Show was the Puma Ignite PWRADAPT Golf Shoe (see our list of the coolest products from this year's show HERE.)
In a weird coincidence we recently had an on-course blowout with a golf shoe, luckily it was on the16th hole so we were able to limp in for the final 2 holes. That blowout paved the way to purchase a pair of the Puma Ignite shoes.
Here is the Puma marketing hyperbole on the shoe:
The supportive PWRCAGE saddle unit that wraps around the medial and lateral side of the shoe, is integrated with the midsole providing the proper fit and support. As the DISC lacing system tightens the cage around your foot, the Heel Lock Window cups your heel comfortably locking your foot securely into the shoe. The layered Adaptive Fit System provides 360-degree support through the internal bootie, while the external bootie, layered with PWRFRAME, ensures the foot is fully supported in high-wear areas. The full-length IGNITE Foam cushioning platform and PWRADAPT Technology provide responsive comfort and 3-dimensional traction that adapts to the way you move
Looks:
The Puma Ignite PWRADAPT, which we will refer to from here on out as the "IPAT", is a good looking golf shoe. Not a traditional sneaker, but more of a blend of an athletic shoe with elements of a traditional golf shoe. The IPAT reminds us a bit of the leather sneakers you see the ESPN hosts all sporting along with their dress suits.
The IPAT is sporty enough to wear with golf shorts and dressy enough to go with a pair of golf pants.
Comfort:
Right out of the box the IPAT is quite comfortable. It's a bit more stiff and restrictive than the Puma Ignite NXT, but to be fair the NXT is spikeless and has a much lower profile. We had no abrasions or blisters after playing our first round in the IPAT.
The Disc lacing system works well, thought it seems to pull the laces tighter at the top portion of the shoe while the lower portion remains a bit more loose. The sizing was accurate to our standard shoe size.
Stability:
We first tested the stability of the IPATs by swinging our Momentus weighted driver and iron as they can put a lot of pressure on the traction and stability of a shoe. There were no issues with lost traction and the stability across the caged area of the shoe was fine. Was the stability greater than say an all leather shoe or FootJoy DNA Helix shoe? Not really, but the difference is you are getting a much lighter, more comfortable & flexible shoe right out of the box as compared to a more stiff traditional golf shoe that requires a lot of break-in.
Next we took IPAT out on the course & as luck would have it, it was cart path only on a very hilly course so we got a fair amount of walking on flat & very sloped fairways. We had no loss of stability when hitting shots with the ball above or below our feet.
Traction:
The shoe provides both soft rubber nubbed spikes as well as screw in soft spikes for increased traction. One of the downsides to Puma shoes is they use a non-traditional soft spike which will require the purchase of extra spikes for when they wear down or fall out. Not a big deal, unless, like us, you already have a drawer full of other spike styles.
Traction on dry grass was good whether we took a flat lie stance or had the ball above or below our feet. On wet grass, while the traction was good, it was not as a good as shoes with more stiff spikes like the Stinger or Black Widows brands.
Pros:
Stunning good looks with shorts or golf pants
True to size
Price
3-Year waterproof warranty
Easy on/off
Cons:
Yet, another style of replacement spikes that need to be purchased
The spikes are on the soft side and don't grip the turf as well as some other spike styles
Summary:
We like the IPAT a lot, its good looks, versatility with short & long pants, comfort, easy on/off disc lacing system and stability make this a winner and a shoe we will enjoy wearing this golf season!
The shoes for this review were purchased by Golf Gear Box.
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1 comment
These shoes are light weight and very comfy, but the build quality is not the greatest. I’m speaking about the spikes. I’ve had the shoes for 2 seasons and the foam which anchors the spike wasted away causing the spikes to fall out. I thought at first that I could replace the spike, but the entire spike and spike anchor have fallen out of the shoe. I still like Puma Shoes, but this design has fallen short of my expectations of this great brand. Disapointed to say the least in the pwradpt