Payntr, having entered the women's golf footwear market in late 2022, is a relatively new brand, but I've heard nothing but good things, so I was really keen to try out their new-for-this-year X-007 FF model.
Michael Glancy, their Co-Founder and Creative Director, mentioned that these shoes aren't just a shrunken-down men's version. Instead, they're "built from the ground up with biomechanics, energy return, and foot morphology specific to women in mind." So, did they live up to the hype and perform like one of the best women's golf shoes out there?
This shoe has a sleek, sporty look without being overly flashy, although in my opinion, it’s more golf than street style. There’s a neat perforated pattern on each side of the shoe and at the top of the tongue, plus attractive striped stitching detail in navy/aqua/silver under the eyelets of the Fast Fit lace closure system. While I’m a big fan of a Boa lacing system, such as the Ecco Biom C4, I did initially find the dial on this shoe to be a little stiff, but after a couple of wears, it became easier to release/tighten the laces, and I love the way you can quickly adjust the system for a perfect fit.
From the moment I slipped them on, the comfort was obvious. This isn't just a fleeting initial impression, as the underfoot support was consistently good throughout each round. The PMX midsole lives up to its promise of being softer for energy return and responsiveness, as my feet felt as good as new at the end of 18 holes.
The Ortholite Footbed provides extra cushioning, although it’s not as obvious as the footbed in FootJoy’s Quantum or G/FORE's MG4+ O2 G/Lock women's shoe, but like Payntr’s 007 model, which my colleague tested recently, this shoe is one of the most comfortable golf shoes for women. I believe I’m a regular size 6, so it’s worth mentioning that while I found these shoes extremely comfortable, I would say they are slightly wider than some other shoes on the market, so ideal for women with wider feet.
This is definitely a performance spikeless shoe as the TPU outsole, which has a pearlized finish with three-dimensional lugs, combined with a TPU propulsion plate, gave me a real sense of stable traction and efficient energy transfer when playing shots from a variety of lies. It’s lightweight, yet robust, and although I didn’t wear these shoes in the rain, the Clarino microfibre upper has NeverWet superhydrophobic solution to help keep feet dry.
For any woman golfer seeking a high-performance, comfortable, and stylish spikeless option at a competitive price, I would highly recommend giving the Payntr X 007 FF a serious look.
