Ecco Street EVO One Golf Shoes
Ecco is widely known for its very comfortable street and dress shoes. That style and comfort has translated well to the new Street EVO One.
The Street EVO One is a hybrid golf shoe, meaning it is designed for use on the course and off the course. Rather than having removable golf spikes, the tread of the shoe provides high traction on the golf course yet is low profile enough to wear anywhere.
Part of Ecco’s advantage is the fact that they own their own factories and can completely control the entire shoe-making process.
Design
Ecco Golf designs their shoes with a “foot first” approach. This is the opposite of some golf shoe makers, who focus on traction and stability first, often sacrificing comfort. Ecco builds the shoe around the foot, yet manages to maintain stability and traction.
Traction Bars & Traction Angles
Traction is achieved through the shoe’s roughly 100 molded “traction bars,” which each have four angled spokes. Those spokes provide some 800 “traction angles.” Simply, there is more surface area on each spike, giving the shoe a vastly larger gripping surface. On my shoes I counted 78. Yes, I counted them. I suppose larger shoes have more surface area and thus would have more traction bars.
The Street EVO One is available in high-grade cow leather and genuine camel leather versions. Both versions feature Ecco’s “Hydromax” weather resistance treatment.
Style
The Street EVO One is as stylish as it is comfortable, and that is saying a lot. There are no crazy designs, no outlandish colors, no bizarre and unnecessary appointments. The two-color upper is modern looking but hints of a classic style.
On The Course / On The Street
Honestly I’ve worn the Street EVO One’s off the course at about a 10/1 ratio to on the course. They’re very comfortable, especially when worn with a high end wool or compression sock. Through the work day and even at times when walking long distances around town, the Street EVO One keeps my feet comfortable, dry, and feeling fresh.
Ecco Street EVO One – Style
On the golf course the Street EVO One performs flawlessly. Power and control starts at the base of the player’s body, where the feet connect to the ground. The stability and traction I have, even in my somewhat spazztic swing, is fantastic. With such a great foundation and great traction, I’m able to generate full power and control, yet keep a fine balance.
Shoveling Snow
Unfortunately it is winter here and the only golf I’ve managed to play for the last four months has been when I leave town and go south. There has been quite a bit of snow lately, and I’ve had to shovel the driveway numerous times in the last month. One day after returning from work I grabbed the snow shovel and got after it. After a few minutes I realized that I was shoveling snow, in shorts, wearing Ecco Golf shoes.
Ecco snow shoes!
I can now confidently say that the Street EVO One is a great shoe for snow shoveling. Great traction. As a bonus, it leaves really cool tracks in the snow thanks to the traction bars.
Critiques
My beef with Ecco golf shoes remains the same as it has always been, European sizing. My shoe size is a straight up USA 9. Ecco’s euro-sizing comes in USA half size increments. For instance, a 42 in their sizing equals a USA size 8-8.5. A 43 equals a USA size 9-9.5. Since I’m a 9, the 43 is too big. Sort of like wearing clown shoes. I end up having to order a 42 and “hope” the shoe fits a little on the big side. Fortunately for me the 42’s have fit great, though converting them to USA size says they should be half a size too small.
Conclusion
Most of my golf shoes sit in the garage and are only used on the golf course. My Street EVO One’s sit in the shoe rack of my closet. I wear them regularly. In fact, I’m wearing them right now, along with my pajamas. 🙂
Related Links
Ecco Street EVO One photos
Other Hooked On Golf Blog Ecco Reviews
HOGWire – Golf Industry News
