Did you know that when you play a game of golf you will probably walk three to four miles? And that’s if you’re not a hacker and your round is plagued with numerous detours to try and find your ball.
All that time on your feet means that footwear is one of the most important pieces of golf equipment after the clubs in your bag, especially when it’s cold, wet and windy.
And just as golfing apparel has evolved over the decades with plus-fours and baggy caps giving way to trousers and smart snapbacks, so too golfing shoes have come a long way from the basic spikes that used to be worn by amateurs and pros alike.
Design, comfort, practicality and technology are now at the forefront on a golfer’s feet and this is shown in our round-up of the best shoes for getting around in the most challenging of weather.
And in winter especially, when wet and cold conditions are guaranteed on the UK’s golf courses you need to choose wisely when it comes to your shoes.
Firstly, you need to think about adequate waterproofing, if you’re going to be out there for three to four hours, the last thing you need are soggy, cold feet which will make going two over on the ninth feel even more miserable.
Then there’s comfort. Golf is a long game and if you’re not driving around in a buggy that means a lot of time on your feet, so the midsoles and uppers and their material and construction are crucial.
Finally, traction. Golf may appear to be a rather sedentary sport but the actual process of swinging a club is an explosive one and that’s why grip and stability in the outsole are paramount when you’re setting up, especially on the tee when you’re going to be going hard and fast in one very rapid twisting movement.
Some shoes will have spikes (or cleats) placed into the outsole to anchor and grip the shoe to the course, while others will rely on a particular lug pattern to achieve stability and control. We’ve included a mix of both spiked and spikeless in our roundup that features the best shoes for the season.
Best winter golf shoes at a glance
- Best overall: ECCO M GOLF BIOM G5 Men's Leather Gore-Tex Cleats - £230, Ecco
- Best for waterproofing: Adidas Adicross GTX spikeless golf shoes - £150, Adidas
- Best for fit: Adidas Codechaos 22 BOA spikeless shoes - £150, Adidas
- Best for energy return: Nike Air Max 90 G - £87.47, Nike
- Best for traction: Under Armour Men's UA HOVR™ Drive 2 Wide (E) Golf Shoes - £140, Under Armour
- Best for all conditions: GS-Fast Golf Shoes - £74, Puma
- Best for warmth: Stormwalker Winter Shroud Golf Boots - £119.99, Golf Support
- Best for value for money: PAYNTR X 001 F Spikeless Golf Shoes (Grey) - £64.99, Payntr
- Best for all seasons: Nike Air Zoom Victory Tour 3 - £102.49, Nike
- Best for preventing foot pain: Skechers GO GOLF Pro 5 Hyper - £160, Skechers
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Ecco M Golf Biom G5 shoes
Best: overall
With the GORE-TEX leather upper ensuring feet will stay dry and the outsole combination of six spikes and moulded lugs ensuring that your stance will be suitably solid, these shoes have got you covered from top to bottom on the wettest and muddiest of days.
Spikes are dotted around the border of the outsole means the shoe offers up an immovable base position from which to swing, even on frosty and icy mornings, which means that this is a shoe for all-weathers.
The BOA lacing system means there is a micro-adjustable fit which means that you don’t have to keep messing about with your laces on very cold days and are guaranteed the micro-adjustable comfort that we have come to expect from the system.
Buy now £230.00, Ecco
Adidas Adicross GTX
Best for: waterproofing
Okay, so these might raise a few eyebrows in the clubhouse, but if you’re confident off the first tee, you should let your feet shout it out.
Available in a very eye-catching yellow and black colourway or just a plain black if you want low maintenance that will hide the mud. They may look more like a hiking shoe but that’s no bad thing in the winter. The mid-height cuff combines with the GORE-TEX upper to seal feet in a waterproof shell so you don’t have to worry about standing around for hours in soggy socks.
Considering the impermeability of the upper against wet and cold we still found them very breathable and incredibly comfortable over 18 holes, thanks to the classic Adidas BOOST cushioning that fills the midsole. When it came to grip, the deep rubber lugs on the outsole meant that we felt secure for the tee off.
Buy now £150.00, Adidas
Adidas Codechaos 22 BOA
Best for: fit
These stylish shoes come in four different colours and performed very well on a wet, windy and cold links course in December.
The outsole wraps around the shoe which adds to both the waterproofing and the on-course traction and the BOOST midsole does what we expected of it and keeps us comfortable, as well as providing good energy return.
What we loved most was that the shoes are fitted with the micro-adjustable BOA system, which means you can literally dial in the fit of the shoe by turning the disc on the upper, which will slowly tighten the lace system click by click.
A quick release means when you get back to the car you don’t have to fumble to undo double knots with cold hands.
Buy now £150.00, Adidas
Nike Air Max 90G
Best for: energy return
The Eighties classic has been repurposed by Nike for the golf course and is available in this fetching white, black, photon dust and game royal colourway.
More than adequate for a frosty, early tee time with a thin overlay doing a good job of waterproofing. The traction on the outsole will help you keep balanced and stable through your swing, whether that’s from the tee, the rough or chipping in near the green.
However, the 90G comes into its own if your golf game means that you occasionally have to head off the course to find your ball and add to your on-course step count. That’s because the foam midsole is supremely comfortable and the classic visible Max Air unit will provide all the energy return needed to take the strain out of carrying your bag around 18-holes.
Buy now £87.47, Nike
Under Armour Hovr Drive 2
Best for: traction
Available in three colours white, black and white/grey this is a good-looking golf shoe that’s built for rough conditions with excellent waterproofing in the upper and a nice cushioned and supportive feel when you’re all laced up.
The shoe’s secret weapon is underneath with a spiked outsole pattern that has been designed with the rotational movements of a swing in mind. The brand took their cue from the biomechanical demands of playing the game to come up with a shoe that will make you feel secure as you stand over your shot in the winter months.
So, regardless of whether you’re putting everything into it with your driver or are after a subtler shot near the green, the outsole keeps you planted in all conditions while still allowing the movement needed.
Buy now £140.00, Under Armour
Puma GS-Fast
Best for: all conditions
Another shoe that goes against the classic boring golf shoe design, Puma have taken their RS line of trainers and morphed them into a golf shoe and with some success. The waterproofing is 100 per cent with a seam-sealed upper that kept feet dry as we tracked around a links course on one of the wettest days of the year and questioned our life choices.
The IGNITEFOAM midsole had plenty of bounce to it even across the soggiest fairway and was really responsive, with the unexpected bonus of shielding us from the cold too thanks to the thickness of the outsole and wedged under heel.
The studded sole dug in well on the tee and allowed for good movement and Puma has kindly highlighted the lugs on the bottom so that they make up the word ‘GOLF’ for subtle showboating after the game.
Buy now £74.00, Puma
Stormwalker Winter Shroud
Best for: warmth
Outsole: spiked
As the name suggests, this is a golf shoe that is made for some serious weather with a soft full-grain leather upper that is thermally lined. The combination of the two means that these shoes are seriously warm so if you’re so committed that you’re happy to get to the course when the temperature is really tumbling then you’d be wise to have them in the boot of your car ready to go.
The leather upper not only provides excellent waterproofing, which you can improve on with a treatment spray, but also lots of comfort with the shoes really moulding to your feet with every step. The traction was good for a range of shots, especially when you need to stay as rooted as possible when playing from deep rough and although they are expensive these shoes will see you through several winters to come.
Buy now £119.99, Golf Support
Payntr X 001 F
Best for: value for money
A good low-rise shoe with excellent energy return and a foam midsole that was comfortable, warm and provided excellent cushioning.
The manufacturer calls the upper “water-impermeable” and we wondered if this might fall short of fully waterproof and lead to some ingress on particularly rainy days, but we are pleased to report that after a night’s worth of rain and an early morning tee-off time our feet were kept completely dry. The studded outsole was effective, particularly on the greens where it enabled us to fix into a stable stance so that we could concentrate on those pressure putts and the spacing between the lugs allowed water to escape easily so we could stride down the fairway with plenty of confidence.
Buy now £64.99, Payntr
Nike Air Zoom Victory Tour 3
You may have spotted these on the feet of Mr Mcllroy at this autumn's Ryder Cup, so let’s get one thing straight first - they are not specifically a winter golfing shoe.
That said, we've played several rounds in our Tour 3’s and they are as suited to a bitterly cold Sunday in December as they are to a sun-drenched Sunday in October in Rome. Just make sure you keep a towel in your boot to wipe off the mud as you’ll want to keep these as fresh as possible; they're the best-looking shoes we tested.
They perform well too. They're totally waterproof thanks to a full-grain leather upper that imparts total comfort, all enhanced by a contouring inner strap to create a snug fit. This is underlined with a well thought-out outsole that will give plenty of traction across a range of shots.
Buy now £102.49, Nike
Skechers GO GOLF Pro 5 Hyper
Best for: preventing foot pain
This is the shoe worn by 2022 U.S. Open Champ, Matt Fitzpatrick in all his tournaments and it’s a great option for play in the winter thanks to the very effective waterproof synthetic upper, which comes in four different colour combinations, so it will be easy to find a style match.
With its winter credentials established it’s also worth noting that the shoe features the Skechers Arch Fit insole system which was one of the most comfortable midsoles that we tried. They'd be perfect for foot pain sufferers as it reduces pressure. You should be able to get all the way to the 18th green without any complaints.
Buy now £160.00, Skechers
Verdict
Rain, cold or frost the Ecco M Golf Biom G5 will be able to stand up to the on-course conditions this winter, thanks to its GORE-TEX upper that will keep your feet dry, even if you have to go trudging through the long grass. The midsole is comfortable and will put a spring in your step and the spiked outsole will dig into the ground to give you a stable base to play the full range of shots over 18 holes.
