How long do your shoes last?

[JetSpeed79]

I’m coming up on two years with my current pair and it’s doubtful they’ll see a third. I typically play 3 to 4 times a week. Walk occasionally but usually ride. Love my current shoes (Ecco Biom C4) but with prices approaching $300 I’d like a little more mileage out of them. 
 

How much life are you getting?

[me05501]

That many rounds will destroy a pair of shoes.

 

They definitely start to lose their support and flexibility after a season or two. I've tried replacing the liners to stretch the lifespan but it's usually the sole that gets worn down and I start to feel my feet slipping while swinging. 

 

The best strategy I've found for making them last is to rotate between more than one pair. Rotating pairs gives the shoes time to fully dry between rounds. 

 

Right now I have four pairs in my trunk which is a bit excessive but some are better for wet weather or hot days. 

 

[MattM97]

For me it really depends but 1-3 years depending on the shoes, some don't last long at all or the cushion gets really thin and really fast. 

 

But like @me05501 that's a lot of rounds no shoe will really last that long and having a rotation of shoes will keep them in better condition longer. More expensive but there's no perfect way for us mortals paying for shoes.

 

I'm currently rotating through 2 pairs constantly with 2-3 others I add in depending on the round. 

[eric61]

I wear ECCO Biom C4 BOAs that I got late last year. I play about as often as OP does and wear them for about 75% of my rounds -- if I play two days in a row, I'll work in Footjoy Premieres. I'm pretty hard on shoes, but mine are definitely trash after this year. 

 

I think of my shoes in basically two categories: Stuff I'll have resoled that are basically never going to need to be replaced -- goodyear welted boots, dress shoes, etc. And then stuff that never lasts more than a year's worth of wear: Golf shoes (except Footjoy Premieres; those seem to hold up), the Ultra Boosts I work out in and wear around the house/while running errands, stuff like that.

[ChipNRun]

28 minutes ago, me05501 said:

The best strategy I've found for making them last is to rotate between more than one pair. Rotating pairs gives the shoes time to fully dry between rounds. 

 

This is general advice from the shoe world.

 

I have found that two different pairs of shoes rotated between rounds will last about 2 + years.

 

As far as shoes doing their job, I avoid lightweight shoes altogether - they lack lateral support from the start, and the attendant sway increases variance in strike at bottom of swing. Heavier shoes provide the lateral support much longer.

[nsxguy]

51 minutes ago, JetSpeed79 said:

I’m coming up on two years with my current pair and it’s doubtful they’ll see a third. I typically play 3 to 4 times a week. Walk occasionally but usually ride. Love my current shoes (Ecco Biom C4) but with prices approaching $300 I’d like a little more mileage out of them. 
 

How much life are you getting?

 

You only have 1 pair ?  Well, I guess we're spending the same amount though. I get almost 3 pairs for $300.

 

I'm no clothes horse by any means but I like to try to match up the shoes. And I don't buy them unless they fit perfectly and work well, so I don't have an issue using one pair over another performance/comfort-wise.

 

So, to answer your question, I usually get tired of them before I wear them out.

[Primo1868]

Definitely need more than one pair of golf shoes if you want them to last. I'm by no means "fashionable" but rotate these through the last two years:

 

Black:

• FJ Premiers
• Cole Haan Grand 360's

White:

• Jordan XI's
• Cole Haan Grand 360's

Grey:

• FJ Traditions

Sh*tters:

• FJ Pro SL's

 

I wear the Premiers/Jordans for riding and/or wearing pants.

I wear the cole haan's for walking/shorts ($55 on Macy's right now and they are awesome shoes). 

FJ Traditions for walking/shorts.

 

Wear sh*tters at the range or when its muddy. 

 

All my shoes are in really great shape and I play ~70 rounds a year.

[JetSpeed79]

8 minutes ago, nsxguy said:

 

You only have 1 pair ?  Well, I guess we're spending the same amount though. I get almost 3 pairs for $300.

 

I'm no clothes horse by any means but I like to try to match up the shoes. And I don't buy them unless they fit perfectly and work well, so I don't have an issue using one pair over another performance/comfort-wise.

 

So, to answer your question, I usually get tired of them before I wear them out.

Scandalous right?

 

And here I was thinking I only needed one new pair of shoes! I may have to go big and get a few. At this rate I may have to take over our whole closet: normal clothes/shoes on one side and golf clothes/shoes on the other. Of course my wife would have to move all her stuff into the spare bedroom down the hall. 
 

I’m sure she’ll understand. 

[tnrts345]

I get a new pair normally every season if I need a fresh pair. I keep an old pair or two to use in crappy weather or something to keep in the car for the impromptu range session after work. I keep a main pair that I will wear in the perfect weather so I don't ruin them too early on. I'm very much a Nike/Footjoy guy so I see 2-3 years with shoes that have replaceable spikes and 1-2 years with Nike's non replaceable spike options. 

 

I love to keep a few pairs around but I max out at 3 at any given time.

[bodhi555]

This is just making me wish I could remember when I bought the shoes I have 🤣 

 

Anyway currently have 3 pairs in rotation:

 

Nike Air Max 1G - think they are on their 5th season and still holding up well, although they have a slight tear on the upper so aren't waterproof any more.

 

Nike Air Max 90G - 4th season with these, still as comfy and waterproof as in season one. 

 

Under Armour (not sure of model) - my winter shoes which go away in April, had 3 winters out of them and still seem to be holding up ok. 

 

Usually get 5 or 6 seasons out of mine before they fall apart and need to go in the bin. 

[bcjim]

My biom are going on 3 and probably 150+ rounds walking. They are still fine. I have worn through the heel liner on one but it isnt bothering me so..Only downside of them for me is the grip has never been great in wet conditions however they do keep my feet dry entirely.

I bought a pair of UA Phantom shoes to wear when its damp, not enough data yet to say much except I like the style and the sole is grippy.

[GolfFinn]

I’ve four pairs of shoes in rotation.

All of them are Footjoys.

The oldest pair is a pair of Greenjoys. I have used these shoes about 12 years.

The second pair also a Greenjoys

A couple of Pro Sl’s

 

I play in average 70 rounds per season.

Well 70 starts, I play a lot of 9 hole rounds.

Usually 45 9hole and 25 18 hole rounds.

 

I take good care of my shoes. At the end of the season I wash the leather with a Leather Soap and treat the leather with a beeswax. Even with the white ones.

And I never wear same pair twice, I let them rest

I also use these shoe trees to help keeping the correct shape of shoes 

 

 

[JetSpeed79]

3 hours ago, bcjim said:

My biom are going on 3 and probably 150+ rounds walking. They are still fine. I have worn through the heel liner on one but it isnt bothering me so..Only downside of them for me is the grip has never been great in wet conditions however they do keep my feet dry entirely.

I bought a pair of UA Phantom shoes to wear when its damp, not enough data yet to say much except I like the style and the sole is grippy.

Mine are mostly fine. The main issue is that the sole is separating a little bit from the shoe on the left side of my left foot. I can feel it roll under during my follow through sometimes. 
 

I decided to throw a Hail Mary and superglue them back together. My wife walked in on this project, sneered in disgust, and walked right back out. So it was at least worth it from an entertainment standpoint. Definitely time for some new kicks though lol. 

[dropkicked]

Weather dependent, but I see about 40-50 rounds per pair..  I always get a new pair come Jan/Feb..  buying gear helps to make it through the winter months.. 🤣

[bcjim]

2 hours ago, JetSpeed79 said:

Mine are mostly fine. The main issue is that the sole is separating a little bit from the shoe on the left side of my left foot. I can feel it roll under during my follow through sometimes. 
 

I decided to throw a Hail Mary and superglue them back together. My wife walked in on this project, sneered in disgust, and walked right back out. So it was at least worth it from an entertainment standpoint. Definitely time for some new kicks though lol. 

Ha. Mine would be impressed that I was actually trying to save money on golf.

[goheels11]

9 hours ago, JetSpeed79 said:

I’m coming up on two years with my current pair and it’s doubtful they’ll see a third. I typically play 3 to 4 times a week. Walk occasionally but usually ride. Love my current shoes (Ecco Biom C4) but with prices approaching $300 I’d like a little more mileage out of them. 
 

How much life are you getting?

Have you considered having 3-4 pairs and rotating?  I have more than that (my issues..) and it keeps them fresh and coordinated with the wardrobe. 

[JetSpeed79]

4 minutes ago, goheels11 said:

Have you considered having 3-4 pairs and rotating?  I have more than that (my issues..) and it keeps them fresh and coordinated with the wardrobe. 

I hadn’t before this thread, but that’s rapidly changing 😂

 

After all, it’s the responsible thing to do right? I don’t see that I really have a choice. 

[@_the_crook]

6 hours ago, JetSpeed79 said:

I decided to throw a Hail Mary and superglue them back together.

Shoe-Goo works for most repairs. flexible and waterproof.

in a pinch, auto weatherstrip adhesive, 'cause that was in the toolbox......

[scott406]

I have one pair of Spiked shoes (ZG23)

One pair of Spikeless (OluKai)

I rotate between the 2 and wear the ZG23 when I need the extra grip

 

Currently resisting the temptation to order the Ecco Biom G5

 

[bellken]

50 minutes ago, scott406 said:

I have one pair of Spiked shoes (ZG23)

One pair of Spikeless (OluKai)

I rotate between the 2 and wear the ZG23 when I need the extra grip

 

Currently resisting the temptation to order the Ecco Biom G5

 

I don't play as much as the OP, so, my shoes last much longer. But, if I were in the market for new golf shoes - 50% off selected colors and models

 

https://us.ecco.com/sale/special-offers/mens-new-markdowns/

 

[JetSpeed79]

3 hours ago, scott406 said:

I have one pair of Spiked shoes (ZG23)

One pair of Spikeless (OluKai)

I rotate between the 2 and wear the ZG23 when I need the extra grip

 

Currently resisting the temptation to order the Ecco Biom G5

 

I’ve been eyeing the OluKai shoes. I’ve worn their shoes/sandals away from the course for years. One of my favorite brands. But I play in a lot of wet conditions and it seems like the top half of those would get soaked pretty quickly. How have they been for you?

[scott406]

3 hours ago, bellken said:

I don't play as much as the OP, so, my shoes last much longer. But, if I were in the market for new golf shoes - 50% off selected colors and models

 

https://us.ecco.com/sale/special-offers/mens-new-markdowns/

 

You are not helping

(don't have my size, at least the one I want)

[scott406]

1 hour ago, JetSpeed79 said:

I’ve been eyeing the OluKai shoes. I’ve worn their shoes/sandals away from the course for years. One of my favorite brands. But I play in a lot of wet conditions and it seems like the top half of those would get soaked pretty quickly. How have they been for you?

We have had very little rain in the south this year, but the shoes have been great

I have yet to slip in any condition 

The pair I have is all leather and my socks have not gotten wet yet

Very comfortable also

The only negative is the shoelaces are very long so you have to double them up

The pic is when they were new so they dont look like that now

They do wipe down very easily

Have been very pleased

 

 

[Superscroll]

On 8/16/2023 at 1:25 PM, ChipNRun said:

 

 

As far as shoes doing their job, I avoid lightweight shoes altogether - they lack lateral support from the start, and the attendant sway increases variance in strike at bottom of swing. Heavier shoes provide the lateral support much longer.

 

Interesting!  Had no idea shoes would impact the swing.  

[ND2005]

This made me go check my closet ha. 

 

I have 7 pairs of G/Fore Gallivanters, 1 pair of Footjoy Premiere, 1 pair of Footjoy Traditions

 

The original pair of G/fore I bought in 2019. I loved it so much I bought a second pair 2 weeks later. Those are my most worn in shoes - each has probably seen 150 rounds of golf or so. 

 

The other G/fores:

-One is a limited release one with alligator skin. I keep them super clean and only wear them when I know the weather forecast is good

-One is Masters themed, I don't wear a lot of green and pink otherwise so they don't get rotated in that often except around Masters week

-One is solid brown, looks like a dress shoe. I like them but think they look weird with shorts so only wear them in the cooler months with pants

-The other 2 I bought as replacement "dailies" for my 2019 shoes, but the originals are still hanging in there and are so comfortable I haven't gotten rid of them yet. 

 

The Footjoys were both dalliances with another brand and just aren't as comfortable so they get limited use. 

[st1800e]

Playing in the same shoes on consecutive days is hard on them, they need to dry out from sweat, and particularly when playing in damp conditions etc. Need at least two pairs otherwise they’ll deteriorate more rapidly.  There was a golf digest article on this some years ago.
 

I have 5 pair.  More cost up front but my 5 pairs adidas boost lasted for 6-7 years and we’re still usable when I donated them to goodwill.  
 

im in Ecco Biom H4 now , just picked up 3 pair and will add one or 2 more over the winter.  They’re  great shoes,  gore Tex , comfortable and very stable.  

[Supr3m3]

On 8/16/2023 at 11:35 AM, JetSpeed79 said:

I’m coming up on two years with my current pair and it’s doubtful they’ll see a third. I typically play 3 to 4 times a week. Walk occasionally but usually ride. Love my current shoes (Ecco Biom C4) but with prices approaching $300 I’d like a little more mileage out of them. 
 

How much life are you getting?

The life of your shoes is in line with how much you are wearing them. I know it's a different use case, but for running shoes it is generally recommended that you replace them after about 500 miles (and that's really stretching it).

 

Some quick math:

• If you're playing 3 times a week, that's 156 rounds a year or 312 rounds over two years.
• If you walked 25% of those rounds (78 rounds) with an average of 6 miles a round, that would be 468 miles walked
• Add on top of that just walking to the range, walking around the course when you're riding, etc. and you'll easily top 500 miles.

Now golf courses are generally not made out of concrete/asphalt (unless you're in Texas during the summer 😂), but I would expect to see similar (if not more) wear and tear compared to road running.