Customer Reviews New Balance Golf Fresh Foam X Defender Golf Shoes

Good feel and support. Comfortable fit, good quality

Wore them for night golf with lime green attire. Won tournament!!!

I golfed this weekend in the Fresh Foam X Defenders because the Striker v3 needs to be exchanged for a half size up after all. This pair turned out to be surprisingly good footwear for what it is golf sneakers and not golf shoes. It remained comfortable for my entire round of golf, but although indeed lightweight, my XW (4E) feet preferred the support and stability of my New Balance 990v5, 1540vs and 857 shoes as the round wore on because the trade-off of those features for less weight meant that my feet had to work harder as they got more tired. Therefore, this pair seems more suitable for occasional play, especially if from a cart, than for golf tournaments or golf trips lasting more than one day. Additionally, even though this pair is offered in larger and wider sizes, it seems better-suited for young people and those with narrow feet than for seniors, wide-footed golfers and people carrying extra weight (whether on their bodies or from walking the golf course and carrying a golf bag full of equipment). This is because the sneaker bottoms are narrow and, so, concentrate weight and make them seem wobbly (which is inherently unstable and is not what people who weari wide shoes made by New Balance typically are used to). I would love to see New Balance offer more stable and supportive golf footwear, particularly now that a leading golf shoe maker no longer customizes its offerings for golfers with wider feet. I used to pay between $250 and $300 for a pair of those customized golf shoes, and so, it seems that New Balance has lots of pricing room. While New Balance is at it, I would encourage it to have four cleats rather than two cleats on the heels of its golf shoes in order to prevent slippage and, also, would encourage it to make all of the cleats on its golf footwear replaceable using a standard tool and commonly available replacement cleats.

Just received these Fresh Foam X Defender golf shoes from New Balance in my usual New Balance XW size (I have a lot of other New Balance shoes) and then tried them on in the house. They fit ok and seem true to size (unlike the Striker v3 golf shoes, which I received simultaneously from New Balance and which some people might consider ordering a half size up). Both pairs of golf shoes are comfortable and lightweight. They are not as supportive as my New Balance 990v5 and 1540v3 shoes, but they are not as heavy either. The true tests will come later on the golf course, but New Balance has made tremendous strides in producing wearable golf shoes. I tried their golf shoes a few years ago and had to return them.

I ordered 1/2 size more yet these were still too tight and the foot bed was especially narrow at the front. I'd always worn 8.5 wide in the many new balance shoes I have owned. Even the golf shoes are all over the map in comfort and sizing.