Golf equipment geeks can recite the top players’ clubs right down to the wedge lofts, driver length, and shaft torque. But how many are familiar with the golf shoes worn by the world’s greatest players?

OK, so Tiger Woods’ marriage to Nike is common knowledge (and apparently untouchable by scandal). The especially well-informed may recognize that Phil Mickelson’s deal with Callaway Golf includes his footwear.

But what about the rest of the top 5 players in the current World Golf Rankings? Any idea what shoes Steve Stricker, Lee Westwood and Jim Furyk sport on the course?

The smart odds-player would guess that all three wear FootJoys, since about two-thirds of touring pros do. Well, you’d be two-thirds correct. Stricker and Westwood are, indeed, faithful members of the FootJoy clan. Furyk, however, adorns his feet with a pair of adidas.

Golfers who prefer to walk, and have an ample budget, would be advised to consider any shoes preferred by the pros. After all, they make a living walking and can ill afford blisters, discomfort, or a slip-up of any kind.

Here’s a deeper look at the golf shoe choices of the world’s top 5.

1. Tiger Woods – Nike Air Zoom TW 2010

Nike’s TW line stretches from head to toe, culminating in these lightweight leather kicks. The Air Zoom TW earns raves in the comfort category, and the styling is sharp too (although some complain that the shoe is on the narrow side).

According to Nike, the Air Zoom TW is made from “ballistic mesh” – a light, waterproof material that covers much of the shoe’s surface – and full-grain leather. Stability is provided by the Zoom Air heel unit and what the company calls its “Power Platform,” which promotes proper weight transfer through the swing.

The Air Zoom TW is outfitted with a full-length sockliner and Scorpion Stinger spikes, and comes with a two-year limited waterproof warranty.

2. Phil Mickelson – Callaway HX Tour

Mr. Flop Shot trods the fairways (and occasionally the rough) in Callaway’s tour-level entry. If you thought climate control was limited to autos and office buildings, think again.

The HX Tour incorporates Comfortemp material, a non-woven textile originally developed by NASA in the 1960s. (And you wondered what, exactly, we learn from space travel.) Comfortemp’s temperature-regulating properties adjust as necessary to prevailing conditions, hot or cold.Mickelson’s shoes are swathed in waterproof calfskin, with an adjustable fitting mechanism and a two-year limited warranty.

3. Steve Stricker – FootJoy SYNR-G

A premium offering from the world’s top-selling golf shoe brand, the SYNR-G boasts many of the same features as the above-mentioned models. With brand-specific nomenclature, of course.

FootJoy’s pride and joy, the SYNR-G is lauded for its superb fit and finish. The shoe’s most enticing feature may be its Memory Foam collar and tongue; as anyone who has slept on a Memory Foam bed can attest, it’s comfortable stuff.

4. Lee Westwood – FootJoy Icon

The Icon is FootJoy’s newest tour-ready offering. While it didn’t help Westwood close the deal at the Masters or Players Championship, the ICON made Lee look good trying.

FootJoy considers the Icon its flagship shoe, for good reason. It’s built from a combo of full-grain and calfskin leathers, with a distinctive asymmetrical pattern that’s anything but stodgy. Like the SYNR-G, Icons cradle the feet with Memory Foam and are warranted waterproof for two years.

5. Jim Furyk – adidas Tour360 4.0

With former brand ringleader Sergio Garcia AWOL from the top of the world rankings, and Tim Clark still far from a household name, adidas is riding Furyk’s fortunes.

The company’s iconic stripes aren’t for every taste, but the ever-consistent Furyk makes it work. The Tour360 4.0 – meaning it’s the fourth version of this line – emphasize balance and footwork. Adidas credits the shoe’s “360Wrap” unibody construction for making the 4.0 its most stable product to date.

Two-layer ClimaProof technology wicks moisture from inside to out, where a waterproof membrane keeps the wet stuff away. The industry-standard two-year limited warranty applies here as well.

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