Shoe sole preference

[Blobfish]

I'm not trying to start another thread about the best shoes... I'm interested in soles only here. I'm torn. Since a lot of courses are in the woods and sometimes get wet and slippery, I would think that folks would want some amount of tread. On the other hand foot pivots would prefer a smoother sole. I am going to try a pair of Adidas ax2 shoes because they were cheap (35 bucks at Costco) and I have slipped enough on courses that I think I'd prefer the all around traction that a nubbed sole like the ax2 has (almost like a soft turf shoe) over the rapid wear (and less grip) on a concrete tee pad. What do you guys prefer for a sole?

 

[Sydex]

I've never had issues with the Vibrarm soles on a MOAB. I think if you have proper form on the plant it shouldn't matter the sole too much, barring a good area for the foot to plant.

 

[ru4por]

I play mostly concrete tees. Slipping on them is not much of an issue. Getting around on hills in mud and wet leaves, is where i want my soles to perform. i want an aggressive tread.

 

[BrotherDave]

You only have to bust your ass on a muddy slope once to commit to hiking shoe tread. If my home course was a relatively flat park style course I'd prefer something like skate shoes but the lack of tread is only marginally beneficial over aggressive tread.

 

[Spinthrift]

I bought the $34.99 Costco Adidas ax2. I've worn the waterproof $135 Terrex r2 GTXs for several years. I've got 12 or so rounds with concrete tees on the cheap ones (which have exactly the same tread pattern) and they are standing up quite well -- better than a $90 pair of Merrell's I tried out. It feels like the tread is the same material, just slightly softer, which frankly I prefer. The GTX tread is very hard and last a long time, but as it wears the hardness makes it subject to slippage on wet surfaces. The ax2 is the best cheap DG shoe I've used.

 

[mistabman]

You could just be like Calvin Heimberg and just pivot on the side of your shoes instead.

 

[Brockness Monster]

I prefer flat soles. Only mud gives me issues, but depending on the mud an aggressive sole will not do too much for ya. Look at a pair of military boots and you'll see deep channels, but the sole is still very flat. More surface area, in general, means less slippage. Once again though, mud is a different animal all together.

 

[Blobfish]

I bought the $34.99 Costco Adidas ax2. I've worn the waterproof $135 Terrex r2 GTXs for several years. I've got 12 or so rounds with concrete tees on the cheap ones (which have exactly the same tread pattern) and they are standing up quite well -- better than a $90 pair of Merrell's I tried out. It feels like the tread is the same material, just slightly softer, which frankly I prefer. The GTX tread is very hard and last a long time, but as it wears the hardness makes it subject to slippage on wet surfaces. The ax2 is the best cheap DG shoe I've used.

So I feel like I am turning into my parents. When I was a kid, we would go to these end of season sales (whether for ski gear or tennis gear) and would buy up the heavily marked down inventory in our sizes. So for three years, I played on these snazzy Ivan Lendl shoes because we had so many pairs... guess I'm kind of wishing we still did, based off of this ebay listing. Anyway, I bought up all three pairs of size 11 AX2's that my Costco had just because I really liked them and had a hunch that I'd like them for disc golf. I'm glad to see that someone has already tried and liked it!

 

[JuanA]

I wear the same pair of shoes everyday until they wear out, so I look for shoes that are built to last.

That usually means low cut hikers, which also means a lugged sole.

 

[zontar]

lugged soles, Vibram low cut hikers or trail runners from Asics. I play the same stuff mostly.

 

[Dingus]

I like deep tread, but most important to me is a one or two piece sole. If it has four or five pieces I find it always rips off one of them.

 

[Casey 1988]

I have found that a flat sole but a shoe like a non slip black kitchen work shoe is best for non winter stuff. The non slip tread tends to work best on most courses unless I am playing a mountain/hilly course as then I wear one of my old running shoes a pair of Brooks Cascadias that are still usable just not cushioned enough for running. I like the Brooks Casdadia for more rugged courses as those have a lugged sole that is better for hiking the hilly course and the lugs are flat enough to throw from a tee pad. . Other then Road Racing, have some of the last of the Asics DS Racer models for that, I wear the Brooks Cascadia for most everything else the exception might be some fast running for short trail races, have some old Nike XC Milers for that.

 

[2naphish]

i use my old employer bought Converse and Reebok composite toe safety shoes in a sneaker type design. non-slip and oil resistant. i use Pinnacle Power Step orthotic insoles . i don't play any Billy Goat Killer courses any more so these work nicely for me. if you have any back pain/soreness or Plantar Fasciitis these insoles are the #1 rated non-custom insoles available. the shoes last about 5 years for me and i change out the insoles once a year. i wear out the tops and can't see any wear to the sole on the pair i have on now at 3 yrs.

 

[rusch_bag]

I have really taken a liking to the Adidas Terrex CMTK. They are lighter than the swifts and ax2 and the tread isn't quite as aggressive, but it still has a tread. It has a continental outsole that is also a good design so they have good grip and they last pretty well. I wore the heel smooth after a year on my plant foot, but no tears anywhere and the gortex lasted as well.

 

[CreemCheese]

I wear hiking boots every day, IMO they seem to be the best combo of comfort and durability. Then you have people like Calvin Heimburg that don't even use the sole of their shoe.

First pic I found in Google image search