When I first took the FJ Tour Rival out of the box on a Golf Monthly test day I watched the envious eyes of my playing partners and fellow testers who instantly adored the looks. This is an incredibly stylish golf shoe. Simple, yet sophisticated. It only comes in a choice of black or white but both pair with almost any outfit.
Holding the shoe I instantly noticed how the material felt quite hard to touch, so I was sceptical about its potential as one of the most comfortable golf shoes for women, such as Puma's Ignite Blaze 2 or Ecco's Biom H5, due to the very rigid plastic mudguard that wraps around the lower perimeter of the shoe.
While I applaud this as a brilliant design initiative (let’s face it winter golf is often played in awful weather) I was justified in my comfort concerns as the shoe did indeed feel rather rigid across the front of the foot and my toes a little compressed inside. I do have particularly wide feet though and suffer with bunions, so the pressure of the outer edge did cause me a little discomfort.
The underfoot cushioning and soft heel support, on the other hand, helped make up for this and allowed me to play 18 holes wearing the FJ Tour Rival straight out of the box, onto the course without breaking them in. These are lovely, lightweight shoes to walk in and the inner sole puts a spring in your step.
Where the FJ Tour Rival really shines is the superior support and grip it gives during the athletic movement of the golf swing. I felt incredibly solid at address and stable. The addition of spikes really is beneficial if you play a golf course that gets saturated and muddy underfoot, they are invaluable. If it's high performing grip that you're after, you might also want to consider the FootJoy Fuel golf shoe.
These shoes come with a one-year waterproof guarantee allowing you to play rain or shine all year round. I’ve put them to the test now on several days of solid rain and my feet have emerged bone dry, so definitely one of the best women's waterproof golf shoes.
With so many positive points, if you have wide feet like me, my advice is simply to size up. Choose a shoe that’s half a size bigger (and they come in a great choice of sizes) and you’ll have a pair of shoes you’ll love that will last.
