Golf shoes for British weather: spikes, spikeless or winter boots
On courses that are damp for much of the year, grip and waterproofing matter more than looks. Choose the sole for your seasons, check the membrane and warranty, and buy last season's colours to keep a good pair near £100.
In brief
- Spiked shoes grip best on wet slopes; spikeless suit dry summer turf.
- Winter golf boots are a practical second pair for year-round British golfers.
- Committees can ban traditional or metal spikes under Model Local Rule G-7.
- Look for a named waterproof membrane and read the warranty terms.
- Shop late in the day in golf socks, and never dry shoes on a radiator.
If you play golf in Britain, your shoes do more work than your driver. They carry you over five or six miles of wet parkland, frosty heathland or sandy links, and they are the only thing between your swing and a surface that is damp for much of the year. Yet most golfers pick a pair from a picture, based on colour.
Three things deserve your attention: grip suited to your courses and seasons, a fit that still feels right on the 16th, and waterproofing that lasts beyond the first winter. The rest is largely styling.
Why grip changes your golf
A golf swing is a rotation pushed against the ground. Power starts with the lower body driving into and turning against the surface, and if the foot slips even slightly, your body notices and shortens the swing to keep its balance.
That is why golfers wearing ordinary trainers on a dewy March morning often lose distance without changing anything else. The effect is rarely a dramatic slip. The foot moves a fraction, the strike moves on the face, and the ball goes somewhere unexpected. It shows up as inconsistency, not as an obvious cause.
Spiked, spikeless or boots
Spiked shoes with replaceable soft spikes hold best on wet grass, slopes and sidehill lies. For much of the British year, on parkland and heathland after rain or on any clay-based course, they are the practical choice.
Spikeless shoes use moulded rubber studs. They are comfortable to walk and drive in, need no spike changes, and are fine on dry summer turf and firm links fairways in July and August.
Winter golf boots are the third option, and a very British one. Some specialist retailers stock a dedicated range of waterproof winter golf boots, pitched at golfers who play through the winter on wet courses and want ankle support and warmth as well as waterproofing.
A simple rule: if you own one pair, choose spiked. If you own two, make the second pair spikeless for summer. If you play every week from November to March, consider boots as well.
One rules point. The R&A’s Model Local Rule G-7 allows committees to ban shoes with traditional spikes, meaning spikes designed to penetrate deeply into the ground whatever they are made of, and spikes containing metal that could touch the course. Modern soft spikes are designed for today’s courses, but if you have an old pair of metal-spiked shoes in the garage, leave them there.
What they cost
These prices come from a UK online golf retailer in mid-September, when many models were reduced. Treat them as price bands, not fixed prices.
| Model | Type | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Nike Infinity G | Spikeless | £69.95 |
| FootJoy Tour Rival | Spiked | £89.99 |
| Ecco S-Three Gore-Tex | Spikeless, waterproof membrane | £99 (from £180) |
| FootJoy Traditions | Spiked, classic leather | £114.99 |
| FootJoy Premiere Series Packard | Spiked, premium | £189.99 |
| Stuburt Evolve II | Winter boot | £69.99 |
| FootJoy Stormwalker | Winter boot | £99.99 to £119.99 |
Two conclusions. A good pair of golf shoes does not have to cost more than about £100 if you are willing to buy the previous season’s colours. And a winter boot costs roughly the same as a mid-range shoe, which makes it a sensible second purchase for year-round golfers.
Waterproof is a promise, so read the warranty
“Water resistant” and “waterproof” are not the same claim. A water-resistant shoe may cope with a light shower; it will not survive wet rough on an autumn morning. A shoe that lets water in at the seams by the 4th hole leaves you playing the rest of the round with a wet foot, which becomes a comfort problem, then a blister problem, then a grip problem.
Look for shoes described as waterproof, often with a named membrane such as Gore-Tex, and check whether the manufacturer offers a specific waterproof warranty and how long it runs. Read the terms: some warranties exclude wear away from the golf course.
Fit: shop late and walk properly
Feet swell over a round, so a shoe that fits perfectly at 10am in a shop can pinch by the 15th on a warm afternoon.
- Try shoes later in the day.
- Wear the socks you play in, especially thicker winter socks if the shoes are for winter.
- Walk around the shop rather than standing on carpet.
- Allow about a thumbnail’s width at the toe and no heel slip at all.
- Take your address position and make a slow turn: if your heel lifts inside the shoe, keep looking.
Sizing varies between brands. Trust the fit, not the number. If you have wide feet, look for models offered in wide fittings rather than going up half a size, which fixes width by creating a length problem.
Stability before softness
Running shoes are designed to absorb impact moving forward. Golf shoes must resist sideways force as you rotate. That is why a soft trainer can feel lovely for nine holes but allow your foot to roll through the swing later on.
In the shop, check three things: a firm heel counter, a sole that does not twist easily when you hold both ends, and enough structure through the midfoot to stop lateral movement. Cushioning matters over a long walk, but a very soft sole works against your swing.
Look after them through a British winter
- Brush off mud after each round, before it dries.
- Never dry shoes on a radiator or beside a fire. Heat weakens adhesives and stiffens leather.
- Stuff them with newspaper or use shoe trees, and let them dry at room temperature.
- Replace soft spikes when they wear down; worn spikes lose grip before they look finished.
- If you play more than twice a week, alternate two pairs so each can dry out fully.
Where to buy golf shoes in the UK
In a shop, if you can. Fit matters more than almost any other feature, and nothing replaces walking in a pair. Some specialist stores have a custom fitting centre alongside the shop, and many club pro shops carry a small range.
Online, if you know your size in that brand. Specialist golf retailers carry a wide choice of spiked, spikeless and winter boot models, and often split ranges by type, making it easy to compare.
Sale and last season’s colours. Previous-season designs are often the same shoe for less, and reductions can be steep: the Ecco S-Three Gore-Tex was listed at £99, down from £180.
Your club professional. Ask which shoes hold up best on your course in winter. A professional who sees members’ feet every week usually has a firm opinion.
If you are new to the game and still deciding whether golf is for you, our guide to nine-hole courses is a better first step than buying shoes, and good grip and posture matter more than anything on your feet. When you are ready to buy clubs as well, a proper iron fitting is the next investment worth making.
Panxis Golf has no commercial relationship with any retailer or brand named here and earns no commission.
Before you buy
- Choose spiked, spikeless or boots based on your courses and the months you play.
- Try shoes late in the day, in your golf socks, walking not standing.
- Look for a named waterproof membrane and read any warranty terms.
- Twist the sole: if it turns easily, your foot will too.
- Look at last season’s colours before paying full price.
How this page was put together
Prices were taken in mid-September from the website of Clubhouse Golf (UK). Panxis has no commercial link with this retailer.
