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 PUMA ALPHACAT NITRO spikeless golf shoes, Puma’s latest spikeless golf shoe with a nitrogen-infused midsole. 

Who Tried It:

Connor. Director of Soft Goods Testing and resident sneakerhead. I believe golf is better with a pair of cool shoes and comfortable joggers. 

PUMA ALPHACAT NITRO Golf Shoes: Tech Talk

PUMA’s ALPHACAT golf shoe has been around for a while. But now PUMA’s upgrading their mainline ALPHACAT spikeless golf shoes with the introduction of NITRO foam. 

We’ll take a closer look at the benefits (if any) of this design change. You’ll also notice a new heel cup among other cosmetic changes. The real question remains: Do these changes create a better golf shoe? 

Let’s find out.

NITRO Foam: A Welcome Addition 

I mentioned that the biggest change to the ALPHACAT NITRO is the addition of PUMA’s flagship NITRO foam. Often found on the brand’s running line, NITRO is an extremely lightweight but stable foam. 

Its best quality, however, is its ability to return energy. The nitrogen-infused foam midsole is exceptionally bouncy while walking yet stable through the swing. Call me a fan. 

Is the ALPHACAT NITRO and its nitrogen-infused midsole the most comfortable PUMA golf shoe I’ve ever worn? I’d say so. This statement must be taken with a grain of salt because I can’t say I’ve worn every PUMA golf shoe. That said, of the PUMA shoes tested in 2023, the ALPHACAT NITRO provides the most comfortable underfoot cushion. 

Retooled Traction

The original PUMA ALPHACAT had great traction, hence the high marks for traction in our Best Spikeless Golf Shoes 2023 testing. The new PUMA ALPHACAT NITRO uses some of the same toolings with the addition of a new radial traction pattern near the ball of the foot.

The resulting traction is grippy in all directions. I have no real complaints here. As far as spikeless traction is concerned, the PUMA ALPHACAT NITRO is a solid performer. 

Functional and Fashionable Heel Cup

As someone who spends his day knee-deep in piles of golf shoes, I tend to notice the little things that others may not. One of my biggest takeaways about the golf shoe industry as a whole is their propensity to sacrifice function in the name of branding. 

Let me try to explain. 

Some brands try too hard to put their own twist on the golf shoe with no regard for performance. Often this shows up in what I refer to as “storytelling”, where a brand attempts to tell a “story” with its design instead of designing around performance. 

The PUMA ALPHACAT NITRO is the antithesis of this notion. See that giant PUMA stripe logo near the heel? I was worried that this was simply a cosmetic change to enhance the branding and storytelling of the shoe. Instead, PUMA made this a fully functional heel counter that aids in lateral stability. 

Cool branding and great function? I’ll call that a win-win. The ALPHACAT NITRO isn’t the most stable spikeless golf shoe out there. It still lacks that rigid midsection that I often look for in a stable shoe. But the lateral stability provided by the heel cup is enough to keep your foot from sliding over the footbed. 

Wide Footers: You’ve Been Warned

One thing it seems PUMA has yet to figure out is the shaping of the toe box area on their golf shoes. From the top down, the PUMA ALPHACAT NITRO has an extremely narrow and pointed toe. The resulting fit would definitely cause someone with a wider foot than mine pain and discomfort. 

The overall shaping just seems to scrunch the toes rather than let them naturally spread. 

PUMA ALPHACAT NITRO Spikeless Golf Shoes: Marked Improvement

How does the PUMA ALPHCAT NITRO stack up against the best spikeless golf shoes out there? We won’t know until our 2024 testing. That said, I’m willing to declare the ALPHACAT NITRO to be the best spikeless golf shoe I’ve tried from PUMA. I’m optimistic about the growth that PUMA has shown in the golf space. If anything, this is a good step in the right direction as they try to take on the big boys.

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