Apparel

Review: Bite Deville Golf Shoes

Recently acquired by Crocs, Bite has recently released a new line of their ultra-comfortable golf shoes. The Deville is a light weight, traditionally styled golf shoe, with a little added technology. So without further ado…let’s get onto the review!

Styling

Next to my Adidas Tour 360 II shoes, the Bite Deville’s look rather subdued. The black/white design I have I think is stylish, and should work with just about any golf attire. I certainly wouldn’t feel under dressed wearing them to Baltusrol or overdressed at a local muni. The gold stiching, eyelets and bite logo are nice touches. Even the bottom of the shoe is pretty interesting. The little spike pods, while I’m sure are quite functional, look pretty neat as well.

If you are looking for something a little flashier, Bite does offer options: Bitevibe AC and Bite Sport.

Performance

At 10.4 ounces, you won’t be finding many lighter golf shoes. Not only are they light when you pick them up, but they feel like feathers on your feet. The top of the shoe at your ankle is very well padded, and with the laces done up tight, the shoe will not budge on your feet. This was one thing I disliked about the new version of the Tour 360 shoes, the top provided little padding, and if not laced up well, it resulted in a lot of movement…and a couple blisters. Not so with the Deville shoes.

The spike layout is interesting. The Tour 360 shoes have 8 spikes. These Deville’s have 6. The spikes are spaced out more and are setup in little pods almost. Not only did they feel very stable and offer a lot of traction, but cleaning out the spikes at the end of the round was a breeze. The dirt and grass didn’t have much to stick to around the spikes. So, just a quick brush over the spikes, and most of it came off.

You will also notice a little extra grip area on the toe of the shoe. While subtle, it may have helped provide a little extra stability while in your follow through position.

The carbon fiber looking area in the center/bottom of the shoe really added some stability to the shoe. It is quite resistant to twisting in that area while at the same time not adding much weight. I couldn’t tell you all of the technical reasons for this piece, but I’m sure it helps contribute to the stability of the shoe, while helping keep it feather light.

Conclusion

I usually find something I dislike about a product, but…wow…I _REALLY_ like these shoes! They are extremely light, feel oh so comfortable, provide all the support you could want and are very stable during your swing. After my first 18 holes with these shoes (walking obviously), my feet still felt awesome. Generally by the end of 18, my feet are aching to slip into my Off Road Crocs. Not the case with the Bite shoes. I actually would have had no problem wearing them home…if not for the whole, spikes on the gas pedal thing. Walking up to the first tee, I still remember thinking to myself…wow…these things are so light!

Too bad I have three pairs of Adidas Tour 360s (two of the originals, one tour 360 II). I’ve worn those over the past two years, and had really fallen in love with original model. However, with these new Bite shoes….I suspect the Tour 360s will be seeing a lot less game time in 2008. The only thing left to determine is durability. I haven’t heard any negative reports about Bite shoes in this regard, but I will be sure to post a follow-up review when these shoes have had a few more rounds on them.

Look forward to a review of the Double X TG golf sandal in the spring time. One thing that always bothered me about golf sandals was your right toes ending up in the dirt on the follow through. Bite has added a little ‘toe guard’ to their sandals which should do a splendid job of protecting the little piggies.

The Deville shoes from Bite retail for $89.99 and can be purchased directly through the Bite website.

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