50 Words or Less
Biion makes some of the most distinctive footwear in golf today. Extremely light, very comfortable, and good traction for a spikeless shoe.
Introduction
Since forever, golf shoes were made of leather. Then, for reasons of comfort and performance, companies started using mesh and other materials borrowed from gym shoes. Now, Biion is introducing a golf shoe made of EVA (Ehtylene Vinyl Acetate). Before you write them off as “Crocs for golf,” ask yourself if characteristics like comfort, shock absorption, odor-resistance, and anti-microbial…ness…aren’t thing you’d like in a golf shoe. Then read this review.
Looks
We often credit shoe companies for having “something for everyone” in terms of style. Usually that means they’ve got an all-black option and something more colorful, however, when I say that Biion has something for everyone, it means a lot more. All of Biion’s shoe have the look of a traditional Oxford shoe, but they take color and patterns to previously unseen levels. They have 5 families of shoes: Classics, Saddles, Brights, Wingtips, and Patterns. Each family has at least 6 colorways for a total of 32 combinations currently available or soon to be released. They run the gamut from all-black and all-white to snake skin, leopard print, and camo. My personal favorites are the Brights: traditional uppers with bold, eye-catching soles (I’ve gotten questions about my Biions everytime I’ve worn them).
Comfort
More than anything else, Biion golf shoes are focused on comfort. Their EVA construction is flexible, allowing it to shape to your foot and move with you throughout the round. Also, as you can see above, the insole is studded with “massage nodes” that keep your feet from feeling fatigued. Last but not least, there are tiny holes throughout the shoe that make them breathable and cool.
On the course, I was really impressed with the comfort of my Biions. Walking or riding, my feet felt great after the round, and I never got that “I just want to take my shoes off” feeling. Our other tester, Drew, said he would rate the comfort above the spikeless offerings from FootJoy, adidas, and other big names.
With these shoes being slip-ons, it is important to get the sizing correct. Biion recommends going one size down from your normal shoe size. For me, I’m in between a 13 and 14, depending on the brand, and a 12 fit very well. Drew found that a half size down (11 vs. 11.5) was perfect for him. Biion does offer free exchanges to help you get the correct size – all you pay is the return shipping.
Performance
The first thing anyone asks about a spikeless shoe is, “Does it have good traction?” In good conditions, the Biions gave me plenty of traction – I was able to take aggressive swings without losing my footing. In wet conditions, the traction was not as good. This is the story of virtually all spikeless shoes; when it’s wet, I want real spikes. All in all, I would rate the Biions as average among spikeless shoes when it comes to traction.
Of course a golf shoe’s performance does go beyond traction, and in these areas, Biion excels. I’ve long said that light weight shoes are a legitimate performance advantage, especially for walkers, and nothing is lighter than Biion. Also, the shock absorption and “massage nodes” did a good job of keeping my feet feeling fresh.
Conclusion
If you had told me that rubber (EVA) golf shoes would end up being a go-to for me, I probably would have laughed at you, but from the looks to the comfort to the performance, Biion golf shoes deliver. I love that the Biions set me apart on the course while also providing the advantages of extremely light weight and shock absorption. Most importantly, they’re flat-out comfortable. If you’re tired of wearing the same shoes as everyone else in your foursome, check out Biion.
Matt Saternus
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What are the prices?
Brent,
Please reference their website for current pricing. We’ve provided links in the review.
-Matt
Good looking shoes
My son gave me a pair for my birthday. When I saw the box was golf shoes, I thought it was empty because of lightness. Found them to be very interesting but skeptical. Played with them first time and shot a 73. Did not miss a fairway. My feet were very comfortable the whole round. The key is with balance. It is like playing barefooted. I played barefooted as a kid and loved it for teaching me balance. I’m sold on the Biion shoe concept!
JP
Do you wear socks with these shoes? Thanks
CV,
You can, but I wouldn’t.
Best,
Matt
Can you buy these at any golf shop and what do they cost
Frank,
Some shops carry them, or you can buy them through Biion’s website. Click any of the links in the review to get there.
-Matt
Can one wear orthotics with your footwear
Ken,
I think you should be able to slide orthotics into Biion. My only concern would be about the orthotic staying perfectly in place.
Best,
Matt
They are not a bad looking shoe but me and my buddies all got them and they were uncomfortable on all of us. We tried to exchange them as it says on their website and the customer service was terrible.Do not recommend
I find them more comfortable with socks, each to their own I guess, but I am wearing them to see what the fuss is about, I will not NOT recommend them to people because like I said each to their own, everyone is different, maybe Jason bought the wrong size and that is why they were uncomfortable, maybe he did not try them with socks on