Tiger Woods was injured in a car accident. Reports vary but some say he has multiple injuries and is in surgery. Hope it wasn’t the pain meds again.
One can never have too many Ecco shoes, whether they are golf shoes, street shoes or even hiking boots in my case. I have so many different pairs of Eccos I’ve lost count. Add one more to the lost count, the Street Retro.
Construction
The Street Retro is crafted in a tumbled, full-grain, pebbled nappa leather. The shoes are treated with Ecco’s Hydromax treatment which makes them highly water-repellent.
The sole of the shoe (above) has 100 “TPU traction bars.” Those are the little nubby things that look like mini-cleats. Each bar has several angles on it, netting a total of 800. More angles and surfaces to come in contact with the turf means more traction and stability.
The Street Retros feature Fluidform Comfort Technology and design that follows the contour of the foot.
Comfort
In terms of comfort, Ecco shoes can’t be beat and the Street Retro is no exception. The fit and feel is luxurious. They provide some nice cushioning, making walking the course or walking on the street enjoyable. Walking long distances on hard surfaces is as easy as an 8-inch birdie putt (if you don’t have the yips).
Performance
Ecco has proved to me time and again that shoes with great style and comfort can perform. The Street Retros provide a solid platform and stability, allowing the golfer to make powerful, accurate, and repeatable swings. If you have no traction or stability, the best clubs in the world won’t help. The street retro excels in performance. I’ve benefitted from the traction and stability the shoe delivers, including many different conditions and environments.
Final Thoughts
The Ecco Street Retro delivers in the three most important areas I need a golf shoe to deliver in: performance, comfort, and style. Whether wearing the Street Retros around the pro shop or on a hard and wet links course like Bandon Dunes, you can count on the Ecco Street Retro.
Related
Review: Ecco Cage Pro Golf Shoes
Review: Ecco S-Drive Golf Shoes
Ecco Street EVO One Golf Shoe Review
Review: Ecco BIOM Hybrid Golf Shoes
If the Seven Pairs of Shoes Fit, Wear Them
Years ago I swore by the Callaway Hex Red ball. Loved it. Back then it was very long and still had a great amount of spin. If you are familiar with that ball, you know I just dated myself. I haven’t played many Callaway Golf balls since then, until the 2020 Chrome Soft. Let’s take a look.
Construction
Chrome Soft is a 4-layer ball. Layer one is a large “dual core” which is infused with Graphene. The core contributes to higher launch and lower spin, primarily for driving and distance. The outer core is thinner and firmer, and reinforced with Graphene. This layer promotes more spin with shorter clubs like wedges, while also increasing the ball’s durability.
The outer layer is extremely thin and made from Urethane. Urethane is the magic material found in 99.9% of “Tour” balls. “Tour” represents balls which have the specs that professional tour players demand. The Urethane cover is where most of the control in the short game comes from, and iron spin that stops the ball quickly on the greens, or even spins it back.
The ball’s aerodynamics are achieved through Callaway’s six sided “hex” dimples. The aerodynamics decrease drag, increase launch angle and increase distance.
On The Course
On the course the Chrome Soft is a joy to play. The ball compresses very easily and gives the golfer a feel of total control with the driver. It is easy to feel where the ball hits the driver face and easy to control shots in terms of launch angle and draw/fade.
Iron shots are a joy with the Chrome Soft. Distance control is consistent and dependable. The ball stops quickly, even with longer irons.
The short game is perhaps the strongest area for the Chrome Soft. Chips, pitches, runners, flops all respond fantastically. The ball can grow some serious teeth when clipped just right around the greens. It’s fun to hit that 1-2 bounce pitch which bites instantly, right at hole-high.
Final Thoughts
The Callaway Chrome Soft is a fantastic ball in all performance areas; distance, control, short game spin, and putting feel. I strongly recommend giving them a try.
Thursday
Live Coverage On TV
ESPN 1:00 PM – 5:30 PM
Live Coverage Online (US Only)
AMEN CORNER 7:10AM – 3:55PM EST
FEATURED GROUPS 7:30AM – 5:15PM EST
HOLES 4, 5 AND 6 7:40AM – 4:30PM EST
HOLES 15 AND 16 8:15AM – 4:45PM EST
BROADCAST 1:00PM – 5:30PM EST
Friday
Live Coverage On TV
ESPN 1:00 PM – 5:30 PM
Live Coverage Online (US Only)
AMEN CORNER 7:30AM – 4:15PM EST
FEATURED GROUPS 7:45AM – 5:30PM EST
HOLES 4, 5 AND 6 7:55AM – 4:45PM EST
HOLES 15 AND 16 8:15AM – 4:45PM EST
BROADCAST 1:00PM – 5:30PM EST
Saturday
Live Coverage Online (US Only)
FEATURED GROUPS 7:30AM – 5:00PM EST
AMEN CORNER 7:30AM – 3:45PM EST
HOLES 4, 5 AND 6 7:30AM – 4:00PM EST
HOLES 15 AND 16 7:30AM – 4:15PM EST
BROADCAST 1:00PM – 5:00PM EST
Sunday
Live Coverage On TV
CBS 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Live Coverage Online (US Only)
FEATURED GROUPS 8:00AM – 3:00PM EST
AMEN CORNER 8:10AM – 1:30PM EST
HOLES 4, 5 AND 6 8:45AM – 2:00PM EST
HOLES 15 AND 16 9:15AM – 2:15PM EST
BROADCAST 10:00AM – 3:00PM EST
I was able to finish off testing out the Royal Albartross Strider Monochrome Hybrid golf shoes on the recent HOG World Tour visit to Bandon Dunes Golf Resort a couple of weeks ago. The varying weather was perfect for evaluating the shoe performance in a multitude of conditions, from sunny and warm to cold hard rain flying sideways. The results are in. The envelope please…
Strider Monochrome Overview
The Strider Monochrome from Royal Albartross is a hybrid shoe, one that can cross over between golf and street. It’s half golf shoe, half sneaker. Half shoe, half amazing. I may wear it more on the street than the course.
The uppers of the shoe are made from Italian leather, suede, and antibacterial treated canvas. Canvas? It’s like a piece of art, so that’s fitting.
To make walking more enjoyable and less wear and tear on the body, the shoe features an air cushion sole. The sole is enhanced with treads which provide traction no matter what direction. And when you have a spastic swing like mine, there are many directions.
For added comfort, the lining of the shoe is made from soft calf leather.
Style
Royal Albartross is perhaps the most stylish and upper class golf shoe maker on the planet. As one who knows Albartross would expect, the style is classy and unique. I’ve been very much into gray color-ways lately and I really like the black and multiple gray colors. The rainbow color accents are bold and at the same time minimal and not over the top.
The shoe’s unique shape separates it even more from the same old same old cookie cutter designs from other more mainstream golf shoe makers.
Sizes
The Strider comes in sizes 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. There are no half sizes.
Color Variations
There are two color variations of the Strider, the Miami and the Storm. These versions offer different color combinations.
On The Course
I’ve been very happy with the performance of the Strider. Even in some extremely wet, muddy and nasty conditions at Bandon Dunes I never slipped. The shoes did a great job keeping the moisture away from my feet. I walked close to 20 miles in them over the course of the trip and the shoes remained comfortable and low impact.
I’ve also been wearing the shoes at work and out on the town with great success. The neutral color scheme matches well with almost any of my apparel scripting configurations.
Final Thoughts
The Strider Monochrome ($265) is a super stylish hybrid shoe that is as good off the course as it is on. I have total stability and confidence in the golf swing, even in very wet and slippery conditions. They provide plenty of traction for walking up and down on hilly terrain. In addition to the performance, the shoe out-styles every other brand out there.
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