OGIO Groove Shorts – click to zoom
This past January at the PGA Merchandise Show I got my first look at the new OGIO apparel. I was surprised and excited that they had decided to dive into such a saturated market. This fall I’ve had the chance to test some of the first pieces out and I’m very impressed. I’m glad OGIO decided to take on the apparel market. Today I’m covering the OGIO Groove Shorts. Letst take a look.
OGIO Groove Shorts Overview
First, the fabric in the Groove shorts is not cotton. Good. I’m not a cotton fan. The Groove is made of a polyester spandex combination, 94% and 6% respectively. This means easy care, wrinkle resistant, no shrinking and best of all no ironing.
The fabric is also very lightweight and stretches because of the way it is weaved. Great for the golf swing, bending down to read putts, and reaching to collect bets from losing golf opponents.
The pockets have a custom lining which is easy on the contents. In my case a cell phone and small camera.
Style-wise, these are very cool shorts. The belt loops accommodate thick belts. The rear loop sports a cool looking OGIO logo.
Colors
The shorts I tested are the Black Plaid model. There are two other colors, White/Slate and Black.
Sizes
Sizes for these golf shorts from OGIO range from 30-40.
OGIO Groove Shorts White – click to zoom
On The Course
These shorts are extremely comfortable and fit perfectly. There are no tight areas or places where the shorts don’t stretch or adapt perfectly to all the nutty contortions my body goes through during its spastic granny over the top dual chicken wing golf swing.
The Groove shorts match up perfectly with one of my favorite new shirts, the OGIO Roller golf polo.
Critiques
One small issue I found was with the inner pocket design. The angle that the pocket is cut can lend to coins and ball markers falling out of if I’m sitting on a golf cart. Don’t use the gold coin ball markers when wearing these shorts!
The pricing may be a tad high on these at $90.
Conclusion
I really love the OGIO Groove shorts. Yes they’re $90, which isn’t cheap. But they’ll last forever. The performance and style is well worth the investment.
Related Links
OGIO Roller Golf Polo Review
Other Hooked On Golf Blog OGIO Reviews
Introducing GoBe
GoBe is a new company I found at this last year’s PGA Merchandise Show. They have a cool new golf shoe line with some unique styles which run in the hybrid/casual genre. No dress shoes with spikes. These are stylish golf treads players could wear on or off the course.
GoBe Prodigy Golf Shoes – click for more
Though they’re hybrids (shoes which cross between golf and casual use), performance is the most important feature for GoBe. Do they perform? Read on to find out.
GoBe Prodigy Golf Shoe
My first GoBe shoe is the Prodigy in Black/Red (pictured through this review). This is a very unique looking golf shoe with its semi glossy black finish and cool black/red color scheme, accented with silver.
Prodigy Features
The semi-gloss black upper I mentioned previously is made of a material GoBe calls “PurTEC.” PurTEC is 20x more water resistant than treated leather. Despite the high water resistance, the upper is very breathable.
The platform the shoe provides is nice and roomy, with plenty of space for the toes to spread when the player walks.
Star atTRACTION – click for more
The treads on the Prodigy feature GoBe’s “Talon” traction system. Looks like simple stars to me, but there’s much more to those hybrid treads. The star shapes increase the surface area of the hybrid spikes, giving the shoe amazing traction. The sole material is a very durable Grade A material so the traction should last long time.
Colors – Sizes
The $159.99 retail Prodigy comes in two color schemes: The first is the black/red pictured in this article. The second is white version with black and orange accents.
Sizes range from USA 7.5 to 12.5, 41-46 UK.
On The Course – On The Town
Sadly, I took my time getting to this review. The shoes sat in my garage for quite a while. The primary reason was that I doubted the soles would have enough traction for my spastic swing, especially with all the rain which has hit my area recently. That was a mistake.
GoBe Prodigy Golf Shoes – click for more
I quickly noticed that I was mistaken about the traction. My feet felt like they were glued to the ground, even in wet conditions. The Talon system works brilliantly. With that better traction came more accuracy and more power. What golfer doesn’t want that?
The looks and style of the Prodigy are great. The color scheme is perfect for my college team, the Utah Utes. I’ll be sporting these babies tomorrow night with when I watch the football game in forecasted rain. I’ll be taking advantage of that water resistance.
The Prodigy is very comfortable too. Walking the course is a joy. The feet don’t ache and the knees feel great. The support is just right.
Critiques
I do have a strong critique for the GoBe shoe brand, and it is the same I’ve had for Ecco golf shoes. The sizing selection needs work. GoBe uses a european sizing scheme. So the sizes come in ranges of full USA halves. For instance, my shoe size is a 9. GoBe’s selection is either a 9 to 9.5 or an 8 to 8.5. I don’t understand how a size 9 shoe can also be a size 9.5 shoe. Why not just make a size 15 shoe and say it’s any size between 1 and 15?
Being a 9, a shoe which sizes “up to” a 9.5 is too big for me. I felt like I was wearing clown shoes when I first tried on the 9.5’s. I had to send them back try out the 8 to 8.5 size, in hopes that the 8.5 ran larger than 8.5. Fortunately for me the 8.5 did run larger and fits just right.
Conclusion
Sizing issues aside, the GoBe look is really unique yet classy enough to wear to the office in business casual style.
My three top requirements for golf shoes, in order of importance are: performance, comfort, style. In all three areas the GoBe Prodigy does a fantastic job.
Well played GoBe. Looking forward to seeing what the future holds for this new company.
Related Links
Hooked On Golf Blog GoBe photos
GoBe website
I’ve got some new fall golf apparel items in the HOG review queue from Cross Golf. This is some nice looking stuff. Here are a couple of photos. I’ll be putting these pieces through the regular stringent battery of tests and posting my review soon.
Stay tuned for my reviews coming soon…
Opedix CORE-Tec Shorts
1st Tee
Me: “Gentlemen, I’m going to warn you before the round. I’m going give you all the opportunity to get out of your bets for $2.00 each right now. I’m wearing special underwear which is guaranteed to help my golf performance and I’ll surely win $4.00 from each of you by the end of the round.”
My Opponents: “Yeah? We’ll take our chances.”
Opedix CORE-Tec Shorts – Kinetic Health Gear
I’ll try anything to shave strokes off my game. The bottle of scotch with the lampshade didn’t quite work but it was fun trying.
The latest thing I tried was the Opedix CORE-Tec shorts. These are performance shorts for athletes (and me). This high compression set of shorts features built in tensioning systems which are designed to support/help the core of the body, back, hip and knee joints during physical activities.
Opedix CORE-Tec Technology
The CORE-Tec shorts provide support to the body’s kinetic chain, the network connecting your bones and joints. Better kinetic health prevents soft tissue injuries and stresses as well as helping reduce joint pain and stiffness.
The CORE-Tec shorts are tested to improve core stability and balance. while reducing low back pain (a bit one for me), muscle fatigue and joint pain.
A 4-way stretch material in these shorts helps blood flow which aids in performance and muscle recovery.
The fabric in the CORE-Tec shorts, similar to many golf apparel items, wicks moisture away from the body.
The breathable material also possesses anti-odor fiber technology.
On The Course
I’ll have to admit that the first time I used these shorts wasn’t as good as I’d hoped. That’s primarily because wasn’t wearing them properly. The top of the shorts is built to extend quite a ways above the beltline, and even the navel. I had them too low, not benefitting from the back support.
The 2nd time around was far better. With the shorts higher I had the nice compression in my lower back, which I need badly since I suffer from arthritis in that area. The support in the hip area was very beneficial as well. At the end of that round I felt no stiffness or aching, unlike a typical round.
An unexpected and great benefit I’m experiencing with the CORE-Tec shorts is the feeling I get in my thighs. Easy girls. I can’t quite describe it, but it did feel like they specifically had more energy.
Opedix CORE-Tec Shorts
Critiques
I have three critiques for the Opedix CORE-Tec shorts. The first is the price, $165. Yes you read that correctly. I realize golfers are crazy and will spend $500 on a driver as easily as they will $6.00 for a bad domestic beer in the cafe, but $165 is pretty steep for undies, no matter how great they are.
I found with certain golf shirts tucked in, that I really had to cinch my belt down hard because the combination of polyester fabric in the shirt with the shorts, caused my golf shots to fall down!
Last critique is some instructions. The tag on the shorts tells me all about the features and their benefits, but doesn’t tell me how to wear them. I threw away the box, so perhaps I missed the instructions there.
Conclusion
Regarding my first paragraph, I did manage to win three skins in my small group and some individual bets, about $30. I gave my opponents the chance to back out because of my fancy underwear and they declined. Their mistake. If the shorts are the reason I won the $30, I’d only need to wear them five more times to break even on the cost.
In all seriousness though, $165 is a little steep. Well, not a little. But for those who suffer back and joint pain anywhere from the mid back to the knees, the $165 may be worth it.
Related Links
Opedix Website
At the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando this past January I did my usual stop at the OGIO booth to see what cool new golf bags or accessories they were presenting. I was surprised by what I found: new OGIO golf apparel. At the time I wondered what they were thinking. The golf apparel market is flooded. Now that I’ve had a chance to do my first OGIO apparel review, I’m happy they entered the golf apparel market. Here’s why:
OGIO Roller Polo
OGIO Roller Polo
The new OGIO Roller Polo ($80 retail) is a short sleeve golf shirt made from 100% polyester. I really like polyester vs cotton. The benefits of a “poly” are great: no shrinking like cotton, no wrinkles like cotton, lasts much longer than cotton, wicks moisture away from the body unlike cotton. So if you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m not a cotton fan.
Looks/Comfort
This shirt is very good looking and stylish. Love the knits and trim. The fabric is amazingly soft. It feels softer than just about any cotton, bamboo or silk golf shirt I’ve worn.
Other Benefits
In addition to all the great benefits above, the Roller Polo provides UV (ultraviolet) protection. Anti-microbial qualities in the fabric keep the polo fresh.
Sizes/Colors
The Roller Polo comes in the following sizes: small, medium, large, X large, XX large.
Roller Polo colors: Alloy, Alloy Black, Blueprint (pictured), Signal Red
On The Course
The most important qualities a polo can offer me on the course are, in this order of importance: performance, comfort, style.
In the performance area, this polo is fantastic. During all parts of the golf swing the polo never binds or catches. No tight spots.
In the comfort department, as mentioned previously, the fabric of this shirt is mega-soft. This polo is one of the most comfortable golf shirts I’ve ever worn.
In the style department, this baby is uber-cool.
Conclusion
There is a lot of trial and error when creating a new product line. OGIO has done a fantastic job with their new apparel line and the Roller Polo is a fine example. The Roller is stylish, comfortable, easily cared for, and high performance.
Well played OGIO. Well played.
Related Posts
Hooked On Golf Blog OGIO product reviews
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