Golf Shoes For Game

Golf Shoes For Your Best Game

Quick Golf Quiz: How can you play your best game with mediocre golf shoes?
Answer: You can't.

It isn't just a matter of comfort when it comes to selecting a pair of golf shoes, though that's not unimportant. You'll spend several hours and walk a few miles during a full 18 holes on a good course. Being miserable that whole time because your feet are sore doesn't make for the best experience.

But good golf shoes go far beyond that. They play a measurable role in how well you play. Your stance, your stability, the way you turn your feet and more are affected by the quality and fit of your shoes. Select badly and your game will suffer.

To get good fit, take good measurements. Don't just consider the overall size, but pay careful attention to the width. And, if you can, note whether you have long arches or short, or somewhere in between. Arch length and height make a big difference in the fit.

Take those measurements at the end of the day, not the beginning. Throughout the day your feet will enlarge as much as a 1/4-1/2 size and may move from one width to the next. If you find that one foot is larger than the other, use the larger for your measurements.

Specialty shoe manufacturers will actually custom fit shoes, for an individual foot or both. That service costs a little extra, of course, but if you happen to be in between common sizes or have some unusual features (like prominent balls of the feet or very high arches) it might be worthwhile.

When selecting shoes, consider the type of socks you'll wear on the course. It might be necessary to get more than one pair of golf shoes in order to accommodate the different thicknesses. That's especially likely when selecting for Summer versus Fall or for different states or countries with very different climates. High humidity and low temperatures produce widely varying comfort levels and foot sizes.

When you try on a pair of golf shoes, stand and bend the foot. Kneel down as you might when lining up a putt on the green. Observe whether or not the shoe bends at the same line as your foot does, just above the toes. Even when kneeling, the shoe should not pinch you.

The middle section of the shoe (the vamp) should fit a little tighter than the rest. There should not be too much room in the toe. You should not be sliding in them. Still, they should not be too tight, either. Pinched toes aren't just painful, they throw you off. About a 1/2 inch is right for most people. That fit will provide good support during a vigorous swing. Slippage throws your arc off.

Waterproofing is always a good idea with golf shoes, either built into the shoe or sprayed on after manufacture. Between unexpected rains, freshly sprinkled courses and water traps your shoes will get wet from time to time. Apart from remaining comfortable during play, leather shrinks as it dries and you don't want to alter the fit.

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