G/FORE Gallivanter Golf Shoes Review

Mike Harris puts G/FORE's eye-catching Gallivanter golf shoes to the test

G/FORE Gallivanter Golf Shoes Review
(Image credit: Golf Monthly)
Golf Monthly Verdict

Stylish, comfortable, and a little bit different. If you’re looking to stand out from the crowd then the Gallivanter range from G/Fore is well worth considering.

Reasons to buy
  • +

    Tons of style and attitude to help you stand out from the crowd

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    Excellent comfort and traction

  • +

    Insole design massages feet

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    Comes with a spare pair of laces

Reasons to avoid
  • -

    Noticeably heavier than its main rival the FJ Premier Series

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G/FORE Gallivanter Golf Shoes Review

G/FORE’s trademark shoe packs absolutely tons shelf appeal. It’s a great fusion between classic styling with a bunch of modern, cool details - and it’s these touches that set the Gallivanter shoes apart from anything else that I have seen and tried on market.

Not everyone will be a fan of the versions with bold outsoles and the in your face Skull and Ts emblem but for those who like their golf shoes to have premium classic styling and have 'attitude', then I don't think the Gallivanter can be beaten - the Tuxedo version (Blue Camo design) are for me the most stunning pair of shoes I have ever worn.

Putting its unique appearance to one side, how did the Gallivanters perform? Firstly, they are an extremely comfortable pair of shoes. As you’d expect from one the best golf shoes, the traction levels are also very impressive, and the premium leather feels as good as it looks and the textured pebble grain finish is eye catching and easier to clean than I thought they'd be. The cushioned footbed that features lots of small raised 'nubs' provides a wonderful massage – a sensation that takes a little getting used to, but after a short while you really begin to appreciate it. 

The only slight negative was the weight of the Gallivanters. For me, in terms of quality and styling, this is a shoe that goes head to head with the FootJoy Premiere Series – and while I feel the Gallivanter offers more style and attitude, they are noticeably heavier. I was so impressed with how much lighter the Premiere Series were compared to the DryJoys Tour they replaced and they have definitely set a benchmark for lightness among classic style premium shoes.

G/Fore do mention this on their website but the Gallivanters are a narrower fit and for me G/Fore shoes runs lightly small  - I'm normally a 7.5 for most golf shoes but went up to a size 8 for these and the excellent MG4+ model.

And finally, it may sound like a small detail but for anyone like me who takes great care in keeping their shoes in pristine condition, you will appreciate the spare pair of laces that come with the Gallivanters. 

If you a play lot of golf – especially in the UK where you can't escape mud, dirty and grime – it's always nice to have a back up pair to keep your golf shoes looking as A1 as possible. 

As we mentioned above the Gallivanter shoes come in a variety of styles. The traditional collection comes in several colors like Charcoal, Twilight and Khaki designs (the latter pictured above). Additionally there is a camo collection we pictured above, as well as Two Tone, Saddle, Longwing, Debossed, Cap Toe and Camo Knit Tuxedo designs. Whatever you are after design wise the Gallivanter has you covered. For more shoe models from the brand though, why not have a read of our guide on the best G/FORE golf shoes

Mike Harris
Content Director

Mike has been a journalist all his working life, starting out as a football writer with Goal magazine in the 1990s before moving into men’s and women’s lifestyle magazines including Men's Health, In 2003 he joined Golf Monthly and in 2006 he became only the eighth editor in Golf Monthly’s 100-plus year history leading the brand until July 2023. He is now Content Director overseeing Golf Monthly and two other iconic sports brands, FourFourTwo and Rugby World.

His three main passions in golf are courses (he's played over 500 courses worldwide), equipment (he's always in search of something shinny to give him an edge) and shoes (he owns more pairs than he cares to mention!).  

Mike’s handicap index hovers at around 10 and he is a member of four golf clubs: Hartley Wintney, Royal Liverpool, Royal North Devon and the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews.


Mike's current What's In The Bag? 

Driver: TaylorMade Stealth Plus+ 9° - Fujikura Ventus Blue 5S

Fairway woods: TaylorMade Sim Max 3/15° - Fujikura Ventus Blue 6S & TaylorMade Stealth 7/20° - Fujikura Ventus Red 6S

Utility Iron: TaylorMade Stealth UDI 3/21° - Aldila Ascent 90HY

Irons: TaylorMade P790 (5-PW)  - Nippon Tour NSPro 950S

Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 50°, 54° and 58° - KBS Tour Hi-Rev s2.0 hafts

Putter: Evnroll ER2B (Gravity Grip) 

Ball: TaylorMade Tour Response (Yellow)