Spiked vs. Spikeless Golf Shoes: Which Shoe is Right for You?
It wasn’t long ago that golfers were leaving tiny, scarring holes from their spiked metal golf shoes on the fairways and greens. In the early 1980s, studies showed metal spiked shoes damaged courses more than rubber spiked shoes. It took about a decade for rubber spiked shoes to be introduced. They became accessible to the public in the early 1990s. After years of pushback, metal spikes started to fade away when courses started banning them. Rubber spikes became the alternative. Spikeless golf shoes were on the market then, but not many golfers used them. That changed in 2010.
At the 2010 Masters, professional golfer Fred Couples wore a pair of spikeless golf shoes. Couples, the 1992 Masters champion, made spikeless shoes look cool and comfortable. The new look upended conventional thinking, which was that golfers had to play with spikes to stay rooted with their lower body on the swing. Soon enough, both styles of golf shoes populated golf courses. The decision on whether to use spikes or not is a personal one. There are cases to be made for using both in certain conditions. There are many great options for both, and you really can’t go wrong.
What are Spikeless Golf Shoes?
Spikeless golf shoes often look like tennis shoes, but with one exception. The sole of the shoes is built to grip the turf to help keep your lower body stabilized during the golf swing. There are usually rubber or plastic nubs on the bottom of spikeless shoes. Those nubs allow you to grip the ground in a way that a regular tennis shoe wouldn’t. The outer sole of the shoe is thicker than a normal shoe in most instances, adding durability and support for golfers. The advantages of spikeless shoes are that they are generally more comfortable for golfers, who sometimes must walk 6 miles in an 18-hole round. Technology has evolved so much that spikeless shoes don’t feel like golf shoes.
Wearing a pair of lightweight, flexible, airy spikeless golf shoes can recreate the experience of having your most comfortable sneakers on your feet. Golf shoes with metal spikes weren’t noted for their comfort. Finishing a full round of golf with a clunky pair of metal spikes took its toll on your feet. The first move a golfer made after a round was finished was to take those shoes off and put on something comfortable. Spikeless shoes are comfortable enough to wear on your drive home from the course.
What are Spiked Golf Shoes?
Spiked golf shoes have rubber cleats on the bottom instead of the nubs, grooves, or dimples that you find on spikeless shoes. These spikes are longer than baseball cleats and provide greater traction for your feet and lower body. There are still a few players who wear spiked metal cleats on the Professional Golf Tour (PGA) because they believe they create more lower body stability during the swing. Most courses, however, have banned metal spikes. Rubber spiked golf shoes are super comfortable, and many look just like tennis shoes with cleats on the bottom.
Spiked vs. Spikeless: Pros and Cons
If bad weather hits, it’s better to wear spiked shoes. They’ll give you more traction on the wet ground. A common issue for golfers with high-speed swings is when their back foot slips on wet grass during their swing. Spiked shoes can help keep your feet planted. Spiked shoes are better for traction when course conditions are damp and soggy. On hilly courses with uneven lies and places where you must adjust your normal posture for your swing, spiked shoes are preferable. They’ll help you keep your balance better.
Technology for spikeless shoes has improved so much that some of them have outer sole gripping that is comparable to spiked shoes. Using a pull cart or carrying a bag for 18 holes is a long walk with plenty of zigs and zags. A comfortable pair of spikeless shoes can make that journey less stressful on your feet, and possibly on your lower back. For golfers who have high swing speeds, and who generate most of their power from their lower body, spiked shoes are probably a better option.
For both spikeless and spiked shoes, it’s important to properly take care of them between rounds. Make sure you clean off the dirt with a brush after you finish. If the shoes get damp, air them out in an open space where they can dry naturally. Also, don’t leave them in the hot sun, which can damage your shoes. For spiked shoes, you’ll have to change the cleats, usually after 15-20 rounds. Depending on how much you play, it’s best to buy new shoes every one to two years.
Whether you’re a beginner or advanced golfer, it’s a good idea to own a pair of both spiked and spikeless shoes. Switching out shoes between rounds is best practice. When it comes down to making a choice, golfers have many great options. It’s just a matter of what fits their game best and what the weather is like that day.
