PAYNTR X 001 F golf shoe Review

PAYNTR X 001 F golf shoe is designed to help golfers optimise their power while enjoying all-day comfort.

The brainchild of former cricket pro David Paynter and ex-Nike Golf man Mike Forsey, the pair believe their vast knowledge has enabled them to create a golf shoe better than any other brand.

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The pair started from the ground up – literally – to develop the PAYNTR X 001 F, fusing together a series of contrasting elements to let golfers optimise and harness the power in their swing. PAYNTR label it the Performance Multiplied innovation ethos: Force x Velocity = Power.

Forsey, who has more than 30 years of experience working for the likes of Footjoy Nike Golf and Under Armour, says this gives golfers a traction advantage by amplifying the golfer’s ability to use the ground as a lever and generate more power to the ball

“PAYNTR sees the golf shoe as golf equipment,” said Forsey, who has previously developed signature footwear models for Greg Norman, Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth.

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“Just as ball and clubhead speed are critical to performance, so is harnessing the power from the ground up in our feet.

“If you think about it, your foot and your shoe are the only things that are in contact with the ground. So, your shoe has to give you support, energy return, comfort, be waterproof and lightweight. We believe we achieved each of those things in the X 001 F.”

Ex-Yorkshire and Northants cricket Paynter established the PAYNTR brand in 2017 having become frustrated with the performance of cricket shoes. He has since since built a successful sports performance footwear brand having worked with some top of the game’s cricket athletes, teams, franchises and federations.

After hearing his customers suggest he enter the golf market and meeting Forsey, the pair set up PAYNTR Golf, based in Portland, Oregon, with the aim of helping golfers get better at the game.

“The global golf market is primed for a new competitive entry,” said Forsey. “By extending the brand into golf, PAYNTR brings a distinctive legacy, an unyielding commitment to the athlete, and a proven business philosophy to a market in need of new discovery.“

The X 001 F golf shoe comes in white, cool grey or anthracite black and will be available direct to consumers from the PAYNTR Golf website.

A premium golf glove is also available and Paynter and Forsey also plan to release a women’s golf shoe in the near future with a move into the apparel and accessories market to follow.

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WATCH: PAYNTER X 001 F promo

PAYNTR X 001 F golf shoes review

PAYNTR’s Performance Multiplied ethos sees the new golf shoe combines four key elements – a new traction System; all-day comfort; “explosive propulsion”; and waterproofing.

Traction

PAYNTR’s Performance Enhancing Traction System is a 3D traction system that entails rotational, horizonal, and vertical dimension. A lightweight supportive “thermoplastic urethane” (TPU) outsole is specifically designed with traction knubs in the forefoot and heel to prevent rotational slippage. The midsole is firmer in the lateral heel and medial forefoot to enhance flexibility and keep the foot down on the ground as long as possible.

Comfort

A lightweight, breathable upper, soft and supportive underfoot cushioning, combined with a PMX (Performance Multiplied) Foam midsole provides all the comfort you need for 18 holes or more. A vented tongue wicks away perspiration.

Propulsion

The TPU outsole and zonally engineered PMX FOAM midsole house a lightweight, responsive “power plate” that helps deliver maximum energy return to more effectively generate ground reaction force.

Waterproofing

Beading water directly off the shoe in wet conditions, the PAYNTR X 001 F is treated with a unique NeverWet solution.

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The story behind PAYNTR Golf

Based in Portland, Oregon, PAYNTR Golf was founded by David Paynter and Mike Forsey.

Paynter is an ex-professional cricketer who established the PAYNTR Brand in 2017. After a successful career as a cricketer for Yorkshire and Northants, and after being frustrated with the performance of cricket footwear, he turned his attention to improving cricket footwear. He has sense built a successful sports performance footwear brand having worked with some top cricket athletes, teams, franchises and federations.

Forsey has more than 30 years experience in golf footwear. Having worked at FootJoy, Nike Golf and Under Armour, he has developed signature models for Greg Norman, Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth, respectively. Through the years, he has watched how golfers have evolved, have studied and kept up with the biomechanics of the modern golf swing and, at the same time, has received insights from some of the world’s top men and women golfers.

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Paynter and Forsey explain how the partnership – and why PAYNTR shoes are better than their rivals. 

Why enter the golf market?

David Paynter: When I launched the PAYNTR brand In the UK in 2017, I always had aspirations to expand into other sports – starting with cricket and then golf. When customers started telling me I should go into golf, I knew we had something special. When I met Mike Forsey, that was the key sign to start golf! It just felt like all the stars were aligned and this partnership was supposed to happen!

Why launch PAYNTR Golf now?

Mike Forsey: The global golf market is primed for a new competitive entry. By extending the brand into golf, PAYNTR brings a distinctive legacy, an unyielding commitment to the athlete, and a proven business philosophy to a market in need of new discovery. 

What makes you different from your competitors? 

MF: I’d like to say it’s our approach: Performance Multiplied.  Not just a marketing tagline for the brand, it’s foundational in everything we do.  We are Inspired by creating new, solution based, crafted product, and our design methodology is deeply grounded in the biomechanics of the golf swing and the on-course needs of the golfer. By blending or ‘multiplying’ informed style with true performance enhancing benefit, PAYNTR Golf is well positioned to become the innovative product alternative for the passionate golfer.

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How do you plan to bring the footwear to market?

DP: We initially will launch on a direct-to-consumer (DTC) model. Golfers will be able to purchase product directly off our website. We are already in discussions with various potential trade and distribution partners globally, and we will always have the golfer at the forefront of any negotiations.

How challenging has it been to create a new brand during a pandemic?

MF: We actually planned to launch the shoe a little earlier than we have done, but the various global restrictions allowed us more time to further test and improve across various prototypes since we first started talking towards the end of 2019.

Your first product range has three versions of the 001 model – when will there be a shoe for female golfers?

DP: We’ve only just begun on the journey with PAYNTR Golf, and you’ll see a women’s shoe in the very near future. We also have big plans to establish ourselves in the upper echelons of the women’s game, which is exactly what we’ve done in cricket, and to good effect.”

Will we see Tour pros wearing them?

MF: David has done a great job in the cricket world with the likes of MS Dhoni in the past, and former England captain Michael Vaughan is a minority shareholder in the brand. Tour-level validation of the product is one of the most exciting aspects of creating any product, and we have completed rigorous testing with the sport’s best young players, obtaining feedback on comfort and traction performance, design and innovation.

You also launched a premium golf glove – are there plans to move into apparel?

DP: We have a very clear vision and roadmap for the brand in the coming years, with clothing and accessories certainly detailed within that. Our Performance Multiplied innovation ethos will appeal to those categories too, and we just want to help golfers get better as much as we can across as many products as possible.

MORE GOLF SHOES: adidas ZG21 | Ecco Biom H4 | Puma Ignite Caged Crafted

PAYNTR Golf X 001 F Golf Shoe

RRP £129.99 | VIEW UK OFFER | RRP $160 | VIEW US OFFER

RRP: £120

Colours: White, cool grey, anthracite

Waterproof: Yes

First released: March 1, 2021

www.payntrgolf.com