It's a lesser-known brand, but when I think of Duca Del Cosma, the word that comes to mind is premium. I got my hands on the Duca Del Cosma Davanti shoes last year, and not only did they prove to be my favorite to date from the brand, they were my favorite pair of golf shoes in 2024, period. Thus, when the new Foro shoes arrived at my front door, I was suitably excited to give them a test run.
Unfortunately, that first test run came in rather wet, rainy conditions at Royal County Down. Given that I'm Irish and have over a decade of caddying experience at the club, you can imagine this wasn't my first rodeo in the wet conditions. It also gave me a great opportunity to test out one of Foro's main selling points - waterproofing.
Don't laugh, but Duca Del Cosma has used what they called their 'Waterproof Bootie System' to ensure waterproofing and dry feet. This, coupled with the lightweight waterproof coated vacuum knitted fabric with high frequency welded upper, kept my feet dry despite playing in substantial rain for the best part of two hours. The grip from the outsole also impressed me, with the only time I lost grip being when I hit a drive way off line and left myself a horrible shot with the ball way above my feet in the rough. With every other shot, whether from the fairway or rough, I felt nicely locked into the ground despite the wet underfoot conditions.
My one criticism of the Davanti shoes I tested last year would be that they were a little on the heavy side compared to some of the best spikeless shoes. Fortunately, Duca Del Cosma has addressed this by delivering one of their lightest shoes to date. The high-quality and robust Airplay Roma outsole and the lightweight EVA midsole meant these were a pleasure to walk in and never caused any foot fatigue. Although they weren't the most comfortable golf shoe upon my first few wears, I have already noticed an improvement in comfort as I break them in more and have no doubt they'll be on par with the comfort I experience with the Davanti shoes thanks to the INSITE ArchRelief support insoles that provides additional comfort, rebound & cushioning.
To conclude with the looks, I can see them splitting opinions. As commonly seen with Duca shoes, the midsole means they look and feel quite elevated - this doesn't bother me at all personally, but some of my playing partners expressed this style and feel would not be their preference from a golf shoe. I tested the funky gum pink and blue colorway which certainly turned some heads in the club car park and first tee box. I'm not sure I'd choose this colorway over some of the other options, but I commend the designers for opting for a rather bold style rather than simply conforming to the boring norm we see from shoes all too often.
This colorway also makes them trickier for me to wear off the course, but an all white option is there for those who want to pair them with casual outfits and wear out to dinner or out for a drink on a Saturday night - they'll certainly look the part in that regard.
I don't think I can say I prefer these to the Davanti shoes from 2024, but given how highly I rate the latter, this was always going to be a high bar to clear. Coming in at £159 RRP, these remain a stylish and sophisticated spikeless shoe that will deliver plenty of grip and performance whilst keeping your feet bone dry in wet conditions - something that cannot be said for the majority of spikeless golf shoes.
