Are Golf Shoes Required to Play Golf?

If you’re just starting off in the game of golf, you’ve undoubtedly faced a fundamental question all players ask themselves at one point: are golf shoes required to play golf? While the short answer to this is “No,” there are definitely benefits to wearing golf shoes during your round.

What Do Golf Shoes Do, Anyway?

At the highest level, golf shoes are athletic sneaker-like footwear that feature spikes on their bottom sole. These spikes — which are almost exclusively rubber or plastic nowadays — provide added traction by digging into the grass while walking or making a golf swing. Just as baseball or football players benefit from wearing spiked shoes, golfers experience added stability and balance, which makes it easier to generate power in the golf swing.

Traction is just one benefit that golf shoes provide. Most are also waterproof and highly durable, which help protect your feet while playing outdoors, prone to the elements of Mother Nature. Walking with wet feet or socks can lead to blisters, pain, and injury, which means you’ll be playing much less golf… and nobody wants that.

Golf shoes can also keep your feet cool and ventilated, depending on the shoes’ build and design. This provides added comfort to the golfer during their golf round, which often take longer than four hours to complete.

Are There Different Types of Golf Shoes?

As with most products in golf, there is a wide variety of options from which to choose. Many players prefer “spikeless” golf shoes, which feature tiny rubber nubs or protrusions on the bottom sole. These shoes feel very similar to gym shoes or sneakers and provide less traction than shoes that have more pronounced spikes.

Conversely, softspike golf shoes are what replaced the traditional metal spikes from years ago. These shoes feature pointed, plastic spikes on their bottom sole that can dig into the turf much more than their spikeless counterparts. You can really feel the difference while walking with these shoes on a sidewalk or parking lot, which takes some getting used to for the new player.

Most (99%) of golf shoes fall into either of these two categories, with a very small minority of players who prefer metal spikes. However, it is very unlikely you will find a golf course that permits metal spikes on their grounds due to the damage these older models cause to the grass.

Can I Just Wear Gym Shoes?

Of course! There’s no rule against wearing any type of shoe while you play golf. Some brands even sell golf sandals (but don’t be one of those people).

One word of caution: gym shoes won’t provide as much traction as golf shoes, so slipping on wet grass or sand in a bunker is a small risk during your round. If your feet move around while you swing a club, you might want to invest in an inexpensive pair of golf shoes just to be safe.

No matter what you choose to protect your feet while playing golf, the main focus should be comfort. Golf requires a great deal of walking, even if you take a golf cart for your round. Golf is meant to be enjoyed, so be sure to choose footwear that adds to that comfort and experience.