Are golf shoes a waste of money for most?

[phizzy30]

As long as the shoe fits, your foot doesn't move around too much inside the shoe, and it has enough grip on the sole, it will work for golf in dry conditions IMO.  For wet conditions, it's best to go with golf shoes IMO.  I've tried playing golf in my fly knit vapor max but my feet shift around too much and I like a little more extra grip which is why I always wear my Biom H4 or S-Three.  Most comfortable golf shoes I've ever owned. 

Edited November 24, 2022 by phizzy30

[aiyyer]

10 hours ago, bluedot said:

This is another one of those weird questions that continually pop up here.  Do I need fitted clubs? Does it matter what golf ball I play? Do I need to work out? And so on…
 

And the answer, as it always is, depends on what you want out of golf.  If what you want is to play as well as you can play, then you try to eliminate as many variables as you can.
 

Nobody can measure the effect of any piece of equipment, including the shoes you are wearing, on your score. And it is stating the painfully obvious to say that my 90 mph driver speed doesn’t test the grip my shoes have on the ground the way a 120 mph pro’s swing does.

 

But here’s the way I always answer these questions FOR ME.  Pros wear golf shoes (and use fitted clubs, and premium golf balls, and work out, and so on…)  Do I need more help from my equipment than they do, or can I get by with less and still play as well as I possibly can.

 

And the answer, of course, is that I need MORE help than they do.  Much, much more.

 

So I pay premium prices to wear really good golf shoes. They’re crazy comfortable over a 7 mile walk 4 times a week, they’re waterproof, and they grip really well because that’s what they are designed to do.  
 

Btw, I was a runner for 50 years, and I always wore really good running shoes.  I was a HS basketball coach for 40 years, and guess what?  I handled shoe orders for my players, and we had a rep come in a fit each kid in the exact model we were going to wear, and those kids NEVER wore those shoes outside the gym.  My son was a baseball player; new spikes two or three times a year, and only the best.  And so on…

 

Eliminate variables if it matters to you.  If it doesn’t matter, then wear whatever.  Just be clear about the why.

This. Golf shoes need to provide lateral support or it kills my knees. Most of the adidas spikeless shoes with boost are as comfortable and  based on their running shoe platforms. And cheaper on sale! 

[Feelingofgreatness]

Trail shoes work great, sometimes I wear Columbia hiking shoes, but, good golf shoes work better especially in wet conditions. If you wait for sales you can get good golf shoes for $50-$100. I bought a pair of Inesis waterproof golf shoes today for $50, they have a 1 year no questions asked warranty from Decathelon so no brainer, they spikes are really grippy. 

[caniac6]

I think my golf shoes, both spiked and spikeless, provide more traction and support than other shoes I have. The difference might be in my mind, but anything that gives me more confidence is worth it.

[North Butte]

I played today in golf shoes instead of running shoes for the first time in a couple weeks (several rounds a week). Thought the course might be wet with some overnight rain but it really wasn't. 

 

The only difference I noticed was once I was playing a recovery shot from just inside the tree line and had to sort of brace my feet on some tree roots that happened to be where my feet needed to be to hit the shot. The golf shoes had much stiffer soles and I didn't feel the tree roots uncomfortably pressing on the soles of my feet like they do with running shoes.

 

When I got home after the round, I guess the other difference I noticed was I was DYING to get those darned golf shoes off and let my feet rest and breathe a little. With the light, comfy, breathable running shoes I don't have that hot and squeezed feet feeling after the round.