With the subtle improvements to the previous Victory 2, the new 3 is one of the best golf shoes on the market. In every department the performance is excellent - comfort, grip, protection, looks - Nike has absolutely nailed it here.
For
- Outstanding comfort and feel
- Total performance
- Look absolutely fantastic
Against
- Laces feel a touch cheap
An outstanding shoe with Tour-proven performance, the NEXT% from Nike looks great, felt very comfortable throughout testing, and they deliver in just about every way you would want from top of the range golf shoes.
For
- Extremely comfortable
- Sporty and modern look
- Lots of sizes and colors
Against
- A little tricky to clean
Nike Air Zoom Victory Tour 3 vs Nike Air Zoom Infinity Tour NEXT% Golf Shoe: Read Our Head-To-Head Verdict
There is a reason Nike is one of the most popular brands in golf and sponsors some of the biggest names. From Nike shoes to apparel, they always bring out some top quality equipment that is used by the likes of Rory McIlroy, Brooks Koepka, Scottie Scheffler and Nelly Korda.
Nike, time and time again, have shown themselves to be one of the best brands, not only in golf, but across multiple sports and for everyday life too and, in this piece, we will be focusing on the Nike Air Zoom Victory Tour 3 and Nike Air Zoom Infinity Tour NEXT% shoes, used by McIlroy and Koepka respectively, to see which is best.
Both are great in their own right but, when it comes to deciding which is right for you, it can be a difficult decision, that is why we are here to go through what makes these shoes great in this head-to-head.
Looks
Starting with the shoes worn by McIlroy, the Nike Air Zoom Victory Tour 3s build on the success of the Victory Tour 2s. The new design looks different in several subtle ways and the new full-grain leather upper has a supple feel and sophisticated look.
Along with the upper, the swoosh and midsole sections look slightly different and, overall, we think the shoe seems more refined. It looks like more of a traditionally sporty golf shoe that will suit a wide range of ages, whereas the previous model was perhaps better suited to younger audiences.
What's more, we were also fans of the colorways, in particular the the fade of the shoe from blue to green that we tested, which we felt looked excellent. If it isn't to your tastes, there are other colors to choose from.
Moving onto the Infinity Tour NEXT%, which offers a sporty and modern aesthetic that has more of a sneaker-style look than a traditional golf shoe, which we liked. The black and white colorway we tested still maintains that kind of understated finish which makes it usable at most golf courses, but with a nice pop of turquoise color on the inside and on the swoosh underneath the shoe to add a little flair..
There are loads of other colors to choose from, which is great, and there are even special edition designs available to buy, such as the yellow pair Brooks Koepka was wearing at The Masters.
Fit/Comfort
This is one of the most important aspects when it comes to choosing a golf shoe. You are going to be spending hours at a time in them, shifting your feet and walking miles. If you do not get the right fit and comfort then you are going to destroy your feet.
In testing, we felt that the Nike Victory Tour 3 are one of the most comfortable shoes we have tested. The previous 2 was right up there in this regard but, for us, the 3 has taken it to a whole new level. This is thanks to elements like the extra thickness of padding around the ankle, which felt soft and comfortable.
Additionally, Nike has added an internal strap on the inside of the shoe which contours to your foot. This is different to its predecessor, with the change only elevating the quality of this footwear. What was a particular standout is that, out of the box, they didn't require much wearing-in before tackling the course and Nike have also stitched a Zoom Air unit directly to the upper which delivered an exceptional feel. The last point to mention is that the foam towards the heel felt very cushiony, almost bouncy when walking on the course.
Moving on to the Infinity Tour NEXT% and, straight out of the box, they feel outstandingly well made. Every part of the shoe feels premium, sturdy and well put together. This continued when we got them on the golf course, as these were some of the most comfortable golf shoes we have tested.
The material on the inside feels soft around and on top of the foot, and we liked the extra bit of padding around the ankle. To put it simply, walking in these shoes was effortless and comfortable.
A final point worth noting is that the shoe also has two Air Zoom units which are not fully enclosed. Nike claims they give better energy return when pushing through the swing and to aid every step but, we must admit, that it was hard to gauge the impact of these. Importantly, though, they did feel good after a long day of testing, so the technology must have been doing something right.
Performance
With both these amazing Nike shoes performing excellently so far, how do they perform on the course? Currently, there isn't much to separate these two shoes, so maybe performance will.
Well, firstly, the grip and stability of the Victory Tour 3 shoes was top-notch. The shoes have a new seven-way cleat system with two different types of spikes and the new Softspikes Tour Flex Pro is fitted in three forefoot areas. Along with the cleat system, there are Silver tornado spikes in the heel and other side of the forefoot area. The result of this? Well, we tested these shoes in different conditions and the traction remained very good. During one round we played on a variety of ground conditions, which included brown, burnt-out ground, softer ground thanks to a deluge of rain and a variety of different lies and stances. Each time, the grip and stability were never compromised.
As for the Infinity Tour NEXT% shoes, they are breathable and lightweight so walking 36 holes was a breeze and, despite the lightness, we didn’t feel like grip or stability was reduced. The four spikes are large enough to manage traction throughout the swing, although we do think the outsole itself could offer more traction points. That being said, we tested the shoes from a variety of stances and conditions, because of the changing weather, and they responded well, but the Victory Tour 3 does edge it slightly here.
Waterproofing
Waterproofing is a really important feature for a golf shoe so that is where we finish our head-to-head with these two shoes. There can be times when you rely on the fact that the manufacturer tells you that the shoes are waterproof but, in some instances, that can be false and you find your feet getting drenched.
We can confirm though that both of these shoes from Nike are fully waterproof and that there was no leaking from either. Certainly, both rank highly on our best waterproof golf shoes list and, ultimately, it will come down what material you prefer your golf shoes to be made up of.
Which One Should You Choose
Choose the Nike Air Zoom Victory Tour 3 if…
- You want a shoe that gives elite-level performance
- You want to wear the shoes Rory McIlroy wears
- You want arguably the most comfortable shoe on the market
Choose the Infinity Tour NEXT% if...
- You want a shoe that has a sporty modern look
- You want to wear the shoes Brooks Koepka wears
- You want a really grippy and high-performing shoe
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