Your guide to golf shoes and spikes

There are two points in golf where your body connects with something else – your feet and your hands. And while many golfers might play without golfing gloves, there are few who would step onto a fairway without some form of golf shoe.

Golf shoes these days can come in a variety of shapes, sizes, design and materials. We guide you through the world of golfing footwear and help you decide which pair is best for you…

Style

While it used to be a straight choice between leather shoes or trainers, these days, golf shoes come in almost as many styles as regular shoes. Which you choose depends partly on personal preference and partly on conditions.

Traditional leather is still popular among golfers, as they provide a smart look while also being waterproof. But for those looking for something a little sportier, an array of trainer-style golf shoes are available. They tend to be lighter and more flexible than golf, though many aren’t as good at keeping water out.
   

Spiked

Golf spikes have been part of the game almost since its inception. The Golfer's Manual in 1857 made reference to shoes that were “roughed with small nails or sprigs”. But they’ve come a long way since those days.

These days, your spikes will be plastic and designed to give you perfect traction on the greens and fairways without doing the turf much harm. They are wider than the old metal ones, allowing the golfer to better spread their weight.

Another benefit of the plastic spikes is that they bend when you walk, so you’ve got a more comfortable journey between holes. 
 

Spikeless

A relatively new introduction to the golfing world are spikeless shoes – also known as hybrid or street shoes.

Designed almost with style in mind first, the low-profile shoes look and feel much like standard trainers thanks to their flat soles. Instead of spikes, they’ll often have small rubber studs or dimpled soles – like the 5-a-side football shoes you might have worn during PE.

They’re designed to be a shoe that can be worn from home to the 18^th hole without sacrificing either style, comfort or playability.

But they do provide less grip than spiked shoes, especially in bad conditions. They also don’t tend to be as waterproof as more traditional golf shoes.