Walking Royal Birkdale in Spikeless Shoes: Ryan Fox's Bold Open Choice

When Dry Links Meet Modern Footwear

There's a particular sound that accompanies every links championship—the crunch of firm turf underfoot, the whisper of wind through marram grass, and for generations, the metallic click of spikes on wooden bridges. At Royal Birkdale last week, Ryan Fox added a new note to that symphony: silence.

The New Zealander walked into the winner's circle at the 2026 Open Championship wearing the Adidas Adizero ZG spikeless golf shoes, a choice that would have seemed unthinkable even five years ago. And yet, watching him navigate those storied Birkdale dunes with the confidence of a man who knew exactly what was beneath him, the decision felt less revolutionary than inevitable.

The Conditions That Made It Possible

I've walked Royal Birkdale in weather that made my spiked shoes feel inadequate—horizontal rain, lies that demanded you grip the earth like your life depended on it. But this year's Open presented something different: dry, firm, and fast conditions that transformed the Lancashire links into terrain where traditional spikes became almost unnecessary.

Fox clearly understood the assignment. When the ground beneath you is running like a summer fairway, the extra grip that spikes provide becomes less critical than comfort, stability, and the kind of walking efficiency that matters across 72 holes of championship pressure.

Inside the Technology

The Adizero ZG isn't just a casual shoe masquerading as golf footwear. Adidas packed these with serious engineering that addresses the legitimate concerns any player—professional or recreational—might have about going spikeless in tournament conditions.

The shoe features what Adidas calls "Ultralight Lightstrike Pro" cushioning combined with a 3D torsion plate designed to aid walking propulsion. For a player covering the undulating terrain of a links course, that kind of support translates directly into fresh legs on Sunday afternoon.

Perhaps more relevant for Open Championship golf is the dynamic stability system engineered into the sole. Links golf asks your feet to manage angles and stances that parkland courses rarely demand—ball above feet in a pot bunker, ball below feet on a crowned fairway, and everything in between. The shoe's stability system helps maintain sure-footed balance across these varied surfaces.

A waterproof upper protects against the moisture that links golf inevitably delivers, even in dry conditions—morning dew, the occasional squall, damp rough. Meanwhile, the traction system employs "undercut blades" and Adidas' Spikemore outsole to provide grip without traditional spikes.

The Sustainability Factor

Worth noting: Adidas constructed these shoes with recycled and renewable materials, a detail that matters increasingly to golfers who love the natural landscapes where we play. Walking a links course in shoes that honor the environment feels right in a way that's hard to articulate but easy to appreciate.

What This Means for the Rest of Us

Professional validation changes everything. When Fox hoisted the Claret Jug wearing spikeless shoes, he didn't just win a major championship—he answered the question that recreational golfers have been asking since spikeless technology emerged: Can these really perform when it matters most?

The answer, apparently, is yes. At least in the right conditions.

I wouldn't suggest tossing your spiked shoes before a links trip to Ireland in February. Weather demands respect, and traditional spikes still earn their place in saturated conditions. But for the countless rounds we play on firm ground, where comfort and walking efficiency matter more than maximum grip, Fox just demonstrated that spikeless shoes belong in the conversation.

The Adizero ZG retails at $179.99—a reasonable investment for technology that just proved itself on golf's grandest stage.

The Takeaway

• Ryan Fox won the 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale wearing Adidas Adizero ZG spikeless golf shoes
• Dry, firm conditions at Birkdale proved ideal for spikeless footwear performance
• The shoe features Lightstrike Pro cushioning, a 3D torsion plate, dynamic stability system, and waterproof upper
• Professional validation suggests spikeless technology has matured enough for serious competition in appropriate conditions
• Traditional spikes still merit consideration for wet, soft course conditions