I've posted a couple of times on this subject, but I'll recap -- because of my wide feet, my options are limited to brands/models that offer wider widths. I've been a pretty loyal New Balance guy for many years now, as I've always been able to find NB cross-training/walking/running shoes I liked and that worked for my feet at places like DSW and Shoe Carnival at reasonable prices. Once I started playing East Roswell Park regularly, however, I found that I needed more traction on the hills (i.e., to avoid slipping on loose rocks on the slope down from the black tee area on 6 down to the blue/red tees), ankle support, and wider soles (for greater stability) that absorbed, rather than transmitted, the shock from all the rocks, acorns, sticks, stumps, etc., that you inevitably step on out there. I tried a variety of cheaper hiking shoes/boots that sometimes were OK for the first nine holes or so but then caused foot pain by the second nine, and that didn't really absorb any of the shocks from the rocks and such.
I finally bit the bullet and decided to spend the money on decent shoes that had the features I wanted, were comfortable for my feet, and would be likely to last a while. Since I had a pair of NB trail shoes I liked a lot (NB 641s, long since discontinued), I went into the NB store at North Point and asked what they had in the way of hiking shoes or boots with higher ankles that were made on the same last as those. The options were the mid-high
NB 977s and the higher-top, lighter-weight
NB 1201s. Since I wasn't sure I wanted the higher top, and the 977s were slightly cheaper, I went with those. They've served me very well for the last couple of years, and have held up pretty well. I've worn them mainly for playing DG, though, and usually wear something else for day-to-day activites. I didn't really care about the GoreTex waterproof liner (as you know, water's not typically an issue at ERP, especially during long-term droughts), but was very grateful for it when I played a notoriously swampy course in Arkansas and found myself slogging through ankle-deep standing water across the whole of three fairways -- the only time water got in was when I moved too quickly and sloshed some in over the top of them.
The only real complaint I had with the 977s was that with the solid leather upper and the GoreTex liner, my feet got a bit hot when playing in the summer. They also were a little bit heavier than the ideal. So when NB's web store had a sale and free shipping offer back around the beginning of the summer, I went ahead and splurged on a pair of 1201s also (they were $129, $20 off the regular $149). They're the ones I was wearing at the GCO last weekend. I have absolutely no complaints whatever with them. They offer tons of support, making it much easier to get around ERP, are light and comfortable, etc. And their waterproof qualities have been very welcome a couple of times recently, once out at the Crucible in Athens when I had to step into a running creek very nearly the depth of the top of the shoe to retrieve a disc, and never got the slightest hint of water inside them, and again last weekend at the GCO with all the heavy dew on the grass out at Lenora.
I can't say how well they'd hold up to playing several rounds a week from concrete pads (I only play the blacks at ERP when we use them for weekly singles/doubles action), but both pair are still in excellent condition so far and showing no signs of wear, beyond slight wear on the treads of the older 977s.
While I didn't use them for DG, I did have a pair of
Columbia TrailMeister low-top hiking shoes that I liked a lot and that had many of the same qualities as the NB shoes (without the waterproofing), but my wife somehow contrived to lose them in one of our hotel rooms on our trip to Florida this summer. They were intended to replace my long-beloved NB 641s that are finally starting to fall apart after six or seven years of regular (often daily) wear. I replaced them recently -- between the practice rounds at Lenora and Alex the weekend before the GCO, I stopped at the Shoe Carnival at Scenic Highway and Reagan Parkway (my son's socks weren't working out at all after one round) and found a pair of NB 780s in my size and width, for about $85 -- not cheap, but if they last anywhere near as long as the 641s, they'll have only cost me about $15/year.
For Alex and Lenora, you probably don't need the support and hiking-boot features of the 1201s or even the 977s. The
645s might be worth looking at, and they're on sale right now at NB Web Express for $67.49 instead of $74.99. The 749s also might work and are on clearance for $63.69 (reg $84.99). If you don't need wide widths, DSW tends to have a lot of Merrell models, which are pretty popular with the regular players around here, at relatively reasonable ($60-$90) prices.
