When it comes to golf gear, one of the most important yet overlooked aspects is footwear.
Believe it or not, the average golfer walks 6.6 miles during a round of 18. Just like long distance runners, a good fitting, quality golf shoe is essential to support your feet when walking this kind of distance. Not only can poor fitting shoes lead to discomfort, they can also lead to injuries such as neuromas, blisters or heel pain.
Of course, in golf, your feet aren’t just for stepping around the course. Jack Nicklaus once said “foot action determines so many things within the golf swing that it’s almost indescribable.” From balance and timing to rhythm and tempo, your feet have a big influence on the quality of your swing. Good shoes, then, are a must.
But what makes a good golf shoe and how have golf shoes evolved over the years? From traditional spikes to the modern spikeless ‘hybrids’, different golf shoes have their own merits and each will suit certain players. So, let’s get to the sole of the matter and which kind of golf shoes are the most ideal for you.
The history of the golf shoe
Scottish ingenuity
Sometime around the mid 1800s, Scottish golfers came up with the idea for spikes in their golf shoes. Tired of slipping and sliding on the course like a deer on ice, they started hammering nails into the soles of their golf shoes,
While it definitely brought a little more traction and stability to their game, it also led to a fair few foot disasters on the fairway, with nails all too often coming loose and spiking up through the shoe. Ouch!
But the Scots are made of stern stuff and continued with the invention, undeterred. Until around 1891, that is, when screw-in spikes were introduced, saving Scottish soles from a surprise skewering and revolutionising the game of golf in the process.
The Saddle
It wasn’t long before the first commercially available spiked shoe hit the market. Dubbed the ‘saddle’, Spalding originally made them specifically for tennis and badminton players. However, Spalding Saddle Oxford shoes proved to be a foot fault for racquet players and instead became a firm favourite with golfers all over the UK, after finding the feet of one of the greatest golfers of the day, Gene Sarazen.
In the 1950s, the Spalding Saddle Oxford became an iconic fashion item, worn on the course and off the course, particularly by style-conscious teenagers.
Screw-ins, suction shoes and plastic spikes
In the 1960s, a new type of spiked golf shoe came on the scene. Metal sockets on the soles with built-in internal threads meant that spikes became replaceable. This was soon followed by ‘shoulderless’ spikes and USGA recommended ‘recess’ spikes.
In the 1980s, with the emergence of more powerful golfers and a new emphasis on dynamism in the sport, golf shoes became more flexible and athletic, in line with new running shoe trends.
Following a 1983 study by the University of California that evaluated the effect of golf spikes on golf course surfaces, golf shoe manufacturers began experimenting with different types. Multi-stud shoes and suction shoes were introduced, with mixed success.
Eventually, in the 1990s, due to the damage they caused to golf courses, metal studs were banned and, in their place, plastic studded shoes became the standard.
Rise of the hybrids
At the Augusta Masters in 2010, Fred Couples had traditionalists choking on their cucumber sandwiches when he donned a pair of spikeless ‘ECCO Golf Street’ shoes.
Dubbed ‘hybrid’ shoes, as they mixed everyday style with on-course performance, these revolutionary golf shoes swept the golfing world by storm. For the first time in the history of golf, a golfer was leading a major championship while wearing spikeless shoes.
Before Fred Couples at the Masters in 2010, spikeless hybrids made up around 1% of total golf shoe sales. Today, they make up around 45%.
Spikes v Spikeless
So, which type of golf shoe is the best? Well, each has their good points and bad points.
Why spiked golf shoes are great
- Golf spikes have been used for centuries. They’re tried and tested and are a part of golf history.
- Traditional spiked golf shoes give golfers excellent traction on a variety of surfaces, whether the grass is dry, wet,long or short. As the body is rotated, spikes give the golfer a stable base for a smooth swing.
- Golfers have a much wider selection of classic golf spikes in comparison to new hybrid shoes, with options to fit any budget or style.
Drawbacks of wearing spikes
- Plastic spikes wear out quickly and can easily become clogged up with grass in wet conditions.
- Metal spikes aren’t an option as they’re banned on most courses due to the damage they cause to fairways and greens.
- Some spikes can be hard on the soles and are generally not as comfortable as spikeless hybrids.
- Spikes aren’t as convenient as spikeless shoes, as you have to change in and out of them everytime you play.
Why spikeless golf shoes are great
- Designed to be worn on and off course, spikeless are a great mixture of performance and modern style. You can wear them straight from the 18th to the 19th hole, or even on the street.
- The rubber studs or dimpled soles on hybrids are far less damaging to fairways and greens than traditional spiked golf shoes.
- Spikeless shoes bring a different level of comfort than regular spiked gold shoes. For some, especially those with a history of foot injuries, the comfort and support offered by spikeless hybrids can make all the difference.
- They are designed to evenly distribute body weight and improve flexibility, which can help certain golfers improve their swing.
- Spikeless hybrids tend to be much lighter than classic golf shoes.
- Most spikeless hybrid golf shoes cost less than spiked golf shoes.
Drawbacks of wearing spikeless golf shoes
- Spikeless hybrids don’t offer the same level of traction as classic spiked golf shoes, especially in long or wet grass.
- Unlike traditional golf shoes, spikeless hybrids aren’t designed to provide full waterproofing, which could be a problem for those who play in rainy climates.
- As you’ll likely spend more time wearing hybrids (on and off the course) chances are they won’t last as long.
Which type should you buy?
It all depends on your game. If convenience is key and you live in a reasonably dry climate, hybrids might be best, especially if you prefer a modern style. For the casual golfer, there are many great budget spikeless hybrids on the market, such as Adidas Tech Response 2.0 and New Balance Minimus Tour.
Still, traditionalists will always plump for spikes and it’s hard to argue. They bring a superb level of control to your swing, in any condition. There’s a reason those Scots hammered nails in their shoes way back when!
It’s hard to argue… but not impossible! For me, the top of range spikeless hybrids are on another level completely and are changing the game at the highest level.
Hey, there’s a reason that most of the best golfers in the world wear hybrids.