First Look: Duca del Cosma Olivera golf shoes

The ultra-modern OLIVERA sneaker style shoe spearheads the Duca del Cosma women’s offering in SS24 with its advanced design and supremely fashionable appearance. Crafted using various forms of premium Nappa leather, the stylish shoe really stands out from the crowd, especially in the Orchid/Pink colourway, which has been a best-selling colourway amongst stockists.

Duca del Cosma sent a pair of Olivera shoes in this popular colourway to Women & Golf, so I thought I would give my first impressions on a shoe that features a new sole design from the Italian brand.

Airplay 15 outsole

Before I get into my thoughts on the Olivera shoe, let Duca del Cosma explain more behind the innovative Airplay 15 outsole:

The Airplay 15 outsole features an advanced dual-component build comprised of a high shock absorption CMEVA midsole for added comfort and flexibility, plus an offset medial toe bumper and traction nubs on the durable outsole unit to deliver optimal performance and uncompromising grip during the golf swing. A strategically positioned heel-strike to the rear of the outsole improves the walking gait and promotes a solid stride.

Duca del Cosma Olivera golf shoe

The Olivera comes in three different colours, is available in UK sizes 3 to 9 and priced £199.00

First Impressions

My first impression when I opened the box was wow! These (particularly the Orchid/Pink) are a statement pair of golf shoes!

Looking specifically at the look of the shoe, when you open the box, you're met with the side view of the shoe, like above, which gives a rather chunky look, probably even more so as I have size UK 7 feet. The sole is actually about 5 cm (nearly 2 inches) at its highest point on the heel and almost looks platform-esque. It's not something that put me off, especially as I wore the PUMA GS-Fast shoes all last year which have a similar chunky look to the sole, but I can see why this may feel too much for some people.

It's worth noting that this design feature is there for a reason which is to help when walking, to "promote a solid stride". I will be testing this theory out.

What's interesting is when you turn the shoe onto its sole. From above the shoes actually lose that chunky look and appear more streamlined (I don't think my picture below does this comment justice) . I think it's a shoe that needs to be tried on before dismissing as too bulky. Duca del Cosma describe these shoes as Women's Golf Sneakers and I would definitely agree, these look like trainers rather than traditional golf shoes.

Once on, what immediately struck me was how comfortable they were. I would say that I have regular width feet, so they sat comfortably in them and with the lace up system (purple laces also provided), they should be able to accommodate a wider foot.

The only slight look that you would need to get used to is the off set toe bumper, which is there to help with traction when you impact the golf ball. As I haven't taken them on the course yet, I can't tell you whether it helps or not but it's a first for me and I believe shows the thought put into the design of the shoe.

The sole has three different sized and shaped nubs (as Duca call them) - one type for traction, one for stability and one for control. For those that are still not sure about spikeless shoes, this should go some way to making you feel that manufacturers are actively thinking about the sole design to make sure it aids our performance on the golf course.

Final thoughts before heading out to test

Duca del Cosma have never been a brand to shy away from making an impact and that's exactly what they have done with the new Olivera golf shoe. The quality of the material and attention to detail is evident to see and although at a higher price point in the golf shoe market, I believe you get what you pay for.

I'll be taking these out to test on the course as soon as the mud has a bit of time to dry up, although these are waterproof, I refuse to get them covered in mud. I am lucky enough to have the Toscana winter boots which are now morphing into Spring boots... surely the rain will end soon :/

If you're interested in finding out more about the Olivera golf shoe or any of the new range from Duca del Cosma, please visit ducadelcosma.co.uk