Review: ECCO Sport Saddle Hydromax Golf Shoe, by Jeffrey Reed

ECCO doesn’t just manufacture golf shoes, but the Danish shoemaker does make some of the best golf shoes available today, as is evident in the company’s Spring/Summer 2006 Canadian men’s collection. Boasting an exquisite collection of classic, casual sport model shoes, and featuring two completely new styles alongside several returning favourites, ECCO’s new offerings are stunningly eye-catching and comfortable.

My favourite amongst the group of new shoes from ECCO is the Sport Saddle Hydromax. Here’s a shoe that wouldn’t look out of place in the boardroom, yet is stylish and comfortable enough to wear if you walk the course. A new twist on the traditional saddle, the Sport Saddle Hydromax is a water-resistant shoe with aggressive, athletic styling and angular modern lines popular with today’s golfer. Part of the embraceable aesthetics is the high-tech, see-through 3D outsole – it looks really cool, unlike any other shoe on the market today. The shoe also features a shock-absorbing Polyurethane midsole complete with ECCO Swing Stabilizer for great shotmaking stability.

I love this shoe: it looks solid yet comfortable (there’s that word again), and is one of the classiest shoes I’ve slipped on my size 9 ½ feet. ECCO’s shoes are European sized but conversion is simple and ensures a well-fitting shoe. The Sport Saddle Hydromax is available in cognac/bison, white/cognac/bison, and black/cognac/bison. It’s good to have a solid shoe offering in a brown colour, not something readily available on the Canadian market as compared to the U.S. market.

The Sport Saddle Hydromax boasts leather uppers, a tanned leather and microfibre insole – removable for extra width – and Eclipse spikes from Trisport with standard insert system. The shoe retails for $300, and is well worth the extra investment. This is a shoe that will outlast the competition, and provide flexible use, whether you are walking the course, riding a cart, or doing business with your golf partner at the 19th hole. You guessed it: it’s also one of the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever worn.

Established in 1963, ECCO annually sells more than 12 million pairs of shoes to almost 60 markets worldwide. ECCO Shoes Canada Inc. is based in Markham, Ontario. In addition to ECCO retail locations across Canada, including Toronto, Montreal, Halifax, Saskatoon, Calgary and Vancouver, you can shop for ECCO golf shoes at over 400 retailers from coast to coast.