Nike Air Zoom Infinity Tour Shoe
New tech, innovative designs, state of the art materials, and generally trend setting are all synonymous with Nike Golf. While I’m not saying everything they do is great or is everyone’s cup of tea, you can’t deny that they aren’t all of those things. Whether it’s high-performing shoes for their Tour players, or classic sneaker-based shoes like Jordans and Air Max models, Nike Golf keeps cranking out hits. Their latest is the running shoe-inspired Air Zoom Infinity Tour as worn by Brooks Koepka. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the release of this shoe was slightly delayed, but they’ve officially landed and golfers wasted no time scooping up their pairs.
The Air Zoom Infinity Tour borrows a lot of technology utilized by Nike in other sports. I’ll link to more information around that at the end.
The Looks
Nike released the Air Zoom Infinity Tour in three different colorways at initial launch. There are pretty basic all white and black options, but the clear star of the group is the white/black/flash crimson/volt colorway pictured here. The higher tongue and Achilles are somewhat different looking, but don’t look awkward once on foot.
Clearly the Air Zoom Infinity Tour looks like a running shoe, but that’s no accident. The whole shoe was based on a simple request from Brooks Koepka in 2017 – “make me a running shoe I can golf in.” I’d say mission accomplished in the looks department. I still think they look sick in this colorway and will be a regular in my summer golf rotation.
Comfort Level
If you’re expecting a super pillowy and soft pair of shoes, the Nike Air Zoom Infinity Tour isn’t exactly that. Don’t get me wrong, it’s very comfortable, but it feels more like a purpose-driven performance golf shoe that will hold up over 18 holes. Not a bed of clouds. The waterproof Flyknit upper is lightweight, but also snug around your foot for great support. Though the tongue and Achilles look high, the upper is actually more of a lower profile. While the shoe is fairly snug around your foot, it’s true to size in length. I usually wear an 11 US “medium” and the Air Zoom Infinity Tour felt more narrow than usual, but it wasn’t uncomfortable or unwearable due the softer upper.
On-Course Performance
The Air Zoom Infinity Tour’s new traction system was the first thing that caught my eye. Sure, Nike has used innovative sole and spike designs in the past, but the transparent sole with a wild traction pattern is an attention grabber. Rather than explain it myself, I’ll just lift this straight from Nike:
The source of a golfer’s kinetic energy comes from the feet, and every time a golfer swings, they lose some of that energy. This is where Nike Air Zoom Infinity Tour steps in, re-harvesting and redistributing some of that lost energy.
Analyzing data from pressure maps, Nike designers looked at where traction elements need to be positioned on the shoe for an ultimate return on movement. Developing a holistic system that transfers more power up the kinetic chain, Nike obsessed the areas of fit (to reduce in-shoe movement), ride (for maximum energy retention) and traction (for zero slip in any direction).
Admittedly, I didn’t get on a Trackman or use any other tech to really measure this. Surprisingly, I just don’t have access to the same tech Nike does. What I can say is that the Air Zoom Infinity Tour has a tremendous blend of traction, mobility, and feedback during the golf swing. The traction pattern on the sole creates the right grip that allows for natural mobility throughout the swing without losing control. The REACT midsole and “Zoom Air Strobel” (the layer between the midsole and the upper) also contribute to excellent ground feedback that’s as good as any golf shoe I’ve worn.
Final Thoughts – Nike Air Zoom Infinity Tour
I totally understand that the Nike Air Zoom Infinity Tour might not be the golf shoe for everyone. That said, you can’t deny that it’s an impressive combination of tried and true Nike technologies that flat out work. I found them to be comfortable over 18 holes and they were an absolute performer as a piece of golf equipment. It will be interesting to see if the Air Zoom Infinity Tour creates a new standard for Nike Golf footwear moving forward and where they go from here.
If you want to read more about the backstory and technological details of the Air Zoom Infinity Tour, click here.
