My family knows when I have new golf shoes. After the obligatory unboxing (not for social media but just to watch my daughters roll their eyes), I’ll wear the new kicks around the house for a day to break them in.
I’ve always been a believer in the wear-in period for golf shoes before taking them out to the grass. Maybe that’s an antiquated idea, like breaking in the engine on a new car.
The good folks at Ecco think so, and proved it recently with their new Biom H5 golf shoe.
Ecco pioneered the golf-casual shoe more than 15 years ago with Fred Couples and has continued to refine the concept since then, keeping a distinctive style while not losing sight of the performance needed for pros to play every day and amateurs to, well, play while maybe seeing more of the course than the pros.
The Biom H5 ($229, ecco.com) is inspired by the Scottish Highlands, with a nature-driven aesthetic (the bottom portion of the shoe resembles rugged terrain) but also a waterproof membrane allowing the shoe to be worn in less-than-ideal conditions.
And with Ecco performance leather and a minimal seam-knit sock construction, the shoe is meant to fit and function perfectly right out of the box.
On a recent visit to McLemore in Lookout Mountain, Ga., I went against my custom of breaking in shoes in advance and put the Biom H5 right into play at The Keep, the newest layout at the breathtaking resort about two and half hours northeast of Atlanta.
The Keep is a mountain course made for walking, as the drama is in its stunning 60-mile views and manageable treks between holes. Bill Bergin, with Rees Jones’s assistance, designed the layout so that greens wouldn’t be far from the next tee.
My round was cool and dry so I didn’t need the Biom H5’s full waterproof capabilities, but its new Terra Traction System certainly was perfect for the fairways and some light rock climbing—sometimes to look for a ball but more often just to get a little closer to a photo-worthy view.
After a round at The Keep, a short shuttle ride takes you back to the main resort hotel, where a cocktail is ideal to relive the day and scroll through all those photos. And best of all, you don’t have to change your shoes.
The Biom H5s (available for men and women in 10 total colorways) are stylish enough to take to the 19th hole, in my case fully broken-in and ready for the next round. Looks like one old habit just got retired.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Ecco’s Newest Performance Golf Shoe Goes Straight to the First Tee in Comfort.