Puma have released a new range of spiked golf shoes for 2020, so here’s my Puma Ignite PWRADAPT Caged review. These are an update to the successful PWRADAPT range, with the new TPU PWRCAGE added to the midfoot to improve the fit and stability. Check out my review video below to see what I think of the changes and how they fit.
Puma have looked to improve on the previous version by adding the PWRCAGE. While the shoes are still very comfortable, offering good grip and a low connected feeling to the floor, the addition of the new plastic cage has added some rigidity, but not enough to make this a top performing golf shoe when it comes to stability. The fit is just too wide and loose to provide a truly locked down feel.
In terms of comfort, these are right up there with the best current spiked golf shoes. The soft fitbed combines well with the impress Puma Ignite foam to make for one comfortable shoe. The textile materials on the upper don’t require any breaking in, and I found the fit around the heel and ankle to be great. The upper material feels very comfortable and actually quite thick, while still being breathable, and importantly, waterproof. During my testing on a wet winter course, my feet stayed nice and dry.
For my review I was using the limited edition Team USA versions especially designed for the 2019 Presidents Cup. If these are a little too garish for you, then there’s four more regular colourways to choose from. Personally, I always like to try and stand out on the course anywhere I can, so these limited editions suit me down to the ground.
Down to the ground isthe right term to use here, as Puma have put specific focus on ensuring you feel connected to the ground as much as possible with the shoes. They’ve done that by using their PWRADAPT system, which effectively houses each of the seven spikes in a housing that allows them to move independently of the sole plate. This clever technology provides great traction when combined with rubber spikes on the sole, and helps the shoes feel almost like a spikeless version instead.
One small thing that I noticed with the PWRADAPT spikes is that on hard surfaces, you can actually feel where the spikes are located underfoot. While not uncomfortable in anyway, it was noticeable the effect the unique technology was having. However on soft turf, I couldn’t feel the spikes at all and the shoes gave great grip.
On the previos version of the shoe, Puma had used their PWRFRAME upper to provide the majority of the stability. This is effective a super thin TPU overlay on the upper when helps to add some strength. Recognising they needed to do more, Puma have added the PWRCAGE, a substantial TPU structure which sits on top of the upper helping to add additional stability. Puma have also added a heel strap at the rear of the shoe to help lock your foot in position.
During testing my heel felt nicely locked into place, but the PWRCAGE didn’t feel like it was adding much in the way of stability to the shoe. I found the shoes were quite wide to begin with, so with my regular to skinny size 9 feet, I felt the upper just wasn’t gripping them as much as I’d have liked. If you’re looking for the most stable spiked golf shoe on the market, you’ll probably want to look elsewhere, such as the Footjoy Tour X or Under Armour Spieth 4 GTX. Next to those shoes, the Puma feels quite heavy and bulky, while not hugging my feet nearly as much.
