50 Words or Less
The ASICS JAPAN S Golf shoes combine throwback court looks with turf traction soles. Versatile design for on and off course wear. Friendly price point.
Introduction
“Old-school” can call to mind different eras depending on your age. For me, it’s the 80’s. Back then, ASICS established a strong sneaker game with all-star players like Isiah Thomas wearing the ASICS Spotlyte. The inspiration for the Spotlyte was the JAPAN S which debuted a few years earlier. Similar to the old-school classics like Chuck Taylors or Air Jordans, the ASICS JAPAN S have a timeless look that many sneaker heads can’t get enough of. The JAPAN S have had many retro versions over the years, but never a golf variant – until now. To see if the new JAPAN S Golf shoes are more than a nostalgic novelty, I grabbed a pair for testing.
Looks
The first plus for the ASICS JAPAN S Golf shoes was that unboxing them made my wife proclaim, completely unprompted, “Oh, I really like those.” The dark clay grey looks sharp highlighted by the oyster grey signature ASICS stripes and oyster grey midsoles. I did have to chuckle at ‘clay grey’ as, around where I live, clay is a deep red. Without seeing the soles, the JAPAN S Golf shoes could easily be mistaken for court shoes. Flipping the shoe over, the sole reveals this ASICS JAPAN S is made for turf. The soles don’t necessarily indicate golf, so adding Golf to the name was a smart move.
The ASICS JAPAN S Golf also come in black/black, white/white, white/midnight, and white/jasper green.
Comfort
The JAPAN S Golf shoes were a bit snug out of the box. The size seemed accurate to my normal 9.5, but the shoes took a couple of range sessions to break in and start to feel comfortable. The padding around the ankle had a nice soft feel and offered supportive cushioning. Along the length of the tongue, cushioning provided comfort across the top of my feet regardless of how snug I made the laces. The footbed offered basic cushioning – perhaps to emphasize the retro design.
Performance
When I evaluate how aggressive a sole is I always start with: “Would I wear the shoes on my new wood floors?” And for the JAPAN S Golf shoes, the answer was an easy “Yes.” That’s not necessarily a ding on traction, but establishes expectations for gription potential during play. The uniform, moderate height lugs of the JAPAN S Golf did provide reasonable traction. I had some slippage on wet short grass, but overall, I felt connected and confident standing over shots. The circular design of the lugs at the balls of my feet did keep me engaged and grounded during pivot transitions of my swing.
Moving up the midsole, there was ample torsional flex across the middle of the shoe. Toward the toes, the stiffness was prevalent and reflective of the court shoe design as opposed to what I’ve experienced with ASICS running shoes over the years. Moving up to the body of the JAPAN S Golf shoes, the synthetic leather did provide some lateral stability. I’d place the JAPAN S Golf shoes squarely between a stability and mobility golf shoe.
Conclusion
After a couple weeks of testing, the ASICS JAPAN S Golf shoes never reached that comfort stage where I’d be willing to wear them all day. Retailing for $100, the ASICS JAPAN S Golf shoes are a great option for the budget conscience occasional golfer who needs versatility from their shoe purchases. The retro looks combined with the not-too-aggressive lug design make the JAPAN S Golf perfect for hitting the grocery store and putting green in the same trip. For a more comfortable and secure trip around the golf course, check out the ASICS GEL-KAYANO ACE 2 [review HERE].