Do Golf Shoes make much difference?

[iacas]

I cannot swing well in tennis shoes, I am slipping all over the place in wet conditions. Cleats are worth the $30 investment.

I play in tennis shoes occasionally. It's a great way to warm up for a tournament because you can't go after anything particularly hard. Plus if you want to spend a lot of extra time chipping and pitching and whatnot around the greens, they're a little more comfortable. Would be dumb to get a blister the day before a tournament.

Slippery shoes have their advantages... as training devices.

[REVX]

I played at the Homestead last weekend and didn't wear shoes at all.
I was told several times that Sam Snead didn't wear shoes either.
When I don't wear shoes I tend to not overswing. I've only been playing regularly for a year and overswinging is my biggest swing defect, especially with driver. I will check this blog for the best shoes to buy when the weather gets colder. I carry e-comforts with me in case someone feels that I am breaching golf etiquette by playing barefoot.

[P3R3]

I played at the Homestead last weekend and didn't wear shoes at all.

WTF...Please tell me youre kidding.

[finalrequiem]

I play barefoot any chance I get, if the course is in good enough shape to feel nice on my feet. It keeps me from trying to swing for the fences. Neat that someone else does too. Plus I can't find shoes that don't hurt my (flat) feet. I'm gonna try some powerbands when I save up some cash. Tennis shoes seem to be the only things that don't make my feet feel like they are tearing in half along the bottoms.

[bwinger79]

Adidas Powerband.......best shoes on the market..... if you have the $140 I highly recommend them. I have tried everything from Footjoy to Nike, and have never been more pleased with a golf shoe.

[getinthehole]

I thought they helped the greens? Also they give you extra grip and I get more balance on my shots.

[Free Ballin]

I have a buddy that is a scratch golfer and he plays in flip flops! thats right flip flops. He has been doing this for years. He bought a new pair of shoes for the state tournament our soph. year. They wore bad blisters on his feet. Well by the time we got to the 12 hole he could barely walk. I was about to tee off and I look over and he had taken off his shoes and put them in his bag. He played the last 6 holes 6 under barefoot. He has never put golf shoes back on since.

[iacas]

I thought they helped the greens? Also they give you extra grip and I get more balance on my shots.

How are golf shoes going to help greens?

And in my experience, recommending shoes is a silly thing to do. A brand that gives me blisters non-stop will fit another golfer just fine, and vice versa. Everyone's feet are quite different in shape and size. Some shoes can be worn half a size large (FootJoy GF:II) and loose, but the same size shoe in a FootJoy ReelFit will give you blisters. (P.S. I speak from experience on all those parts, but I should add that since getting the correct sized ReelFit, well, I've bought two more pair I love 'em that much.)

[mkoreiwo]

At first I wasn't going to buy golf shoes... Now I never play without them. Well fitting shoes do indeed make a difference!

[Rynofskie]

I think back in the day before the switch to plastic, the metal spikes helped to aerate the greens?

[ClintonM3]

One huge difference between golf shoes and sneakers - Golf shoes are made of leather, most sneakers are cloth or some type of non waterproof fiber. I played in converse chuck taylors in the morning one time, my shoes were wet by the first green.

[ettsn]

I think back in the day before the switch to plastic, the metal spikes helped to aerate the greens?

They were superior, but too many dolts wouldn't pick up their feet and consequently greens would get scuffed. I'd go back to real spikes in a heartbeat, if any course around here would let me play.

[iacas]

I think back in the day before the switch to plastic, the metal spikes helped to aerate the greens?

No, they didn't. Aeration holes must be several inches deep in order to be effective.

[Harold]

A bit late on this thread but I think _good_ golf shoes are a must, especially if you walk. For starters you will be able to walk with little to no chance of slipping, even on steep and/or wet conditions. I finally bought golf shoes when one day on a steep fairway with no warning I suddenly found myself on my butt. I reflexively tried to break my fall but only succeeded in getting my left wrist pinned under my full weight. I didn't break it but it was tender for a few days. After that it was a no brainer. Cleats help in a number of ways regarding traction when swinging, especially if the lie is not level. If they didn't make a positive difference no one would be using them.
A few things to consider: Waterproofing is a must. You will be miserable without it if you play in wet weather. Also, buy your shoes at a place where you can return them (30 days for most good golf stores) if they don't fit or feel comfortable. You can walk around in the store all you want. The proof will be on the course. My prior pair felt great at the store and I even got through an 18 and a 9. One my next 18 about 5 holes in I felt a burning sensation in my left heel right by the achilles. By the time I finished I had a pressure blister the size of a golf ball. Took nearly a month to go away and three months later I can still see the discoloration. I returned them and got a different brand altogether that I'm happy with.
Long story short golf shoes are a necessity.

[cvcex]

yeah i've been wondering if golf shoes really make a difference...

i've been learning golf w/ regular tennis shoes and i think i've adjusted to them fairly well. i'll probably stick w/ regular tennis shoes for another few months till i get better at golf

[Jack_2251]

at my local shop they have footjoy softjoys for 50 bucks which is pretty good. Anybody worn these and found them comfortable?

All footjoys are great. I don't find traction more than 2 shots different per round, but I find that my feet feel great after I finish with my new footjoys!