The Fanciest Golf Shoes I’ve Ever Tested

There is a lot of cool gear in the golf equipment world that doesn’t always fit neatly 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. 

What We Tried:

The Duca Del Cosma Bernardo. A premium leather spiked shoe from the Italian luxury golf shoe manufacturer.

Who Tried It:

Connor. Director of Soft Goods Testing and resident sneakerhead. Another pair of white golf shoes? Don’t mind if I do. While I typically stay away from “traditional” golf shoes, the Bernardo is just different enough that I couldn’t say no. My wife, however, was not on board. Guess who’s sleeping outside with Duca Del Cosmas for a pillow?

The Good

You know I’ll give it to you straight. The Duca Del Cosma Bernardo is not the best golf shoe I’ve ever tested. No, it’s probably more in the “average” range when it comes to performance. Even still, there are a few good things to point out.

Fashion Forward

First and foremost, the looks. The thing I love about these “We Tried It” pieces is it gives me an opportunity to comment on looks whereas my Most Wanted shoe testing relies solely on performance characteristics.

The Duca Del Cosma Bernardo is subjectively a good-looking shoe. As I opened with, I don’t typically love the dress-shoe style look of a “traditional” golf shoe. But something about the crispy white upper, buttery leather and bright red sole is speaking to me.

The Bernardo is a shoe that, in my opinion, places more emphasis on fashion than function. It’s not to say that it doesn’t function (more on this in a minute) but Duca Del Cosma put more effort into making the Bernardo look and feel luxurious.

Steady and Stable

From the first time I put the Bernardo on, I noticed how stable the shoe is. This is thanks, in large part, to the TPU outsole. This hard plastic adds rigidity to stop the shoe from twisting under the intense pressures of the golf swing.

This, of course, is key to a good golf shoe. The Bernardo is up there with any other traditional-style spiked shoe in terms of overall stability. The rigid sole and the pretty decent fit from toe to heel made me feel stable and secure.

The Average

Did I mention that these shoes look good? That said, not everything is pixie dust in the land of Duca Del Cosma. There are, inevitably, some performance trade-offs I discovered throughout my time with the Bernardo.

Traction

As far as the spikeless and spiked debate, there is no comparison. The Bernardo is objectively better in the traction department than any spikeless shoe I’ve worn. That said, when compared to its spiked brethren, there are better things out there.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the SoftSpikes PULSAR spikes do a great job, but the secondary traction just didn’t do a whole lot. My hunch is that the secondary points don’t quite contact the ground in all places. If these were a little taller I think it would perform a little better. Instead, the PULSAR cleats make contact with the ground, but until they really flex, the secondary points don’t really touch.

The Bad

There’s always one or two things in every golf shoe that I’d rather forget. For the Bernardo, it’s rather a big one: comfort.

Firmly Forgettable

Unfortunately for me, the Duca Del Cosma Bernardo just isn’t quite up to snuff in the comfort department. Sure, the leather upper feels really nice but the EVA foam midsole and cork-style insole are just too firm for my taste.

This, coupled with the rather inflexible TPU sole, make the Bernardo relatively stiff and lifeless. Translation: these were not comfortable to walk in.

If you enjoy playing in dress shoes, you’ll enjoy the firm feel. But for the walking golfer, there are more comfortable options in the spiked and spikeless categories.

A golf shoe should be wearable and comfortable from the jump. While the Bernardo did break in a bit over time, the first feeling I had when I stepped into the shoe was forgettable.

Who Is It For?

If you prefer fashion over function, the Bernardo might be the golf shoe for you.

If you need something stable and like the traditional styling, the Bernardo is a solid option.

And, if you have $298 to spend and want a clean, white golf shoe, then the Bernardo is there for the taking.

Otherwise, if you want something with supreme comfort or world-class traction, I would probably look elsewhere. The Duca Del Cosma Bernardo ain’t my cup of tea. But it might be yours!