Standing… and Hitting the
Test of Time with SQAIRZ
By: Greg and Beverly Wise
A little over 4 years ago… (Oct. 2020) we was asked to do a quick review of a brand-new golf shoe on the market called SQAIRZ.
This is part of the “Untold” story on that product review!
This is almost like ratting myself out for giving such a positive review after what I first impression of the shoes.
I looked up the website and read a lot about these shoes to get my process started and found a LOT of claims about distance and stability… and ALL the other things they tell you to get you to buy a pair of shoes.
Okay… at first the name seemed a little strange… and then when the shoes arrived… with the square toe, my thoughts went deep. Well… if you were going to do a foot wedge… at least you were starting on a square thought pattern. And you just had to get the foot on the ball, and it give you are better ability to make your kick square at the target as apposed to the rounded toe and you had to hope you kicked it straight and not embarrass yourself.
Coming out to the box… I first noticed the laces with the small square acrylic pads. I did notice on the website that they mentioned that this was to help the shoe stay tied. My thought was I didn’t have to bend down and tighten them up every other hole… There’s a plus!
When I first put them on and walked around the back yard, YES… they were extremely comfortable… BUT… they felt very heavy to make steps… sort of like putting on snowshoes on tennis shoes and then try to walk. Okay… it wasn’t that bad… but it is a good way to think about it!
I was to play golf the next day, so I decided to my wife I was going to put them to the put them to the “Ultimate Test.”
Fresh from the box… I was going to walk 18 holes and see that these shoes really had, for the readers of this review! Trust me… I took my normal shoes in the pushcart with me!… just in case this experiment didn’t work out so well.
Playing the first hole… I first had to get over my playing partners giving me crap over the shape of the shoe and the wild square toe, and that they would be watching for the ultimate foot wedge as I walked down the rough, increasing my drive distance.
By the second hole, the weight wasn’t a factor at all. Just something that I had to get used to. But what I did notice is that my drives were straighter, and I was getting a few extra yards.
On the sixth hole, the playing partners were starting to take notice on how well I was playing and that there was something different about my game. I felt more stable. I was even turning better. I felt more grounded on the swing. I was actually hitting harder Was it the shoes?
So… the ultimate 2nd test. Change to my normal shoes for the back nine.
WELL… I can tell you this. My normal day to day golf shoes… stayed on for 2 holes, just to prove the point. I was moving too much. Drives were going right… and approach shots just didn’t seem the same. Maybe there is something to this new technology that was on their website… and I was experiencing it in real time. And I did notice I had to tie my shoes after the 10th hole, because I was twisting so badly in my “Normal” shoes.
The SQAIRZ went back on… after the 12th hole and played the rest of the day. By the end of the round, the playing partners were asking for the web address that they wanted to check them out.
I think the surprise for me happened when my wife came out of the garage where I had left my equipment when I came in… carrying my OLD NORMAL golf shoes. “These were in the trash… did you mean to do that?” she asked. Yes ma’am, and that is where they are going to stay!
To this day… 4 years later I still play in those same shoes, now and then. I have 3 pair of SQAIRZ that I rotate wearing and they are all as consistent as the original.
WHY AM I WRITING THIS?
Well… SQAIRZ has just released their new “Pickleball” shoe. It has taken them 2 years to get these new shoes to the market. Not just make a shoe and market it. They spent 2 years doing research on what the best pickleball players are using. How they can make that better and listening to pro players on what to do better than anyone else. With so many golfers playing pickleball these days as a second sport. Why not trust your pickleball game to the people that made your golf game better and your feet happier!
Why am I so excited about these shoes?… I noticed right away that the same stability is built in to these shoes. The toe box is a little bigger than normal to add more comfort to your toes. It has, what I would call “Outriggers” to add stability to the outside of the foot, so it doesn’t roll… and well… the bigger one for me, after playing tennis in the past… a “Pivot Point.” Strange as it might sound… the small circle on the bottom of the shoes adds to your ability to make turns a little easier and taking a little stress off of your ankles.
WHY AM I SO EXCITED?
OURS HAVE ARRIVED!… and we am ready to try them out on the pickleball court.
SQAIRZ has an introductory offer for you as well… that is simple. Purchase a pair of SQUAIRZ PRO XRZ Pickleball Shoes… try them for 30-days… and if you don’t like them… return them for a full refund. Not really sure you are going to do that… if they are anything like their golf shoes. “See you on the Court!”
AND YES… They have Ladies too!
Greg and Beverly Wise have been traveling the world, playing and writing about their golf experiences as “Golf the Wise Way,” and submitting to numerous publications.
Greg has played golf for more than 60 years and truly believes that “a picture is worth a thousand words…” so, Beverly and Greg both excel in getting the right photos to enhance their stories.
