Ecco Classic Hybrid Golf Shoe Review
While the most popular style of golf shoe leans ever closer to that of sneakers, I think we can all be in agreement that there's still a place for a more 'classic' look on the golf course. Ecco is the brand that has offered us some all-time great shoes over the last three or four years, with the Biom C4 and Biom H4 being some of the best spikeless shoes launched in recent memory. The new Classic Hybrid is a very different take on what a spikeless golf shoe can be and, as a self-confessed fan and regular wearer of more casual golf shoes, I was excited to don the Classic Hybrid and test it over a number of rounds on the golf course.
First things first, I felt a million dollars walking out onto the first tee in the Classic Hybrid. It features a beautifully embossed leather upper that is rich and soft to the touch. The silhouette is a classic brogue look and Ecco has taken inspiration from its dress shoe division when designing the Classic Hybrid. For me, it feels like a shoe I want to save for an important round of golf at an elite golf club, rather than an evening nine holes with my mates.
What took me aback the most about this shoe was how lightweight it was. The Classic Hybrid benefits from Ecco's Fluidform Direct Comfort Technology which ensures a durable bond that doesn't require the stitching or glueing you see in some other golf shoes of this style. This technology has made the Class Hybrid incredibly lightweight. After testing the similarly designed G/FORE Gallivanter and FootJoy Premiere Series Flint, the Ecco is definitely the lighter of these examples. Any preconceptions you have about how heavy brogue golf shoes can be, throw them out the window with the Classic Hybrid.
I was equally impressed by the softness of the Ortholite leather-covered insole and the lightweight nature and soft materials used on the Classic Hybrids make it one of the most comfortable golf shoes on the market right now. While the spikeless outsole is solid in dry and damp conditions and the upper is coated in a water-repellent finish, I would save the Classic Hybrid for the summer months. You could wear these over the winter if you wanted to, but I'd save these for warm, dry conditions where you can keep them looking their best.
My only concern with these shoes is how much ankle support they offer. Versus more athletic golf shoes like the Puma Ignite Elevate or Under Armour Charged Phantom SL, I didn't get as much of the 'locked-in' sensation from the Classic Hybrid. This has to be expected from a shoe style like this, as it's not an out-and-out 'performance' golf shoe like these examples are. Indeed, my foot still felt secure and gripped down throughout my swing, just not as much as the examples listed above. Overall, this shoe oozes class in the same way the likes of the Duca Del Cosma Bernardo or FootJoy Premiere Series Wilcox do, just in a spikeless variant. If you're looking for a smart, lightweight spikeless golf shoe I'd be looking no further than the Ecco Classic Hybrid.
