We first became aware of the Skoni shoe brand at the 2024 PGA Show in Orlando. Our friend Sue Mattia of Spring Lake Custom Golf Shop in Spring Lake, NJ, raved about the style, support, and comfort of her Skonis and encouraged us to check it out. We wandered over to the Skoni booth and had a nice conversation with Greg (Skoni’s founder), learning about the company’s “lifestyle” approach to the golf market and perusing the range of shoes. Our takeaway at that time was that the company had a really good niche brand “story” and a unique design that–PRIMARILY–appeals to women.
Since that time, we’ve been a casual observer of the Skoni story and, despite our initial feeling about it’s niche status, there was something that kept our interest and attention. One recurring thought was “comfort and support”; these are among the very key features that golfers over 45 REALLY appreciate in a golf shoe. Skoni highlights in it’s marketing that the “slip-on” comfort (and style) is so superior to traditional golf shoes, that consumers are very likely to wear their Skonis after golf–in the grill room, at a BBQ, and even out to a casual dinner. This is something that intrigued us and kept Skoni on our radar, and Tommy recently ordered a pair of the Gen1 Skonis to test drive.
The order process on the Skoni website is straightforward and easy, and the shoes arrived as promised within about five business days. The very first thing noticed when opening the box is the light weight of the shoe. Really lightweight. And of course, the Hey Dude-like, slip-on design is unique in the golf space. Speaking of that design, as you look at the shoe, it appears that the back of the shoe at the heel is unusually low. I wondered if this would potentially be a problem, suspecting that my actual heel might be slipping up and out of the shoe during a full swing. This thought became magnified considering that there’s not a full lace-up component to the shoe!
Now for the fit: As advertised, the shoe slips on very, very easily and your foot settles comfortably into the cushioned insole. Again, the fear of “if it slips on so easily, won’t it slip off?” comes to mind but, we can confidently report that the adjustable lace lock actually provides more than sufficient tightening capacity and the fear of the heel slipping was quickly allayed. Phew! The size 10 actually felt a bit snug (and that feeling remained after 18 holes of golf, which was a disappointment). It wasn’t until after the round of golf that we discovered that the Skoni website actually points out that their shoes “typically run one half size small”. Let the buyer beware, I guess. (We’re not sure why companies don’t adjust their sizes when this is the case, so always click on the “size chart” if you can find it.) The Skoni website makes reference to a “Full 30-Day Quality Warranty” but there is no further detail that we could find. Subsequently, we learned that Skoni has fixed the sizing issue at the manufacturing level, and once current inventory is cleared, there will be no need for the consumer to adjust. During the round, the shoe maintained it’s comfortable feel, with surprising support and stability for such a lightweight shoe. The spikeless treads provided traction as good as any other spikeless golf shoe we’ve worn.
Because of the short-sizing, it’s difficult for us to say that the shoe is comfortable enough to keep on for hours after the round, but we can say that there was no “fatigue” from the round of golf which we’ve experienced with some other shoe brands. With our next pair of (properly fitting) Skonis we’ll be able to make a better assessment of the after-golf wear claims of the shoe. (Since every other claim the company makes has held up, we’ll expect this one to also hold true.) What is definitively true is that these shoes are a conversation starter! On and off the course, people ask “Are those ‘Hey Dudes’?”, and they are incredulous when told that they’re actually real golf shoes!
Our overall feeling about the Skoni shoe is a positive one. The styling might not appeal to everyone (and to others, the styling might be THE appeal), but for anyone looking for comfort, stability, and performance this moderately priced option should be on your list for consideration. We hope to soon try out some of the Gen2 models, which are waterproof and also come in a more traditional “saddle” style. Stay tuned!