50 Words or Less
The PAYNTR Match Day SC has more traction than you’ll find in any other spikeless shoe. All day comfort. Premium look. One of the best golf shoes available.
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Introduction
Jason Day’s impact on PAYNTR has not been subtle. With two new silhouettes and four new models, his signature shoes represent all of PAYNTR’s recent on-course offerings. The PAYNTR Match Day SC is the spikeless counterpart to the outstanding Eighty Seven SC that I tested earlier this year [review HERE]. With the Eighty Seven SC being a regular gamer for me, I was eager to see what was different about the Match Day SC.
Looks
At a glance – and a second or third – the PAYNTR Match Day SC is a clone of the Eighty Seven SC. They share the super clean, premium look that comes from the long, uninterrupted upper of Clarino Trivela microfiber. Patterned perforations around the bottom of the laces provide some aesthetic interest without doing anything to detract from the elevated look. Both shoes also share the gold “X” which is the shoe’s signature element.
A close look reveals a couple small differences between the Match Day SC and the Eighty Seven SC. The perforation pattern around the side of the ankle is slightly different. More noticeable is the different ornamentation around the heel – three stacked Xs on the Match Day.
The PAYNTR Match Day SC is available in two colorways: white and black.
Comfort
Having spent most of my early season rounds in the Eighty Seven SC, sliding into the PAYNTR Match Day SC was a familiar experience. Every surface inside the shoe is soft and gentle on the foot. This is complemented by a true to size fit that allows you to feel the shoe without being cramped.
The biggest compliment that I can give both of these new PAYNTR shoes is that I didn’t want to take them off after a day on the course. I wore the Eighty Seven SC for thirty six holes, and the PAYNTR Match Day SC for a six hour walking slog, right out of the box. In both cases, I was expecting to take the shoes off and have that “Ahhh…” feeling of relief, but it simply wasn’t there. Lots of shoes claim all day comfort, but these really have it.
Comparing the feel of the PAYNTR Match Day SC with the spiked Eighty Seven SC, they’re almost identical. The weight is exactly the same, to the tenth of an ounce. Wearing one of each, I felt slightly more arch support and mid-sole rigidity in the Match Day SC, but there’s no way I would have noticed this without the Eighty Seven SC on my other foot. These two shoes are as close to clones as possible.
Performance
If you want a spikeless shoe that prioritizes traction, you want PAYNTR. Since their inception, they’ve created some of the most aggressive spikeless soles, and the sole of the PAYNTR Match Day SC is no exception. The prongs on the sole are taller than what you find on most other spikeless shoes, allowing them to bite deeper into the turf. While the Match Day SC is not quite the equal of the spiked Eighty Seven SC, it is a clear winner for traction in a spikeless shoe.
The other key performance element in the sole is the Carbitex Directional Carbon Fiber Propulsion Plate. This plate is designed to help golfers create more speed by returning more energy from the ground. You can see this technology in many high end running shoes, and it’s becoming increasingly common in golf shoes. Just as carbon plates won’t turn a novice runner into Eliud Kipchoge, these shoes won’t turn a bunter into Rory McIlroy, but it will help you to get everything you can out of your swing. What I like about PAYNTR’s carbon plate is that it provides rigidity during the swing without being uncomfortably stiff when walking.
Thanks to the below average heel drop and normal stack height, the PAYNTR Match Day SC is a shoe that almost any golfer can wear comfortably. These are a bit lighter than average, and the weight is well distributed. The PMX Nitro footbed offers cushioning on each step without completely separating your feet from the feel of the ground.
Finally, like its brother, the PAYNTR Match Day SC is fully waterproof. There’s not a stated waterproof warranty, but it passed the kitchen sink test and kept my feet dry in rain soaked grass. PAYNTR touts these shoes as waterproof and breathable, and my experience so far agrees. While these won’t breathe like a lightweight knit shoe, they kept my feet cooler than anything that looks this premium.
Conclusion
As I often say: when you have a winning formula, stick to it. PAYNTR showed a clear understanding of that lesson with the PAYNTR Match Day SC. These shoes have the stellar looks and comfort of the Eighty Seven SC but with a different sole for golfers that prefer to go spikeless. Whichever model you choose, you can’t go wrong.