{"id":506205,"date":"2026-02-28T23:31:14","date_gmt":"2026-02-28T23:31:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/506205\/"},"modified":"2026-02-28T23:31:14","modified_gmt":"2026-02-28T23:31:14","slug":"the-golf-shoe-by-heathlander-is-wildly-comfortable","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/506205\/","title":{"rendered":"The Golf Shoe by Heathlander is Wildly Comfortable"},"content":{"rendered":"

I wasn\u2019t familiar with Heathlander<\/a> until a couple of months ago. That\u2019s not entirely surprising \u2014 the brand is only a couple of years old, and they\u2019ve been flying under the radar in the best possible way.<\/p>\n

But then January rolled around, and within just a few days around the PGA Show, four different people either brought them up or asked me about them. That kind of word-of-mouth doesn\u2019t happen by accident.<\/p>\n

Ok, you\u2019ve got my attention.<\/p>\n

Heathlander\u2019s flagship offering is called, simply, The Golf Shoe<\/a>. It\u2019s a traditional-looking shoe in the same vein as the FootJoy Premiere, <\/a>but with its own modern spin on it. It\u2019s a different kind of modern than, say, the G\/FORE Gallivanter.<\/a> More subtle. More understated. But unmistakably its own thing.<\/p>\n

Which brings me to the real question: should you trust a two-year-old brand with $225 of your money?<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s find out.<\/p>\n

First Impressions of the Heathlander Golf Shoe<\/p>\n

\"Heathlander<\/p>\n

I went with the Suffolk colorway \u2014 a rich dark blue that, as it turns out, came to be at the specific request of Holderness & Bourne<\/a> founders John and Alex \u2013 who are good friends with the Heathlander founders. I know few people more stylish in golf than them, so this bodes well for the shoe.<\/p>\n

Out of the box, the packaging alone makes a statement. You\u2019re not getting a shoe dumped in cardboard and tissue paper. Instead, there\u2019s a reusable canvas shoe bag, a velour dust bag on top of that, and a second pair of accent-colored laces. It\u2019s a thoughtful unboxing experience that signals right away this is a brand that cares about the details.<\/p>\n

\"HeathlanderHeathlander: What\u2019s in the box, er,\u00a0bag.<\/p>\n

The leather itself is soft while still having structure \u2014 a balance that\u2019s genuinely hard to pull off. It\u2019s not the stiff, almost board-like feel you get out of the box with the FootJoy Premiere Packard<\/a>. It feels broken in from the moment you pick them up.<\/p>\n

Stylistically, I\u2019ll say this: to my eye, they read slightly more athletic than a Gallivanter<\/a> or a Packard<\/a>. There\u2019s something about the silhouette that\u2019s a touch more modern than I was expecting. I wasn\u2019t sure how I felt about that at first, and honestly, if you\u2019re a purist for the most traditional look possible, the Gallivanter still holds the crown for me there.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

But these have genuinely grown on me the more I\u2019ve worn them.<\/p>\n

How Do Heathlander Shoes Fit<\/p>\n

I took these as my primary golf shoes on a recent trip to Mexico to play Nauka and Punta Mita.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Nauka Golf Club. Yep, this seems like a reasonable place to test these out!<\/p>\n

I very rarely put that much trust in golf shoes on a trip like this \u2013 but I decided to roll the dice.<\/p>\n

I was especially concerned as I was told these run small. I\u2019m typically a size 12, and I sized up to a 12.5. This had me worried for how they\u2019d fare on my trip.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, they were perfect.\u00a0 If you\u2019re between sizes or have wider feet, Heathlander<\/a> actually recommends sizing up half a size themselves \u2014 and in my experience, that advice holds.<\/p>\n

Performance: The Part That Actually Surprised Me<\/p>\n

I was curious how a brand this new would perform on the course, especially in a shoe style that typically asks you to pay some dues through a break-in period.<\/p>\n

With the FootJoy Premiere Packard<\/a>, that break-in is real. Two rounds in, they\u2019re still working themselves in. So when I threw the Heathlanders<\/a> on for this trip, I was prepared for some potential pain.<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t come.<\/p>\n

Zero hotspots. Zero blisters. Nothing weird. These were comfortable from the very first hole and stayed that way across both rounds. For a leather shoe in this category, that\u2019s genuinely impressive and not something I expected.<\/p>\n

The comfort advantage doesn\u2019t stop there.<\/p>\n

The Pebax insole is noticeably cushioned, and there\u2019s extra padding built into the back of the heel that you\u2019ll appreciate on a long walking round \u2014 a small detail, but one that adds up over 18 holes.<\/p>\n

\"HeathlanderThat extra piece of cushioning at the top of the heel is a nice touch, that made a difference.<\/p>\n

If I\u2019m being direct: these are the most comfortable traditional-style shoe I\u2019ve tested, more so than the Gallivanter and considerably more so than the Packard.<\/p>\n

Stability is solid. The proprietary outsole has a unique 9mm tread pattern, and the shoe feels planted through the swing. One minor caveat: that tread design occasionally catches small rocks, which will get lodged in the grooves. It\u2019s a minor annoyance and not something I\u2019d call a dealbreaker, but worth being aware of.<\/p>\n

\"Heathlander<\/p>\n

Otherwise, this sole is a joy to walk on.<\/p>\n

How Do They Compare to Similar Shoes?<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re already familiar with this style of shoe, here\u2019s where I\u2019d put the Heathlander relative to the others I\u2019ve tested:<\/p>\n

The FootJoy Premiere Packard<\/a> has a more classically stiff, traditional build. The craftsmanship is outstanding, but it asks for a break-in investment that Heathlander<\/a> simply doesn\u2019t. The Packard also runs slightly wider and has an undeniably timeless look, but comfort-wise, it\u2019s not in the same conversation.<\/p>\n

\"FootjoyThe latest FootJoy Premiere Packard<\/p>\n

\u00a0But when it comes to reputation? There may be no other shoe that is as respected in golf as the Footjoys. That will count for something with some people.<\/p>\n

The G\/FORE Gallivanter<\/a> is still my personal benchmark for looks in this category. The silhouette is stunning, it\u2019s comfortable, and it has that rare quality of making you feel like a proper golfer just by looking down at your feet. But the Heathlander is the more comfortable shoe, and it\u2019s a very close second in the looks department once it grows on you.<\/p>\n

\"\"The G\/FORE Gallivanter.<\/p>\n

The caveat with the Gallivanter is that many of the SKUs are too in your face for me. I prefer their simpler looks.<\/p>\n

What About the Colorways?<\/p>\n

One thing Heathlander gets right that not everyone in this space does: they let loose a little with the color options.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Alongside the more classic dark tones like Suffolk (dark blue) and Navy Wiltshire, you\u2019ve got options like Berkshire in yellow, Surrey in pink, and Norfolk in purple.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I think this is the way they\u2019ve most differentiated themselves from others. Their hallmark is the pink sole, which is a decidedly modern look. I don\u2019t hate it, but I do prefer the more understated dark blue look I chose.<\/p>\n

Are They Worth $225?<\/p>\n

At $225, they\u2019re priced right in line with the Gallivanter and just under the Premiere Packard. Given that these are more comfortable than both right out of the box and backed by a one-year weatherproof warranty, the value story holds up.<\/p>\n

Yes, Heathlander is a young company. That\u2019s a fair concern to have. But nothing about this shoe feels like a brand still figuring it out. The materials, the details, the packaging, the fit \u2014 it all feels considered and finished. These are a serious shoe from a brand that appears to be very serious about getting it right.<\/p>\n

The Gallivanter will be staying in my rotation for sure. But the Heathlander? It\u2019s going to be seeing a lot of rounds as well, especially on courses where comfort is paramount.<\/p>\n

Highly recommended.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tMost Comfortable Traditional Shoe\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\"The
\n\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tThe Golf Shoe by Heathlander\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

Looking for a traditional-looking shoe that wears like a spikeless shoe? This new shoe by Heathlander may be exactly what you’re looking for.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\tBuy from Heathlander\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\tWe earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you.\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\tA surprisingly comfortable shoe from a new company that’s going places.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t9.0<\/p>\n

\t\t\tExcellent\n\t\t<\/p>\n

I wasn’t sure what to expect with Heathlander, but after learning about their story, and more importantly wearing the shoes – I’m sold. This is a very comfortable pair of shoes, that is worth being in the conversation with other similar models from much larger, more established brands.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\tThe Good <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tExtremely comfortable right out of the box <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tExtra attention was paid to packaging and presentation <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tHigh quality materials <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\tThe Bad <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tFairly spendy, but appropriate for the category <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tOccasionally rocks can get stuck in the tread <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tBold color ways won’t necessarily be for everyone <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tPresentation
\n\t\t\t\t10\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tPerformance
\n\t\t\t\t9\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tPrice
\n\t\t\t\t8\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tPersonal Affinity
\n\t\t\t\t9\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I wasn\u2019t familiar with Heathlander until a couple of months ago. That\u2019s not entirely surprising \u2014 the brand…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":506206,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[443],"tags":[49,48,622,82],"class_list":["post-506205","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-golf","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-golf","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/506205","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=506205"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/506205\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/506206"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=506205"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=506205"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=506205"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}