What Shoes to Wear Golfing If You Don’t Have Golf Shoes

Golf is a sport that requires you to be comfortable and confident in your footwear. If you don’t have golf shoes, what are your options? There are many different types of shoes that can work for golfing if you don’t want to buy or rent a pair of golf shoes.

Even though golf is mainly a sport in which you hold a club with your hands and use it to hit a golf ball, why are golf shoes such a big deal?

A good golf pair of shoes will provide the following

1. Maximum comfort to allow you to walk long distances
2. Grip on the grass surface so you get more power and accuracy with your swing so you get less bad shots.
3. Waterproof so you don’t get wet foot while you’re playing golf

A good grip on the clubhead so you don’t lose your balance. Good traction to reduce any chance of a fall or twisting an ankle.

Most Comfortable + Affordable Golf Shoe Alternative

Skechers Men’s Energy Afterburn Shoes

Pros:

• The most affordable
• Extreme comfort as if walking on air
• It’s got over 12,000 reviews on Amazon
• Also Supports high arch feet

Cons:

• Not a golf shoes, so traction is not great when it’s wet, but many people use it as a golf shoe in dry conditions.
• They run a little small, just order a half size up!

What Shoes to Wear Golfing If You Don’t Have Golf Shoes

If you are an experienced golfer then there’s no need to explain the benefits of why you need to wear golf shoes, but if you’re new to the sport and don’t want to invest in it until you know if you’re going to stick with it, there are other options.

You will be surprised to know that some of the best shoes for golfing are not even designed specifically for it.

As long as your feet stay dry, you’re comfortable and have a good grip on the ground then any pair of shoes will do.

Also, an important thing when looking at what to wear is making sure they fit well, this goes hand in hand with the comfort that we just mentioned.

If you want to play golf, you need to buy shoes. You probably already have a pair of running shoes that can work, but they may not be the best choice.

The soles of running shoes are usually made with a softer material to absorb shock while you run so that your feet don’t need as much cushioning.

For golf the opposite is true: You want a hard sole and extra support in your shoe for when you’re walking on grass.

If you’ve been around golfers or been into a forum, you probably heard of the term “walking 18 holes”, which basically means walking a distance of just over 6 miles.

That’s why one of the most important features of a golf shoe is comfort. That’s why most popular golf shoes have very comfortable cushioning to protect your feet when you walk such a long distance, cushioning

On top of that, you need a good grip on the grass, so you get the maximum power on your club swing.

The closest thing to a golf shoe is generally a running shoe, and most people have at least a pair of those around the house.

If you don’t want to invest in a golf shoe, simply find your favourite pair of running shoes and wear them while out on the course with friends.

Basically, you can wear anything, but you want to make sure you have something on your feet that has traction or grip and it’s comfortable enough to walk long distances on the course.

A good pair of running shoes will work for most people and if you’re doing a short game or if the weather is perfectly dry, they’ll do just fine. You don’t need golf spikes though because the ground is less likely to be wet as it might in winter months.

If you don’t have running shoes then you can consider any of the golf substitute shoes below:

• Soccer shoes (maximum grip but not very comfortable shoes, some courses don’t allow soccer shoes, so it’s best to check).
• Trail / Hiking shoes (Heavy but comfortable and suitable for long walks)
• Sneakers or trainers
• Tennis shoes
• old school shoes
• Casual / street shoes

If you don’t have any of the above, then you might also try one of the below (strictly on dry surfaces only):

• Sandals (believe it or not, there are golf sandals in the market now).
• Flip flops.
• Bare feet

And yes, you can wear sandals, but not on a course that’s wet.

Playing golf in flip flops is like playing an intense game of “Operation” with your feet. The discomfort makes it hard to concentrate on anything other than the pain, and you won’t be able to handle a ball at all without slipping off into some prickly bushes or something.

Playing golf barefoot may seem counterintuitive for most people who have never tried it, but once they give up their sandals (or lack thereof), they find that their foot muscles become stronger from supporting more weight across such varied terrain as well as learning how not only where different parts of the ground will send shots flying depending on what type swing one takes when hitting them.

Some golfers don’t like wearing shoes with padded heels because it can cause them to put their weight on their toes when they swing. They find relief when they wear lighter sneakers without the padded heel and more flexibility. You need to have good shoes and they should be athletic, but not too expensive.

Where are you going to play golf? What’s the surface like?

The answer to the question above will dictate what kind of golf shoes you need.

Golf shoes are a bit different from other types of athletic footwear because they’re not typically made with the same kind of rubber sole. They have to be flexible and lightweight so that golfers don’t feel weighed down by them, but still stiff enough in order for players to get good traction on the course.

If you play at an old fashioned country club or somewhere similar, it’s best to wear brown leather sandals without socks or any other type of shoe that can easily fill up with grass clippings. If you want something more modern, there are plenty of options available online that will suit your style while keeping you comfortable throughout 18 holes.

The most important thing is comfort! Remember some people suffer from back pain when playing golf, and the wrong pair of shoes can make it worse.

Does your golf course have a dress code?

Some golf courses may not allow you to wear athletic clothing such as shorts or t-shirts, so be mindful about what type of golf clothes are acceptable when deciding on appropriate footwear for yourself.

The best thing is to go in person and ask someone who works there! You’ll feel better knowing that you didn’t buy something expensive only to find out later that they don’t take kindly to those types of things at their establishment. It’s always worth the extra time spent asking around before purchasing any new equipment because once it leaves the store, you won’t be able to return or exchange it if it turns out that particular item isn’t suitable. In fact, it may be worth bringing in a few options to show your prospective retailers so they can better help you make the right decision that will fit your needs.

The best thing to do is to go into the golf equipment store and ask an employee. They will be a lot more knowledgeable about what you need or don’t need than someone who just bought some shoes online or in another store that doesn’t have much knowledge about. It may also be worth bringing in a few different options so they can better help you make your decision based on what you need and your preferences.

One question that we hear often is

Can I Wear Baseball or Soccer Cleats for Golf?

Golf is a game of precision. It’s essential that golfers don’t damage the green surface, so it’s important to wear responsible footwear.

The answer is no. Soccer shoes are designed for running and sprinting, while baseball cleats have hard spikes that will tear up the golf course.

The best golf shoes to wear are ones that have soles made from rubber or some type of soft material like plastic. This is because softer materials provide more traction on the course than hard surfaces will without damaging the ground.

If you don’t want to buy golf shoes, there are some other options that you can wear. For instance, regular sneakers or tennis shoes will work just fine as long as they have rubber soles and the right grip pattern on them.

If you don’t want to go out and buy a new pair of golf shoes for this one tournament, any sneaker with rubber soles will work. It’s best to avoid wearing dress shoes because they’re not as comfortable on the green, but if you don’t have any other options then probably it’s better than nothing.

Baseball and soccer cleats should not be worn for golf as they can cause damage to the greens, while turf shoes with short rubber stubs are fine.

Now that may have raised another question “but what about metal spikes?”

Here are some interesting facts about metal golf spikes. They cause a lot of damage to grass, and they have been replaced with soft spike golf shoes. Today, only very few pro golfers are allowed to wear metal spikes during training or competitions. And to be fair, you don’t really need metal spikes to play golf.

I thought I could get away with playing golf in sneakers, but it was a bad idea. In dry weather you might be able to swing without difficulty if you’re not too aggressive; however, the traction and stability just aren’t there like when wearing proper footwear. There are great options for spikeless golf shoes or even spiked ones that will keep your footing secure no matter what surface is beneath them, so choose wisely!

If you’ve ever tried running on wet grass then you know how uncomfortable and slippery the ground can get. Golfing is no different since you’re constantly walking on wet grass and dirt, so it’s crucial to wear shoes that are both comfortable and sturdy enough for the job otherwise you will not have a fun time.

If you don’t have golf shoes, there are a few shoe options. The first is to wear your normal walking or running shoes, as long as they’re not made for wet surfaces like gym sneakers and tennis shoes. This will be the least expensive option but it might not be super comfortable if you find yourself on your feet a lot.

If it’s a dry surface, then you might be surprised that some popular brand running shoes feel much better and more comfortable, unfortunately, they will not feel the same under humid conditions like morning dew or rain.

The other shoe option is to buy some new golf shoes. This might be a good idea if you’re serious about the sport and want better traction on your feet, otherwise, it’s probably not worth spending money on something that will just take up space in your closet for the rest of eternity.

It may also be worth bringing in a few different options so they can better help you make your decision based on what you need and your preferences.

In my opinion, there is really only one downside to buying new golf shoes. They can be a little pricey but it’s worth the investment if you’re serious about getting better at the sport and want better traction than regular sneakers or tennis shoes will provide.

I really suggest that you keep your mind open to the idea of buying a golf shoe because there are very good options out there that are under $50, that hold very good value for money and provide you with the comfort and grip you need to play a very satisfactory golf session, but if you’re not convinced then I suppose that’s your choice.

Finally, I hope this article helped you make the right decision about what shoes to wear golfing, if there’s anything that you would like me to answer then please do not hesitate to drop me a line in the comments section.

I added some new content and made it more clear on what shoes are best for golfing. Feel free to let us know if you have any other questions or need clarification about anything else we talked about here, we’re always happy to help!