Adidas Codechaos vs Adidas ZG23 Golf Shoe: Read Our Head-To-Head Verdict

Adidas Codechaos vs Adidas ZG23 Golf Shoe: Read Our Head-To-Head Verdict

Adidas is one of the leading sports brands in the world and is very popular in the golfing world. Not only do they have some great apparel but they also produce some of the best golf shoes on the market. Adidas mix comfortability with style when it comes to their golf shoes, and with shoes being one of the more important apparel choices for any golfer it can be tough to choose.

Codechaos are one of the best spikeless shoes we have tested while the ZG23 shoes are a particular favorite of ours in the spiked range.

Both are great golf shoes 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 both of these shoes so good. These are some of the best-selling shoes in golf, so let's see which one comes out on top in this head-to-head.

Looks

In all the looks department the Adidas ZG23 are a touch disappointing as they have only slightly developed the looks of the Adidas ZG21, the previous model. They are rather plain and we also found this shoe to look quite similar to the Tech Response 2.0. That being said many will enjoy the looks of the ZG23 because they are understated and yet still modern.

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Codechaos, on the other hand, are one of the best looking golf shoes on the market for golfers who like that modern, sporty look. The first thing that stands out specifically is the all-new wraparound outsole. While the overall silhouette is similar to the original Codechoas from 2020, we really like how elements of the outsole have bled onto the side of the shoe and it certainly creates a striking look in all seven available colors. A resounding win for Codechaos in this category.

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 Codechaos are one of the most comfortable shoes we have tested as it's one of those golf shoes that you forget you are wearing, such is the nature of the comfort, support and grip on offer. It features adidas' Boost technology throughout the entire shoe - a technology we have become familiar with in the similarly excellent adidas Tour 360 22 and adidas Rebelcross golf shoes. As advertised by the brand, the Boost midsole gives instant comfort and the Codechaos 22 shoes took no time at all to break in. We also recommend them as some of the best golf shoes for wide feet.

Onto the ZG23 now. Adidas has made significant steps to increase the comfort of this shoe and for the first time, the Lightstrike feature known in Adidas running shoes and Basketball shoes has now made it into a golf shoe. Helping with cushioning and comfort underfoot, when you pair the Lightstrike tech with the softness of the upper and inside of this shoe, you get one of the most comfortable shoes on the market.

Both of these shoes are right up there with the best for comfort but the Codechaos just edges it, as you might expect really as spikeless shoes tend to be that little bit more comfy than their spiked counterparts. 

Performance

Moving on to the performance aspect of these two shoes, both performed well as you would expect from a premium shoe. The ZG23 uses the stability fin to help performance which has been in the previous model the ZG21, but for 2023 it has been upgraded. The stability fin is there to help keep your feet stable when shifting your weight from one foot to the other. For 2023 it is a 3D shape wrapped around the outside of the shoe and is more lightweight. With how lightweight the shoe is, it helped to reduce foot fatigue over 18 holes making its performance very good. 

The outer sole on the ZG23 has the standard six traditional spikes (see below) while also having additional lugs, scattered between the spikes to increase traction. In development they bettered the positioning of these lugs to make sure they were in the optimal place to deliver the best grip, in doing so they actually made the shoe lighter too, which aids performance by giving you confidence when trying to swing hard and fast.

As mentioned above, the wraparound outsole of the Codechaos is really striking visually, but it also has a significant performance benefit. While the extra grip can certainly be felt on the sides of your feet, we found it also created one of the most stable spikeless shoes we've tested, specifically around the balls of the feet. 

Grip was another area the Codechaos 22 excelled in. Spikeless shoes nowadays are very adept to handling damp conditions and the Codechaos 22 is no different. It's primarily a fair weather shoe but it can handle the wet, perhaps not quite as well as the ZG23 though. For added peace of mind if you do want to wear these over the winter, there's a one-year waterproof guarantee and the material on the upper is surprisingly easy to clean.

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 Adidas 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.

The ZG23 upper is made of something Adidas call Sprintskin, this is a 4 layer interwoven material making the shoe fully waterproof while also keeping it lightweight and breathable. 

The Codechaos upper is made up from a minimum of 50% recycled content which is all part of the brand's End Plastic Waste campaign.

Which One Should You Choose

Choose the Adidas ZG23 if...
- You need a spiked shoe
- You want a very lightweight, and yet stable shoe
- You need an all-round grippy and supportive shoe

Choose the Adidas Codechaos if...
- You want a spikeless shoe
- You have wider feet and want supreme comfort
- You want a shoe that has a sporty modern look