William L. Coney Blog: First Look – FootJoy D.N.A. Helix Golf Shoe

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

First Look – FootJoy D.N.A. Helix Golf Shoe

"This isn’t just an update for us. D.N.A. Helix is a completely new golf shoe built from the ground up to deliver Tour-level performance and lightweight comfort for all players." - Keith Duffy, Senior Product Manager, Footwear at FootJoy

Yesterday, FootJoy announced what I suppose you could call the next installment of its popular (and by extension, successful) D.N.A. franchise. Meet the 2017 FJ D.N.A. Helix.

Do you think she’s sexy?

Fun fact, D.N.A., in FootJoy’s case, stands for DryJoys Next Advancement, and advance, FootJoy has.

It would be overstating things a bit to call the Helix a radical departure from the previous D.N.A., but according to FootJoy, the new model has been developed from the ground up as a result of tour player feedback. Those tour guys liked the flexibility and comfort of the D.N.A., but wanted something with a bit more stability, specifically in the heel area.

That’s an interesting area of focus given that the fit in the heel section has been singled out a reason why some of our readers didn’t love the previous D.N.A.. Full disclosure, I’ve never worn the D.N.A. before, so I’m coming into this with fresh eyes…or feet.

So what exactly is new and improved?

Now would be a good time to remember that golf shoes are equipment too, and with equipment comes technology. With that in mind, it shouldn’t come as any surprise that FootJoy has bundled a ton of its tech into the D.N.A. Helix.

Here’s a rundown of the key features:

NitroThin™ TPU Outsole – The new design is lighter, wider, and 38% more stable, due to 13% increase in the width between the cleat receptacles in the heel, which results in more surface coverage.

Xtra-Thick FTF Fitbed® - The New fit-bed provides comfort and increases lateral stability, while version 2.0 of FootJoy’s 3D FoamCollar helps lock the foot in place.

The new outsole also features strategic cut-outs in the TPU, which expose more of the softer midsole. This provides greater flexibility while reducing the weight of the outsole by 23%.

Other features include:

FootJoy’s FTF (Fine Tuned Foam) midsole for softer feel
TourSpec Stretch Tongue™ for more comfort across top of the foot
Premium Pittards Chomoskin leather upper
Low profile SoftSpikes Pulsar Cleats
2-year waterproof warranty

Quick Thoughts

I’ll be stepping out on the golf course with the D.N.A. Helix soon, but my first impression is that it’s a well-styled shoe that’s considerably lighter than it looks.

Walking around the house didn’t reveal any comfort red flags, and I’m intrigued by the material on the inside of a shoe. It’s reminiscent of the silicone structure some apparel brands use to help prevent shirts from slipping and coming untucked. Whether that translates to keeping the foot more stable in the shoe remains to be seen.

We’ve already heard some grumbling about limited colorways, particularly on the single BOA option. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that FJ will add additional options at a later date, but for now, we get 3 choices in laced and 1 in BOA.