There is a lot of cool gear in the golf world that doesn’t always fit into Most Wanted Tests or Buyer’s Guides. You still want to know how it performs. In our We Tried It series, we put gear to the test and let you know if it works as advertised.
Your Custom Creator of Joy
Dave Wolfe– Though I mainly talk about putters, I also spend too much time playing with online golf gear customization tools.
Do you like your golf shoes classy or sassy?
When it comes to customizing your golf gear, we are living in a golden age. Gone are the days where customization was limited to bending the club and choosing which black grip you wanted.
These days, you can build golf gear as unique as your swing. If you want a pink putter, you can have a pink putter. While adding a splash of purple to your TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus driver will not add yards off the tee, that added panache could add joy to your game. If so, then I say splash away, lords and ladies.
Speaking of joy, customizing golf shoes is also a thing. To be fair, it has been a thing for a while for FootJoy. Today, we are going to explore FooyJoy’s updated and, I’d say, upgraded MyJoys custom golf shoe design interface.
- Models: Five shoe model choices for men, four for women
- Sizes: Men 6-15, women 5-12
- Widths: Narrow, medium, wide, extra wide
- Traction: Spikes or spikeless (some models only spikeless)
- Lacing: Traditional laces on all models, some have BOA options (adds $30)
- Primary color options: 9 textured or smooth leather colors
- Accent color options: 72 options of colors, patterns and textures
- Midsole color options: 2
- Embroidery options: 288 (double that if you add a different design to each shoe)
As I mentioned, the FootJoy MyJoy program’s online interface has gone through a recent redesign. The interface may be new but the MyJoys program has existed for quite a while. In fact, it may be one of the longest-running customization programs in golf.
FootJoy’s MyJoys program started way back in 2004. Yes, I was surprised by that as well. I knew it had been around for a while but I thought it was closer to 10 years old. Turns out I was off by a decade.
While the current MyJoys program is undeniably technologically superior to the initial 2004 program, the mission has remained the same. With MyJoys, golfers can control nearly all aspects of golf shoe design, ultimately making a uniquely personal pair of shoes.
Each MyJoys pair is built to spec from scratch by FootJoy, ensuring the customer’s design makes the transition from idea to reality. The new interface just makes the process easier.
Regardless, the MyJoys process starts with picking your shoe model.
I selected the FootJoy Premier Series Packard model. This proved to be the easiest of the design decisions as I knew I wanted spikes and the BOA lacing system. The Packard was the only model that checked both those boxes.
The other reason I chose the Packard model was that it has a second customizable accent section. Like you, I was curious about what the colors of leather would look like in person. Why not add one more option?
Selecting the base color was relatively easy. There are “only” nine colors to choose from, after all. The interface’s high-resolution preview image was extremely helpful with both the base and accent color selections. It was very helpful to see the patterns and textures of the various options.
Being able to rotate the shoes 360 degrees was spectacular. I’d say this is the shining star of the new interface. Seeing your selections from all angles, with the ability to zoom in and out, inspired confidence in my design choices.
After previewing numerous combinations, I went once again with a Sacramento Kings- inspired design. When I was designing my MyJoys, the NBA playoffs were coming up and I am a known sucker for the color purple anyway.
Once I selected the design colors, I explored the embroidery options. The first option is no embroidery at all. I almost went that direction as I liked how the shoe looked without anything on the heels. Adding nothing is not really a good plan for exploring the embroidery work, though.
Embroidery Option 2 would be to add a monogram. You can add three letters of script or six block letters to each shoe. I almost added “left” and “right” to the wrong shoes just to mess with you in the photos. Oh, so mischievous am I.
Ultimately, my curiosity about the logo option steered me in that direction. How could I not explore one of the 288 embroidery options?
I test drove lots of potential logos before I made my selection. I decided to go with a couple of multicolor designs to test the quality of the embroidery. On the first shoe, I went with the transfusion cocktail design to continue the purple theme. On the other shoe, I added an embroidered avocado.
Yes, you can add an avocado to your shoe.
Why did I add an avocado? The ridiculousness of having an avocado embroidered on my golf shoe made me laugh.Thus, I had to have one.
As many of you know, I have taken up the mantle of Wide Shoe Investigator. My ongoing mission is to explore the available options for those of us who walk on the wider side of life.
FootJoy is a friend of us widelings and has been for some time. Not only are most of their shoes offered in wide widths but many have an extra-wide option as well. Additionally, narrow widths are an option for those who need something in the skinnier direction.
Some of you may be wondering if you need a wide or extra-wide width. I was, as well. Obviously, the solution was to build two pairs of MyJoy Packards, one in wide and one in extra-wide. Now we can test the breadth of the difference. As an added advantage, the second pair allowed me to explore additional MyJoy color options.
Earlier, I made a silly comment about how custom golf gear can bring joy. I’ll be damned if joy is not exactly what I felt when I opened the FootJoy shipping box. A smile hit my face when I saw that each of the boxes had a custom label reflecting my custom MyJoys designs.
I know it’s not that hard to print a label and stick it on there but it serves as a solid reminder that these shoes are made to order. Why wouldn’t your unique shoes also have a unique label on the box?
My excitement did not decrease when I opened the first box. While the computer rendering gave me an idea about what to expect, I still was not totally sure what the finished shoe would look like. This was especially true for the sort of funky purple color and the embroidery.
Both the pebbled leather and the purple accent stripe looked better in person than I expected. I’m not sure I could do a whole shoe in the purple but it adds real pop as an accent. Who am I kidding? I could go all purple …
No matter what part of the shoe I looked at, I kept finding the highest quality of materials. At $250, I suppose I should have expected exceptional quality from the MyJoy Packards. Perhaps I’ve bought too many $200-plus golf shoes that are not as nice as these.
What about the embroidery? The size of the logos and their stitch counts were larger than I expected. The detail is impressive. Both the transfusion and the avocado feature multiple colors of thread and variable stitch patterns that add depth to the design.
I’m still not sure why I needed an avocado on my golf shoe but I’m glad that it is there.
The BOA lacing system works very well in the Packard. The dial on the heel is easy to crank on to tighten the shoes and releases with minimal effort for unlacing. Some other brands put the BOA wheel in other places but I think the wheel on the heel is the way to go.
I went with a slightly more conservative cognac brown base for this shoe. Cognac is not a common color you’ll find in shops so I was interested to see it in person. I also swapped the BOA and midsole colors to see what those would look like as well.
Once again, the quality is impressive. I love the richness of the cognac base. The crimson and forest green accents add interesting visual contrast to the more reserved cognac. I think there are numerous combinations that would work well with the cognac base.
No, the crocodile leather is not real crocodile. It, like the other animal leathers, is textured and colored to look like exotic leather.
What about the width comparison? Was there a difference between the wide and extra-wide widths? There was—and it was a surprising one.
In terms of feel, the extra-wide version feels wider, as expected. Being more specific, the extra-wide has more room in the front part of the shoe where the widest part of your foot sits. Picture the ball of the foot across to behind the little toe.
What was unexpected was that the extra-wide was longer than the wide of the same size. Both of these shoes are 10.5. (Side note: I find that my “length fit” in FootJoy shoes is often about a half size down from other brands. Not for all models but often I go 10.5 rather than the usual 11.)
Back to the length. I initially thought I was seeing things. The shoe was supposed to be wider, not longer. I finally got a tape measure and, sure enough, the extra-wide was a quarter inch longer.
Trying them on, I would say that both shoes fit and that I can and will be taking them to the course. They do fit differently, though. I can feel that extra length in the extra-wide. It’s more of an unexpected curiosity than a deal breaker, though.
I’m also curious to see what they feel like after breaking them in a bit. I’ll keep you posted.
The take-home message of W versus XW widths is to try and get fitted for the correct size before ordering as your MyJoys are not returnable. They still have FootJoy’s warranty but you will not be able to exchange them for a new size.
Reviewing FoorJoy’s MyJoys Custom Golf Shoe Designer: The Takeaway
If you struggle to find golf shoes that you like the looks of or that fit your feet, the FootJoy MyJoys program may be just what you are looking for. You can pick from a range of models, widths and cosmetic options. Why not design the exact shoe that fits your personality as well as your feet?
Fit versatility is not to be overlooked. In addition to the sizing and width options, you can order your MyJoys in a different size for each foot. No longer will someone need to buy two pairs of different-sized shoes just to get one pair that fits.
Like all custom programs, the MyJoys program will cost you more. As a general rule, moving from a stock pair of FootJoy shoes to a custom pair of MyJoys adds a $50 upcharge. If you want BOA, that will add another $30.
Overall, the interface is intuitive, easy to use and gives you an excellent 360-degree rendering of your custom shoe. The resulting shoes are very well constructed. You have so many options to choose from. FootJoy does occasionally change the models and custom options in the MyJoys program so if you see a shoe that you like, get to building. If you don’t like any of the options, check back occasionally and see if anything has changed.
I am guessing, and hoping, that FootJoy does something special with the MyJoys in 2024 to celebrate the 20th year of the program.
Find out more at: FootJoy.com.
Related Articles
