50 Words or Less
Fusing modern design with function, the G/FORE MG4.1 is more than just a golf shoe with eye appeal. Comfort, stability, and traction – plus some playful sass.
Introduction
The G/FORE booth at the annual PGA Merchandise show is always a favorite stop of Matt and mine. It’s almost secretive location off the main pathway is reflective of the brand that “honor(s) the rich tradition of golf while injecting a little more fun and flair back into the game.” Opening the MG4.1’s shoe box I was greeted by this G/FORE gem: “No1 Cares What You Shot.”
Looks
The MG4.1 is a modern looking golf shoe that defies any preconceived notion of what a golf shoe should, or even could, look like. The one-piece knit uppers have an inviting textural quality that immediately registered as comfort in my thoughts. The voluminous white midsole reminds me of hand chiseled marble. The sole of the MG4.1 has a running shoe look highlighted by the “Respect My Ball Flight” motto surrounding a signature G/FORE logo.
That logo also appears under the shoelaces. Subtle in this birch colorway, the logo is prominent in the pewter version. The MG4.1 comes in a total of five color schemes with onyx and snow sporting large G4 printing on the heels. Although my pair is (relatively) more conservative, I love the bold pink “Fore Play” emblazoned on the pull tabs.
Comfort
The stretch collar and pull tab made it easy to slip on the G/FORE MG4.1s, and just as my eyes had predicted, the knit uppers were super comfortable. My feet were also thrilled to find soft, yet invigorating, massage bumps on the footbed. The innovative lacing holds position while tightening making it simple to dial in fit.
Flexible at the midfoot and lightweight like a pair of running shoes, the MG4.1 are super comfortable to walk in and extremely breathable. I went up a half size as recommended on the G/FORE website and the fit was wonderful.
Performance
I’ll admit I was somewhat skeptical of performance based on the look of the MG4.1 but ended up being impressed with results. Look closely at the lace holes on the sides of the shoes and you’ll notice a TPU overlay that runs midfoot all the way around the heel. That overlay combined with the overlapping white midsole, gives the shoes solid lateral stability.
The G/FORE MG4.1’s traction was on par with other non-cleated golf shoes, providing solid footing throughout the swing on hard packed dirt, lush grass, or in soft sand. Although a saw tooth design is typically functional along one axis, the segmentation on the outsole provided traction in all the directions I needed power control. The outsole also gives the shoes wearability off the golf course – a nice feature given the busy schedules of so many golfers.
Conclusion
The MG4.1 is a great addition to an already stellar lineup of G/FORE golf shoes. I can’t think of another brand that could execute a modern design in such an appealing way. Comfortable even without socks, the MG4.1 are perfect for a quick practice session on the putting green or a heated match on the course. With varying degrees of branding and boldness, I wouldn’t be surprised to see these shoes at the local craft brewery or a trendy coffee shop.
Matt Meeker
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I bought a pair. The pewter with blue and loved them. Very comfortable and traction was better than I thought it would be. I bought another pair because I liked the first ones so much. If you have any kind of foot issues that soft massages feels wonderful imo.
I bought the Trendy Golf version and can’t say enough about them. When I wear them on the street, I get compliments and a lot of questions about where to get them. When on the course, people ask me about performance – and as Matt said, they perform fantastic. I normally don’t like a little heel lift in my golf shoes but the comfort, style move past that hang up.
Don’t know if this would apply to these shoes, but I had a pair of “fabric” shoes and while they were great as comfort goes, they were equally bad in the morning with the dew and wet grass. Support isn’t the greatest with fabric shoes but you can’t beat them for comfort.
How was the sizing? Do they run true to your normal shoe or are they big/small?
As I stated in the comfort section: “I went up a half size as recommended on the G/FORE website and the fit was wonderful.”
– Meeks