What do you picture when you think about J. Lindeberg? For most golf fans, I suspect it's some of the more garish outfits Viktor Hovland has been wearing over the last 12 months. For others, the fashion lifestyle brand may have crept into your consciousness through other golf apparel or maybe even in its ski and activewear collections. Whatever it is, I think we can all agree it is one of the few apparel brands with a really distinctive aesthetic. Now 26 years into its history, the brand has revealed its first golf shoe, the Vent 500 and I'm thrilled it has finally broken ground into the golf shoe market.
It's a runner shoe concept, but one that has been crafted exclusively with golf in mind with a custom JL outsole and 100% waterproofing. I'm certainly glad JL has gone with a proprietary design here and not just plastered its logo on any old shoe. My sample pair arrived with me in the post this morning and my first impressions are incredibly positive.
The silhouette really reminds me of the Nike Air Max 90G and when I put the Vent 500 side by side with one, the similarities are there for all to see. The chunky soles are indicative of the best modern fashion sneakers and the best casual golf shoes for that matter. Think of the Ecco Biom C4, Puma GS Fast, Under Armour Charged Phantom SL and G/FORE G.112 and what do they all have in common - chunky soles. Despite these similarities and tropes it follows, I suspect this will still be a distinctive golf shoe out on the course.
The Vent 500 is covered in the finer details you'd expect from a brand like JL. The custom TPU spikeless outsole uses nubs shaped into the JL logo, rather than just conventional nubs, and the upper features taped seams to help maintain waterproof integrity. JL has opted to add an Ortholite foam insole to the Vent 500, a decision I think all golfers will benefit from. Ortholite supplies insoles for plenty of other golf shoes I've tested previously, so no doubt they'll give the Vent 500 that nice cushioned feeling we've come to expect.
With an RRP of $225, you'll be pleased to hear everything from the box to the quality of the shoes themselves is up to scratch. While this initial drop sees the shoe available in just two colorways (white and black/white), the brand has already teased a more extensive array of color options when the full collection launches next spring.
I'm honestly surprised it's taken the brand this long to enter the golf shoe market, but it's safe to say I'm excited to get these on my feet. Despite the fact they're waterproof, I don't fancy wearing them on a quagmire of a golf course here at home. Luckily, I'm on a golf trip next week, so I'll report back on my findings which you'll be able to read right here on the Golf Monthly website.
