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PAYNTR Eighty Seven SC spiked golf shoes review. Jonathan Taylor got his hands on a pair to find out how they perform.
PAYNTR was founded by David Paynter, a former professional cricketer, as recently as 2017. He was frustrated by the quality of cricket footwear, and set out to create something better. Fast forward four years to 2021, and with support from Mike Forsey (who has worked with with UnderArmour, Nike and FootJoy), PAYNTR branched out into golf footwear and is currently the fasting growing golf shoe in the USA.
PAYNTR is, perhaps, less well-known in the UK but I think that’s all about to change with the release of their latest model, the PAYNTR Eighty Seven SC spiked shoe, designed in collaboration with the style icon that is Jason Day. Read on to find out more and how you can enter a competition to win a FREE pair.
PAYNTR Eighty Seven SC spiked golf shoes: First Impressions
Out of the box, this shoe immediately looked pretty special. It currently comes in just one colour, white, and offers a clean look. The upper is made from Clarino microfibre and comes with a waterproof guarantee. There is a pleasing lack of branding going on with just a gold Payntr logo on the outer side of the shoe (and also the sole). If you look closely, really closely, you will see some neat details such as PMX NITRO written on the midsole and 87, in Roman numerals, visible on the propulsion plate through the transparent outsole. Why 87? Well that’s Jason Day’s favourite number, for no other reason than it is his year of birth (1987). He has been testing and retesting this shoe through most of 2024 , and I really think he and Payntr have nailed it.
This is the first Payntr shoe that I have had the pleasure of testing. I had always been aware of their reputation for comfort and performance but was unsure about the training shoe type appearance. That criticism cannot be levelled against the smart and understated look offered by the Eighty Seven SC (short for Speed Classic).
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There is a tongue and booty unit made from Ariaprene which Payntr says offers supreme foot lockdown which affords stability and support. There is also a nitrogen infused footbed which promises lightweight and responsive cushioning for the lifetime of the shoe.
Looking at the bottom of the shoes there is a propulsion plate made from a proprietary Carbitex material which is said to enable the golfer to better use ground reaction forces. And finally the sole is shod with seven removable Softspike Tour Flex Pro cleats as well as a plethora of nubbins and chevrons, also of which goes to promote first class traction and stability.
My only quibble is that the laces look a little flimsy but that’s a minor point.
The UK size 8 (Euro 42.5) fitted my wide foot (normally 7.5/41) a little generously out of the box, so I wore a thick sock during testing. I think it’s fair to say that these shoes run true to size. Each shoe weighed a reasonably lightweight 395 grammes.
OK, so we love the looks. What happens when we venture onto the course?
On The Course
Although the test shoes were half a size big for my feet, they were particularly comfortable out of the box, with the aforementioned thick socks. The tongue/booty package, combined with the TPU injected stability heel clip, meant that my feet were securely and comfortably held in position.
I tested these shoes over half a dozen rounds in wintry conditions on my home heathland course, including in rain and standing water. Performance has been first-class. They remained extremely comfortable throughout, with no hint of soreness or rubbing, so the nitrogen infused moulded foot bed certainly did the job. My days of playing 36 holes are now few and far between but I would have no hesitation in wearing the Payntr 87 SC on those rare occasions.
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The Carbitex directional carbon fibre propulsion plate is constructed to flex in one direction (for energy return) but stays rigid in the other direction (for stability). My feet are not sensitive enough to confirm or deny that assertion, but what I will say is that these shoes offered particularly strong and stable traction, and there was no slipping or sliding even on wet, sloping lies.
My feet remained dry, even in some heavy downpours so I can attest to their waterproof breathable properties.
Final Thoughts
I thoroughly enjoyed testing my first pair of Payntr shoes, the 87 SC. The combination of good looks, exceptional comfort premium construction and first rate performance means that these shoes get a well-merited 5 star review and although the RRP of £200/$220 is certainly top end, I feel that it is justified.
So, plaudits to Jason Day and the team at Payntr, for this collaboration. I understand that there is the promise of more SC models in Spring 2025 and I’ll be interested to test those, because it’s difficult to see how the Payntr 87 SC could be improved. We shall see!
Fit: True to Size/Small/Large/Wide/Narrow Style: Athletic/Traditional/Off Course Friendly/All Weather/Casual Out of Box Comfort: 10/10 Stability: 10/10 Value for Money: 9.5/10
