Long Term Review of the FootJoy HyperFlex Carbon Golf Shoes

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FootJoy’s big footwear release this year was the new lineup of Hyperflex golf shoes that it aimed to bring to the widely competitive market. This year, I have been lucky enough to wear seven or eight different pairs of golf shoes from both FootJoy and Nike. While my initial thoughts on these were positive, I didn’t feel that a few rounds and a month of play in them was enough to write something that was insightful or thoughtful enough to give a genuine review.

During my time on the various golf groups I’m in on Facebook, I have seen a lot of people ask questions about these shoes in particular. What’s it like with the sock upper? Does it stay clean? Are these shoes bulky? And most importantly, are they worth the $200 price tag?

My answers to these questions obviously vary, but $200 is pretty run-of-the-mill for a nice pair of golf shoes, and these are definitely worth every penny.

FootJoy writes:

“HyperFlex Carbon golf shoes for men are specifically tuned for the modern golfer athlete. Hyper powered with a custom molded carbon fiber plate to stabilize your swing and maximize energy transfer. HyperFlex Carbon features tuned for walking cushioning, added ankle padding, and an innovative, breathable, waterproof performance knit upper for all-day comfort so you can play at the highest level. FJ, The #1 Shoe in Golf.”

For me, I’ve always been into flashy colors and unique designs. During my high school and college years, I played soccer competitively, and I never went with plain black and white shoes, I always went for color.

What was refreshing about these is FootJoy decided to offer something different that is not necessarily super routine for golf in terms of fashion. Golf is a gentleman’s game, and many traditionalists may frown upon these colors and maybe even this design. But the thing is, golf is becoming such a widespread and popular thing to do that companies are catering to new players and a younger generation.

In a conversation with the Titleist gear team a month or so ago, they told me that each year, they go into a concerted effort to find trendy colors and patterns that might make a good fit for a new golf bag or hat. Seeing as FootJoy is operated by Acushnet, the parent company of Titleist, I’m sure there was no flip of a coin to determine the pink and blue colorway that is presented on these.

Out of the box, they looked great, and the colors won me over immediately. I definitely understand that this is something that is personal preference, but adding some unique colors to your lineup of golf shoes definitely keeps things fresh.

I wear a 9.5 and ordered these in a 9.5. I will say there is a lot of additional toe room, and I wondered whether I should have gone with a nine instead. This seemed to just be an early, out-of-the-box issue, as they definitely became more comfortable with time. However, I would not recommend walking right out into a round with these on.

I would instead give yourself a range session or just some short game practice to get a feel for them. They’re definitely a bulkier shoe, too. But the comfort provided by the sock upper is something that is really quite incredible.

Back to my past life as a “footballer,” I started opting for boots that offered this sock upper. One of my favorites was the Nike Magista Obra from 2014. I wore these well into my college career, and they never were an uncomfortable option. That’s perhaps the reason for my gravitation toward the HyperFlex Carbon.

When it comes to golf shoes nowadays, what you get is what you pay for. I’ve had cheaper shoes when I was basically scraping pennies together to play with my friends before I got out of college, and I’ve had $200+ pairs since I’ve been working full-time after I graduated.

These were pretty much what you’d expect from a name like FootJoy. Good traction in wet environments, good grab on harder clay courses, and not much slipping and sliding when you really need to put a little extra on that 5i into the green.

The best part is, even when they’re a little muddy, the dirt really wipes away from the body of the shoe. The upper is a different story, and you might deal with a little discoloration if you expose them to mud or dirt too often. But I really haven’t had much of an issue thus far.

Part of the reason for that is because, if it’s raining or I’m going to play a less-than-premium course, I’ll throw a different pair of shoes on. For those who have that luxury, I suggest you do the same.

After you break out of the introductory phase with these, you’ll start to really fall in love with them. I like shoes like the FootJoy Traditions that are not necessarily geared toward comfort with the idea of packing as much padding in the sides as humanly possible, but I also like something that is going to hug my feet.

These are the latter. They are unbelievably comfortable and have just enough padding to offer stability, but also a supreme feel throughout your foot.

Are they durable? Yes. Are they going to stay clean, for the most part, yes. Do I have concerns about these falling apart after a year? Absolutely not.

They feel solid in your hand and on your foot, and to feel that is something that not many shoes will offer unless you pay a premium. You will for these, but it’s worth it.

I’ve played at least 15 rounds on these in three months, and they’ve never done anything related to fraying or fracturing. Every part of the shoe is still solid and in one piece. It’s what you’d expect from FootJoy, and you’re going to get it.

These are not my favorite shoe in my lineup, the Traditions will likely always reserve that spot. However, these are right up there in the realm of my favorite shoes I’ve had for golf.

FootJoy has another winner with these, and I expect that, with the solid construction of the shoe’s outer and the still-in-one-piece upper, these will last me well into 2025, as I have four or five pairs in my rotation. These always are in my car, which is something no other shoe in my rotation can say. If a quick, spur-of-the-moment round drops upon me, these are going to serve any purpose and match any style out on the course.

Thank you, FootJoy, for this masterpiece.

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Joey has been a journalist for over three years, covering various topics in the automotive and sports industries. He has been a passionate golfer for around six years, but has been a fan of the game for much longer. His earliest memories of golf are watching The Masters and learning the game with friends at courses local to him in Pennsylvania, which, despite the challenging climate, he plays year-round. He has attended several golf tournaments, including the BMW Championship in 2021 and 2022, and has been denied (what should be) a record 12 times for The Masters' annual ticket lottery.In his bag, Joey currently plays the TaylorMade Stealth Driver and 3 Wood, TSi2 19° Hybrid, Titleist T300 irons, Callaway Mack Daddy and Tommy Armour Wedges, and a TaylorMade Spider Putter. He plays TP5x or ProV1x.

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Callaway Apex’s lineup has been around for nearly 10 years now, making it a tentpole in their equipment offerings. Indeed, the now-prior generation of the Apex covered a wide range of golfers by offering products that offered game improvement characteristics—in the DCBs—to Tour-desired performance and looks—in the TCBs.

And the newly-released iteration looks to build upon this comprehensive lineup that had something for everyone.

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The 2024 Apex lineup consists of three different iron sets, utility irons, and the utility wood.

Starting with the scoring equipment, the 2024 Callaway Apex iron lineup is comprised of the Apex MB, Apex CB, Apex Pro.

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Like the names suggests, the MB (muscle back) and CB (cavity back) are your traditional, player’s focused irons with some upgrades. The Apex MB is dubbed Callaway’s “modern tour blade” and was developed in collaboration with tour professionals to deliver efficient turf interaction, optimum workability, and a classic feel in a one-piece, 1025 carbon steel forging. Callaway engineers designed the Apex MB line with progressive center-of-gravity (CG) throughout the set, i.e., the CG is lower in the long irons for higher launch, higher in the short irons for a more penetrating trajectory.

The “highlight” feature here is the Dynamic Sole Design, which integrates “dual chamfer” (multi-angle) leading and trailing edges for efficient turf interaction. Dynamic Sole Design is feature in each of the 2024 Apex irons.

“We did 7 or 8 versions of this sole until we had it perfected,” said Brian Williams, VP of Callaway R&D. “We saw this tour-validated feedback where even when we had the slightest thing off, they could pick it up and tell us how to fix it. We changed that leading edge, the sharper leading edge, and this trailing edge gives a little bit of relief – it glides through the turf.”

The CB follows in the MBs footsteps, touting an all-new forged construction, in addition to MIM weighting in the toe and similar progressive CG to the Apex MB irons.

Notably, Callaway is pre-offering combination sets of the Apex models—the Triple Play Combo Set includes the Pros in 3 to 6, CBs in the 7 through 9, and MBs in 10 and 11 (think pitching and gap wedges), while the Pro Series Combo Set includes the Pros in 3 through 7, and CBs in 8 through 11.

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The most technology-packed model in the lineup is the Apex Pro—a multi-material forged construction packed with Callaway’s patented urethane microspheres. Speaking of the construction, the Apex Pro represents the first time in an Apex iron that hollow body construction joins a 1025 forged carbon steel body.

The Pro is also packed with an all-new progressive face design that delivers both increased distance and more precise distance control across the lineup. Long irons feature a forged 455 face cup for enhanced distance control, short irons have a 1025 forged face plate for enhanced control.

For those long par-3s, 4s and 5s, there’s the Callaway Apex UT and Utility Woods.

As to the former, the Apex UT features a lot of technologies found in the Pro—a forged 455 face cup, urethane micropsheres, packed in a multi-material forged construction that features Dynamic Sole Design. Notably, Tzhe new Apex UT is slightly more compact than the previous generation with a slightly shallower face.

As to the latter, Callaway has developed an updated version of its amalgamation of a fairway wood and hybrid. The Utility Woods—available in 17°, 19° and 21° loft options—are designed for the better player and features a distinct clubhead shaping inspired by in-depth feedback from Tour pros.

The Apex Utility Wood contains an A.I.-designed “Batwing” structure—replacing the Jailbreak A.I. Velocity Blades found in the prior generation—pushed to the perimeter to stiffen the body, allowing the high-strength C300 maraging steel face cup to flex in design for fast ball speeds.

Thanks in part to the Batwing structure and sole design, the Apex Utility Wood features a neutral CG that promotes high launch, steeper landing angles, consistent spin characteristics and reduced draw bias.

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I’m going to start this by disclosing something to you: I am a spiked shoe golfer. I just find that I have more confidence when I swing knowing that I’m “hooked” into the ground. That said, I cannot dispute that spikeless shoes have come a long way, and have always been the more comfortable option. And the adidas Ultraboost Golf Shoes may be the best to date.

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Available in 5 different colorways, adidas’ newest spikeless shoes are focused around adidas’ proprietary cushioning system that has become famous in their running shoes—Ultraboost, a lightweight material that gives softer cushioning while also responsive. In other words, it’s athletic while also being comfortable.

Building on the Ultraboost foundation, the PRIMEKNIT upper adheres to the lightweight commitment, while also comfortably hugging your foot in water-resistant, breathable, microfiber-leather upper.

These materials come together and form a golf shoe that was made to be walked multiple rounds in. The lightweight, breathable materials make sure that your foot never gets tired out or cramps, which is perfect when the heat gets turned up and physical fatigue can settle in prematurely.

The Ultraboost golf’s design also makes sure it has range—the modern, sneaker design means that regardless what color option you go with, you can easily wear them on the course, at the range, or even in the office. Indeed, while the Lucid Lemon / Lucid Lemon / Core Black (pictured above) may be a little loud for a more conservative workplace, the Grey Two / Grey Two / Court Green (pictured below) could blend in at the BBQ or 19th hole.

With the summer heat, I’ve found myself wearing the Ultraboost nearly everywhere—to work, to the course, on the course, and then straight to the pool for a post-round drink and dip. My feet have stayed cool and comfortable, while also allowing me to play quality golf.

Indeed, I was impressed by how much stability and grip the spineless Ultraboost have while speed training. Despite digging deep to maximize every bit of clubspeed (sometimes into the mid/upper 120s), I didn’t slip or feel like I lost control over my footwork. In fact, the only thing that reduced the Ultraboost’s grip was something entirely outside its control—morning dew and rainstorms. But absent any moisture, I never found myself thinking “that wouldn’t have happened if I had something spiked on,” like the ZG23s (which are equally awesome).

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adidas’ Ultraboost Spikeless are the lightest, most comfortable golf shoes that I own right now. I could easily wear them in a variety of places—the office, a bar, the gym, golf course, driving range, etc.—and they’d make sure I was comfortable every step of the way. And with all the colorways, there actually is an Ultraboost for every setting and look.

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New driver launches are notably, but somewhat expected given that we get new models every year. But PXG’s launch of its GEN6 driver is different from every other driver launch to date:

Throughout the month of August, PXG is putting its money where its mouth is with the GEN6 Driver Challenge. The PXG GEN6 Driver Challenge invites all golfers–both PXG fans and critics–to bring their current driver to a free fitting for a head-to-head, knockout event with PXG’s new GEN6 Driver.

If the PXG GEN6 Driver is longer or has a tighter dispersion, PXG wins. If not, PXG will hand over a $100 USD Mastercard Rewards Card. No questions asked.

“The PXG GEN6 Driver stands tall next to all the established brands. It’s blazing fast and beyond forgiving. We’re so confident that in nearly every case it will knock out the competition, I am willing to put money on it,” said PXG Founder and CEO Bob Parsons. “To all those who have wondered and waited, or those who have trolled and not tested, now’s the time. You’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain.”

For those who are ready to rise to the challenge, the process is simple:

Important notes: Swing speed average must be within three (3) mph, the same brand of golf ball must be used throughout the challenge, and only one challenge per person.

Leading up to the launch of the GEN6 Driver Challenge, PXG ran a few tests behind the scenes, and the result proved the company’s theory–the PXG GEN6 Driver outperforms the competition in almost every instance! More than fifty golfers accepted the sample challenge. PXG won 94% of the time. The average distance with a player’s current gamer was 223 yards. With GEN6, the average distance was 234 yards—and extra 11 yards of average distance.

The new GEN6 drivers are available in two models: the GEN6 and GEN6 XF. The PXG 0311 GEN6 Driver features a traditional teardrop head shape with a notably curved crown structure and a shorter body from front to back.

The tall/deep clubface is designed to support excellent mishit performance, especially on higher face impacts. The 0311 XF GEN6 Driver has a larger head profile and a more symmetrical shape than its counterpart. This makes it easier to square the face at impact, delivering the ideal blend of distance and forgiveness.

So, what do you think? Is it a fast $100 in your pocket or do you think your old faithful wont do the job?

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