Best Golf Shoes to Suit Your Game
Best Golf Shoes, image: pga.com
Henry Ford once said that his customers could buy a Model-T automobile in any color they wanted – as long as it was black. It was pretty much the same way for golf shoes for decades and decades.
The first golf shoes were nothing more than regular farm boots with nails pounded into the soles in the mid-1800s to provide traction. There wasn’t much in the way of revolutionary thinking for the next 150 years. Golf shoes were heavy and uncomfortable, but those metal spikes meant a golfer wasn’t going to slip in the middle of a swing to ruin a golf shot. If you wanted a splash of fashion you could get a saddle shoe.
Then as the 21st century dawned, golf course operators got tired of greens scuffed and wooden clubhouses floor dented by metal spikes and thus were nearly universally banned. Plastic replaced metal spikes and no one seemed to notice. Some PGA pros continued to wear their metal spikes but even the play-for-pay crowd has abandoned the heavy traditional shoes for footwear with an emphasis on comfort.
Best Men’s Golf Shoes
With harder, more powerful swings, men might be considered as the golfers more reluctant to give up the confidence afforded by spiked golf shoes. Instead, spikeless outsoles constructed out of durable rubber provide plenty of traction and can easily be worn to and from the course. The shoes are designed along the lines of the contours of the foot with maximum attention paid to walking and not swinging a golf club.
In addition to Nike, Adidas and FootJoy both offer multiple choices in spikeless golf shoes for both men and women. Many of these sneaker-like offerings feature patented technologies for comfort and durability. Even the water-resistance of real leather can be duplicated to keep feet dry from morning dew on those early tee times.
Best Women’s Golf Shoes
The revolution in golf shoes over the past twenty years has especially benefitted women. No longer are women’s golf shoes simply adapted from men’s shoes. Styles range from running shoes to flats and can be found in anything from traditional to high fashion. Women can even find golf shoes with Velcro-attached saddles to customize the footwear with the outfit. The traditional black golf shoe has also gone the way of the persimmon driver. Ladies can find women’s golf shoes in a multitude of unique colors and styles at Golfballs.com.
Junior’s Golf Shoes
As golf shoes have become more comfortable to walk in it is ironic that fewer and fewer golfers walk the course when they play. The exception is juniors who are still likely to be hoofing the six or seven miles it requires to play 18 holes. With that in mind, the best golf shoes for kids are lightweight, provide solid foot support, and give good traction.
Most junior golf shoes are designed to be like adult offerings. One exception is the inner sole where quality often gives way to practicality since young golfers grow quickly out of shoes. It’s a good idea to pay close attention to the fit as an early-round blister will put a crimp on any golfing day. Athletic insoles can keep your child’s golf shoes snug and operate at peak performance.
The bottom line is that no matter if you prefer a traditional look and feel, a modern athletic style, or a bold fashion-forward approach, there’s something out there to suit you. And with the technology that goes into golf shoes these days, you can be sure that you won’t be sacrificing comfort and performance no matter what style you choose!
