Ranking the Best West Coast Inspired Golf Shoes
From Arizona to LA, to the Bay Area and Pacific Northwest.
With the demographics of golf shifting younger and more tapped into culture, brands have been looking for ways to interact with the player of the next generation. One of those strategies is through sneakers, creating limited versions of people’s favorite silhouettes. Because of the seasonal nature of the golf calendar and the way it’s centered around events, there’s ample opportunity for the likes of Nike, adidas Golf and FootJoy to capitalize on these moments.
West Coast golf tournaments regularly rack up some of the highest TV ratings for the obvious reason of time difference. But some of the best golf courses in the world are also located on that side of the United States like Pebble Beach Golf Links, Torrey Pines Golf Course and Riviera Country Club. For those reasons, the U.S. Open, PGA Championship and the PGA TOUR make frequent stops in California and the Pacific Northwest. Over the past several years plenty of golf shoes have been released at West Coast tournaments, referencing the culture of San Francisco, the sunsets of San Diego or the wildlife of Palm Springs.
As the U.S. Open returns this week to Los Angeles for the first time in 75 years, we’ve decided to rank our favorite golf shoes that were inspired by the West Coast.
9. Nike Air Max 1 G “Graffiti”
Nike
The airbrush theme seen on this rendition of the Air Max 1 G is Nike’s entry for this year’s U.S. Open taking place at Los Angeles Country Club. Speaking to the city’s tradition of street art, neon tones of green and pink flash across the shoe’s toe box and mudguard. Details we appreciated are the matching speckled midsole and laces and the overlayed heel and tongue logos.
8. adidas Golf TOUR360 XT Parley
Andrew Redington/Getty Images
The 2019 U.S. Open was held at Pebble Beach on Monterrey Peninsula, a famous golf course set against a mesmerizing Pacific blue backdrop. adidas’s TOUR360 XT Parley was made from an entirely textile upper with light and dark blue interwoven yarns. But the novelty of these is less about the look and more about the process in which they were made. It was adidas’s first ever golf shoe made entirely from upcycled ocean plastic, sending the right message at the right time.
7. FootJoy Premiere Series Flint “Pacific Sunset” Collection
Footjoy
More West Coast vibes are happening here with an entry from FootJoy, who don’t often for the U.S. Open. The Massachusetts brand launched the Premiere Series in 2021 as an amalgamation of classic silhouettes where old school meets modern performance. This rendition of the Flint featured a gorgeous orange to yellow transition across its midsole, honoring the 2021 tournament in San Diego and the city’s idyllic sunsets.
6. Seamus Golf x Nike Air Zoom Victory Tour
Christian Hafer
As the lone shoe on this list that wasn’t released in anticipation of a West Coast tournament, the Seamus Golf x Nike Air Zoom Victory Tour is rather a meeting of two Pacific Northwest brands. Seamus Golf specializes in made-to-order headcovers and golf accessories, and for this footwear model an outdoors-inspired mix of materials come together like a bison brown leather base and a woodland camo waxed canvas upper. Examining further, the shoe is lined with Pendleton Tucson Black wool, and the sole reveals an Indigenous American pattern.
5. Nike Air Max 97 G NRG “Tie-Dye”
Nike
The Air Max 97 first launched as a golf shoe in 2020 as Nike took the iconic “Silver Bullet” colorway and gave it water resistant materials plus a grippier traction pattern. Shortly after, the shoe was remixed for the PGA Championship at Harding Park in San Francisco, adding streaks of tie dye to the upper. Further driving home the hippie culture theme, the words “Peace” and “Love” are revealed under each shoe.
4. Nike Air Max 1 G NRG “Grass”
The AM1 G NRG “Grass” is one of the most elusive pairs to get one’s hands on. As an ode to the WM Phoenix Open the kicks nod to the tournament sponsor with faux green turf covering the entirety of its upper. The white Swoosh nestled underneath as if it were a golf ball sitting in rough. The pair is finished with a pearly white midsole and gum colored outsole.
3. Metalwood Studio x FootJoy Premiere Series Wilcox “Above Snakes”
As the rare entry on this list that doesn’t correspond with a major championship, the “Above Snakes” arrived during this year’s PGA TOUR West Coast Swing just ahead of the Genesis Invitational in Los Angeles. A first footwear collaboration for the LA-based Metalwood Studio, rather than telling a coastal story, the brands went for a desert theme by adding faux snakeskin to the shoe’s saddle section. Other thoughtful details included a terry brown leather welt and co-branded insoles.
2. Air Jordan 4 G NRG “Torrey Pines”
Dj Khaled
The AJ4 G “Torrey Pines” is a unique shoe within the Jordan family not just because of its golf conversion (see the plastic spikes on the bottom), but also because of its durable materials. Coming through in a prominent shade of turquoise blue, the upper is built with a water resistant textile that pulls from the ACG line, bestowing upon it the “NRG” classification. It remains a highly sought after pair of shoes, DJ Khaled included (see above).
1. Nike Air Max 1 G “No Denim Allowed”
Nike
Like other Nikes on the list, the AM1 G “No Denim Allowed” was part of a pack that included several silhouettes at different places along the style to performance spectrum. While the Air Max wasn’t ultimately worn by anybody playing at Pebble Beach in 2019, it remains one of our favorites due to the details and storytelling. With a frayed denim mudguard and Swoosh, these kicks challenge the traditional rule that no jeans can be worn on the golf course or in the clubhouse.
