When Adidas released the ZG21 a few years ago I wrote in my review these could be golf shoes that re-revolutionize the already iconic brand. And ZG21 came out of the gates guns blazing. Collin Morikawa won The Open Championship in his debut appearance wearing ZG21. Everyday golfers everywhere absolutely loved them. And ZG21 quickly became my favorite pair of Adidas golf shoes that I've ever worn.
But Adidas is going to be Adidas. And so they've made the new ZG23 even better. And I'm talking in significant ways that you'll see and feel and notice immediately. Without changing what ZG (Zero Gravity) is all about, ZG23 are softer in feel (all around really) without sacrificing stability. They are more stable without sacrificing comfort (ZG23 are actually more comfortable). And these even have better traction without adding any weight to the shoes.
In a nutshell, the new Adidas Golf ZG23 give lightweight, waterproof golf shoes another big performance and comfort boost that have this ZG series on the road to dynasty status.
Let's start with the ZG23 new insole. Adidas uses LIGHTSTRIKE and LIGHTSTRIKE PRO cushioning. The middle of the insole is softer and more cushioned than the ZG21, but you still have fantastic ground awareness without sacrificing stability. And that's because Adidas uses a firmer cushioning on the outside edges of the insole. Simple but brilliant really.
ZG23 also feel lower to the ground than ZG21, like your feet fit into the shoes deeper. And even with the softer, more cushioned insole there's still a clear sensation of energy return, like a sort of spring in your step. There's also more cushioning all around the ankle with ZG23 as well. Really good stuff.
From a fit perspective I also felt more room around the balls of my feet compared to ZG21. And something really interesting is the ZG23 feel more cushioned all around the foot, your entire foot. I loved how ZG21 felt in terms of fit and cushion. But when I compared the feel to ZG23, ZG21 all of a sudden felt stiffer. Pretty wild, but also real life demonstration that ZG23 improvements are absolute.
ZG23 traction is improved with twice as many nubs as you got in ZG21, and this also contributes to improving overall stability as well. Adidas calls the new outsole D-TRAXION and the placement and shapes of lugs comes from extensive sturdy and testing of thousands of golfers or all abilities to see where pressure is placed throughout the swing. The grip is so good I think Adidas should have called it the G.O.A.T outsole (grip on any terrain).
Lateral support has also been improved with the introduction of what Adidas calls the STABILITY FIN. It's a hard but lightweight kind of plastic that runs midfoot to heel. And you can feel more lateral support and overall stability especially during full send swings. For players who don't have great balance or footwork this is going to help give you more of that locked in stability. Another example of Adidas trying to give us every possible performance advantage.
ZG23 comes in lace (7 colors) and BOA (2 colors) versions, and I'm usually a lace guy just because of the more traditional look. But sometimes BOA is just too good to pass up and that's the case here.
The G23 BOA version delivers an evenly distributed fit that’s almost compression-like in comfort all around the mid foot. It reminds me somewhat of the feel you get around your arm when you have your blood pressure taken. BOA gives you a snug fit that feels wrap around (top. midfoot, sides) rather than just on the top of your foot. And it's also something that allows you to never mess with your laces or need to tighten or retie them during a round.
Adidas already had a winner with ZG21, but this is a company addicted to constant, never-ending improvement. To Adidas credit they didn't make wholesale changes to the ZG line; instead they took what works about ZG21 and made it better. Evolved the shoes really with a series of upgrades that led to big results. And by any measure the new ZG23 are exceptional golf shoes that will check most if not all all of the performance and comfort boxes you could ever want.
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