Our forum faithful are well acquainted with the incredible giveaways and review opportunities in the realm of threads and comments, but we want to ensure front-page readers are involved as well.

Check out what GolfWRXers are saying about OluKai’s latest golf shoes.

OluKai Makena Golf Shoes

What OluKai says about its new Makena golf shoes

Translation: Many, numerous; often, much

Enunciation: (maah-keh-nah)
The Makena is our premier performance golf shoe, meticulously designed and tested by tour professionals. Its waterproof build withstands any course conditions, while the lightweight design keeps you comfortable all day. The plated outsole features a unique geometry inspired by Hawai‘i’s ocean currents, showcasing OluKai’s exceptional craftsmanship.

Key Features:

Tour Professional Tested: Endorsed by top golf professionals for superior performance.

Plated Outsole: Unique geometry mimics Hawai‘i’s ocean currents for secure traction and stability.

Superior Cushioning: Removable PU footbed and thick midsole design offer best-in-class cushioning and comfort underfoot.

How we choose our testers

GolfWRX staff evaluates each entry against the criteria laid out in the testing thread to determine the best fit for each specific product — For example, if a game-improvement iron is being tested, game-improvement iron-playing golfers will be considered.

Member testers

• @robbie91
• @Jeffyr11
• @gripandrip
• @driveandputtmachine
• @PixlPutterman

OluKai Makena golf shoe review themes

• Shoes have great cushioning that isn’t too firm or soft
• Traction is impressive for a spikeless shoe
• Fit and finish are high quality and shoes should last a long time
• Shoes keep feet dry even with mesh sections for breathability

Member review highlights

@robbie91

Here’s where the rubber meets the road (or perhaps the fairway) for this part of the review. On course comfort with the Makena was AWESOME but also very unique to other shoes I’ve tried.

To start with, the shoes mold comfortably to the foot. The heel portion of the shoe, in particular, does a wonderful job of holding the foot comfortably in place. As mentioned earlier, there was never a hint of wobbling or rubbing throughout the entire round. At the same time, I didn’t find these shoes to be overly stiff or constricting either. There’s a good deal of ankle freedom allowing for a relaxed walk.

Next up, let’s talk support. This is where the Makena is AWESOME and also unique. In my experience, I’ve owned two types of golf shoes. There’s the casual fit golf shoe that provides a lot of comfort but very little support and the tour fit golf shoe that offers a ton of support without the comfort. The Makena is the best of both worlds. The support needed to keep the golfer centered and grounded is there but there isn’t so much support that the shoes feel uncomfortable, rigid, or constricting. The best I can describe the feeling is a perfectly fit pair of high-end running shoes, but even this doesn’t go far enough. The shoes feel like an extension of the foot rather than an accessory!

Finally, I want to talk about cushion. Again, the Makenas are unique in this regard as they again occupy a middle ground. There’s enough cushion to provide comfort while allowing room for some feedback from the ground. For me, this was a great balance of comfort and feedback – almost like a barefoot 2.0 feel. However, those that prefer a pair of shoes that feel like walking on a cloud may want to opt for an additional insert.

One final thing to note, for a waterproof shoe, these definitely wear on the cool side. Another plus!

@Jeffyr11

As I mentioned in my first, the size 12 was very snug and when I wore them around the house to try and loosen them up, I knew that they were not going to work. Working with Olukai, I was able to get a size 13 mailed out and had within a week. Customer Service was excellent, top notch and took care of me.

So I was able to get these on the course yesterday. Teed off at 7:00am, first off, so the course was a little wet from the morning watering but we have been very dry the past month.

These might be the most comfortable golf shoes that I have ever owned. Plenty of arch support, which is huge for me, and very breathable. The size is a little big, with a 12.5 not being an option, so will be wearing thicker socks with them in the future.

I have always been one to wear spiked shoes and to my surprise, these held up without any problems. I did not have any slips whatsoever, even when I really went after a few to test them out. I can get my swing up to the 120ish when I want to and have never had a spikeless shoe not spin out me.

Olukai has a real winner with these shoes and it is a privilege to be a part of the testing. I have some practice time this week and playing again next Saturday, so will follow up after more testing.

@gripandrip

Usually when I am breaking or trying new shoes, I bring a backup pair and tuck them into my bag. Usually around the 9th hole, I am swapping out shoes to make sure I don’t create any blisters or irritated skin. Today I did the same, but after 9 holes, I found no reason to swap these shoes out. These shoes (for me) are just flat out comfortable. As I mentioned earlier, and have been mentioned by a couple of other reviewers, the toe box is a little short, and thus a little tight in the toes. I am expecting that as I play in the shoes a little bit, this area will stretch some and give me more room for my toes. Unfortunately, this is going to take a little time. I feel as if the shoes did loosen some during the round, they still have a way to go to prevent them for feeling a little tight.

As for grip. I had some concerns as I push from the ground pretty hard and am typically a spike player. If golf courses would go back to allowing steel pegs, I would probably switch back. I was pleasantly surprised by the grip of theses shoes. the wave pattern with the sharp raised ribs really grip the ground. I went after a couple of drives pretty hard today to test these out and had no concern with slippage. Much better than the other non spike shoes I have played. The 100,000 dollar question will be how well they hold up when the ridges begin to wear. With non spike shoes, a lot of time I would just wear them to the course. I think I won’t do that with these.

I had some compliments on the shoes today. They are a good looking shoe. When telling people about the shoes, most were unaware that Olukai made golf shoes.

Overall – first round with the shoes was very good. Dirt from the course and a little bit of mud I stepped in, cleaned up very nicely after the round.

@driveandputtmachine

1st – great comfort, I mean after my rounds in any shoe I have worn over the last 7-8 years that night or the next morning I can tell I played golf with some residual soreness or just a small ache in my feet.  Before I tried the Olukai one brand out of the box did I feel good the next day, or have pretty much no soreness.  THis is now the second brand I have gotten this feeling.   Don’t get me wrong with many other shoes you can get this with replacing insoles, which can start to add up and making other expensive shoes even more expensive.

2nd- Waterproofing.  Olukai says their shoes have a waterproof “coating” so I was interested to see how these would do each morning, mainly the first 9 holes or so with a lot of dew on the ground.  So far so good, they are doing great in terms of keeping my feet dry.  This may need to be more of a long term check-in, as waterproofing tends to start to have issues with time in other shoes.  Being a waterproof coating I am not sure what will happen here, but will report back in.

@PixlPutterman

My original assessment of the “fit” still stands. Not as “supportive” as my BIOM, not as “cushy” as my Tour Boosts…………perfectly in between. My original assessment of the toe section feeling “flat” under foot created no issues during the round.

Course was dry and I had zero traction issues.

My feet felt great after the round.

IF I were to be nitpicky it would bee on 2 things. The “fabric” looking portion of the shoe, which has a “waterproof” coating on it, is stiffer than the rest of the upper. It wasnt a comfort issue but I could feel the creasing of the section into the top of my foot when walking. It did not create and discomfort or rubbing, and I fully anticipate them to break in and that to go away.

I’m really happy with them so far, they EASILY make into the rotation of shoes I will wear when walking.

Bonus comment

@robbie91: The shoes have held up well and show very minimal signs of wear. In terms of traction, these have beat out all of the previous spikeless options that I’ve worn.

Read the full testing thread here. 

More about GolfWRX member testing

Member testing gives our forum members the opportunity to put the latest golf equipment through the paces. In exchange for getting a product to test (and keep), forum members are expected to provide in-depth product feedback in the forums, along with photos, and engage with the questions of other forum members.

For brands, the GolfWRX member feedback and direct engagement is a vital window into the perceptions of avid golfers.

You can find additional testing opportunities in the GolfWRX forums.