At face value, golf shoes hold a very singular purpose: to get players from A to B throughout a game of golf.
But ‘under the hood’, golf shoes provide a plethora of benefits and interesting design and structural choices that help players boost their performance and avoid injuries that plague golfers globally every day.
Choosing the right pair of golf shoes is essential if players want to avoid the pitfalls of foot and ankle pain, while lowering their scores to the best of their ability in every game. At GolfShoes.co.uk, we’re an approved stockist of women's and men's golf shoes, from some of the sport’s top brands, so take a look at our extensive range to find the perfect shoe to help you on your golfing journey.
How do golf shoes help avoid foot injuries and boost our performance?
Flexibility & breathability
Traditional leather golf shoes are still very popular to this day, with many players constantly boasting about the value and in-game benefits of full-grain leather shoes. But, in some cases, they’re not the most comfortable, especially when compared to more modern golf shoe releases and trends.
Many golf shoes released in recent years more closely resemble the trainers you may wear when walking down the street, which are designed to be as comfortable and free-feeling as possible, while also retaining an element of style.
It may not be traditional, but golf trainers such as these are made with flexibility and breathability in mind, with softer fabrics that can help players avoid repetitive foot fatigue or persistent rubbing within the shoe.
Not only do these materials keep the feet free from pain, but they also allow air to pass into and out of the shoe, helping to prevent overheating, sweating and even rashes from forming. Some of these breathable golf shoes also provide airflow while retaining their waterproof qualities, offering the best of both worlds.
But all of the above equates to one thing: giving players the comfort they need to avoid pain and injury, allowing them to focus on the shot at hand.
Impact absorption
Along with the strain involved in consistently swinging golf clubs with force, golfers often endure more physical pressures than meets the eye due to the constant walking from one hole to the other.
Despite being soft as a whole, walking across fairways, greens, bunkers and the rough can often cause unseen impacts on our feet and the joints throughout our body. Most notably the ankles, knees and hips.
This is something that tends to get worse with age, and isn’t really something that can be avoided if players want to continue enjoying the game they love. It can be dampened, though, with the right pair of golf shoes.
Many modern golf shoes feature innovative insoles or soles that are made with soft, impact-absorbing substances, like memory foam and other impressive materials.
With every step, the shoes get to work absorbing the impact and containing it as much as possible within the shoe itself, alleviating the pressure put on all of the above joints.
It may not seem like much of an issue after a single game, but when you take into account the fact that most golfers walk many, many miles along the golf course every year, it makes sense that they need a pair of shoes to help lighten the load and reduce impacts on the body. So the next time you pick up a pair of new golf shoes, this could be worth factoring in.
Stability & traction
In any sport where excessive movement on grass is involved, it can be so easy for us to lose our footing, creating unnecessary strains and potential injuries. Which is why golf shoes are also designed to offer each player the underfoot stability and traction they need to walk and swing with confidence, without fear of losing their balance.
In the case of spiked golf shoes, the methodology is clear. Spiked cleats (usually rubber or a similar material, since metal spikes have fallen out of favour with many golf courses) found on the base of the shoe dig into the grass in every shot stance, giving players more grip and ensuring they can build power from the ground-up without overexerting themselves.
Along with avoiding falls, this added stability can help players avoid rouge muscle pulls, cramps, extended tendons and other similarly nasty injuries.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, spikeless golf shoes offer the grip and traction players need in an entirely different way. Specially crafted soles featuring intricate designs effectively grip the grass below, without the need for invasive cleats, for more free-feeling yet equally impressive underfoot traction.
Not only that, but the sheer level of research, ingenuity and inventiveness that has gone into golf shoe production has resulted in modern shoes that are shaped to help players maintain a positive posture throughout their game and their swing. This can help players steer clear of upper back, neck and shoulder pain throughout a round.
Find the best golf shoes for sale at GolfShoes.co.uk
If you want to reach the pinnacle of your golfing talents without enduring nagging twists, tweaks, sores and strains, you need the right pair of golf shoes on your feet.
At GolfShoes.co.uk, we have a massive selection of the best golf shoes that major brands have to offer, including all the latest releases from Nike, adidas, FootJoy, Puma and more. So we’re bound to have golf shoes that’ll make you feel fresh, play your best, and keep you injury-free.
Take a look at our full range of golf shoes here, check out our golf shoes sale page for all the best bargains, or feel free to reach out for some expert golf shoe advice from a member of our staff.
