Golfing in non-golf shoes

[gavinski91 1,582]

Do you do it, and are you successful?

Used to golf in your standard Nike running shoes, and my feet would be all over the place off every tee. Still don't own golf shoes, but I wear my Salomon Speedcross 4 GTX trail runners and they are great - the lugs are spaced far enough apart and are long enough apart that I don't have any issues. Plus they're way more comfortable than the Adidas spikeless shoes I tried for a round and a half.

What non-golf shoes do you golf in?

 

[2puttbogey 427]

For comfort ( i walk) I wear running shoes and don’t seem to have any problems with traction. I would be interested in trying out some of the spikeless options that are coming out now as they seem to be more comfortable.


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[Middler 3,460]

I tried playing in my running shoes a couple times as a test before buying spikeless golf shoes, but I wouldn’t do it otherwise. Might get away with it when it’s dry if you don’t swing very hard. Decent golf shoes provide better traction and stability than running shoes. There are comfortable spikeless and even spiked golf shoes. I wear spikeless golf shoes if the ground is completely dry, spikes if it’s wet or raining.

[blackngold_blood 6,701]

I played this last weekends round in a pair of adidas icon 4 trainer turn shoes. It was an early morning round with lots of dew on the ground and I had no issues with slipping. They were extremely more comfortable than my Nike golf shoes. It is the route I will be going from now on.


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[sixcat 4,041]

I found out the hard way, running shoes don't offer enough lateral stability.  Walking a hilly layout and/or the motion of the golf swing, running shoes allow too much lateral movement.  In my case, a sort of rolling of the left foot that over time resulted in a knee injury.  I'm all better now but the process was a painful one and painful lesson to learn.

[russtopherb 9,336]

I've tried, and it's a no-go for me. I walked an early morning round, forgetting that I had pulled my Nikes out of the trunk to clean them off. I was sliding everywhere, between tee boxes and trying to walk up hills I made sure to never forget my shoes again.

[dlow206 10,591]

It was wet out the other day and I slipped when I was hitting an iron off the tee on a par 3 while wearing spikeless golf shoes. I can't imagine what would have happened if I was wearing non-golf shoes, would have probably fell over.

Stuck it on the green even with the slip 

[connerp93 87]

On 6/2/2020 at 6:20 AM, sixcat said:

I found out the hard way, running shoes don't offer enough lateral stability.  Walking a hilly layout and/or the motion of the golf swing, running shoes allow too much lateral movement.  In my case, a sort of rolling of the left foot that over time resulted in a knee injury.  I'm all better now but the process was a painful one and painful lesson to learn.

I'll echo that. I've rolled my left ankle more than once on damp driving ranges and my knees get sore when in trainers, for me it's not worth the long term damage. (Or the embarrassment in front of your buddies)

[thatjasonlee 37]

If I am going in non golfing shoes, it's definitely a pair of trail runners for me. The Terrex has good traction and Gore Tex action. Pretty ideal.

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[The 19th Hole 612]

Does this count? Have done it a couple of times for various reasons...




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[Korann 3]

To be honest, I don’t understand at all why you need to sort your shoes according to different sports. Many athletes train in the most comfortable shoes for them and do not try to comply with the norms. Likewise, in everyday life, each person should wear such shoes in which he is really comfortable. For example, I use tennis shoes to play golf because they are comfortable for long walks and go well with my tracksuit. I also wear tennis shoes for evening walks and use them in the gym because they are comfortable. Tennis shoes are versatile and great for everyday use and don't bother me at all that I'm not wearing the right shoes.

Edited January 26, 2021 by Korann

[ZenGolfer 928]

On 6/1/2020 at 11:35 PM, gavinski91 said:

Do you do it, and are you successful?

Used to golf in your standard Nike running shoes, and my feet would be all over the place off every tee. Still don't own golf shoes, but I wear my Salomon Speedcross 4 GTX trail runners and they are great - the lugs are spaced far enough apart and are long enough apart that I don't have any issues. Plus they're way more comfortable than the Adidas spikeless shoes I tried for a round and a half.

What non-golf shoes do you golf in?

 

For a couple years I played golf in Mizuno trail running shoes.  At the time, I was a huge Mizuno fanboy and wanted Mizuno golf shoes but they obviously arent available in the states, so those were the next best thing.

They actually worked quite well and I wouldnt hesitate to do the same thing again if I didnt want traditional golf shoes (saddle shoes).

[PMookie 17,027]

On 6/1/2020 at 10:35 PM, gavinski91 said:

Do you do it, and are you successful?

Used to golf in your standard Nike running shoes, and my feet would be all over the place off every tee. Still don't own golf shoes, but I wear my Salomon Speedcross 4 GTX trail runners and they are great - the lugs are spaced far enough apart and are long enough apart that I don't have any issues. Plus they're way more comfortable than the Adidas spikeless shoes I tried for a round and a half.

What non-golf shoes do you golf in?

 

It’s funny you posted about the Salomon shoes as I’ve been eyeing those and wondering about their comfort. Years ago, in the very early 90’s, I used to play my rounds in NB trail running shoes. I’m all about comfort, so I don’t care what kind of shoes they are!

Good to know about these! Have you tried other Salomons? Any drawbacks, sizing issues, etc?

[PMookie 17,027]

1 hour ago, Korann said:

To be honest, I don’t understand at all why you need to sort your shoes according to different sports. Many athletes train in the most comfortable shoes for them and do not try to comply with the norms.

One can’t play hoops in running shoes since they’re not built for lateral stability, and one definitely can’t play soccer/football in tennis shoes. Depending on the type of training, athletes will match to shoes that give the needed support, cushioning.

Golf, though, for sure, all one needs is traction, comfort, and possibly waterproofing....

[fixyurdivot 16,646]

On 6/1/2020 at 9:35 PM, gavinski91 said:

Do you do it, and are you successful?

Used to golf in your standard Nike running shoes, and my feet would be all over the place off every tee. Still don't own golf shoes, but I wear my Salomon Speedcross 4 GTX trail runners and they are great - the lugs are spaced far enough apart and are long enough apart that I don't have any issues. Plus they're way more comfortable than the Adidas spikeless shoes I tried for a round and a half.

What non-golf shoes do you golf in?

 

Other than at the range (an even then not too often) I'll wear my everyday tennis shoe.  Those look pretty good and, seemingly provide great lateral support and traction.  My only question would be how the treads might adversely affect softer greens?

[Cbfodalo 78]

I am sort of function over fashion, but still I like to look good on course.

I have 3 pairs of golf shoes all new balance all waterproof and all super comfortable. 

Spikeless grey

Spikeless white

I wear these on nice clean days where its not too soft or muddy. 

Spiked black shoes 

I wear these in wet or soft days. Better traction in wet or lose soil. 

I play often so I try to alternate shoes so i do not wear same shoe two days in row. Call me old school,  but the trend these days  to ignore dress codes bothers me. Ever sit in restaurant and see a man wearing a hat at dinner table?  I was raised that men take off there hats inside and especially at dinner table or when meeting a woman.  No offense to anyone's preference, but for me wearing sneakers to a golf course is like wearing a t-shirt or cut off jeans.  

There is a dress code for golf and its embarrassing to see people dress like they are doing yard work. Lol, man do I  sound uptight or what...sorry. .

[Headhammer 3,157]

2 hours ago, Cbfodalo said:

I am sort of function over fashion, but still I like to look good on course.

I have 3 pairs of golf shoes all new balance all waterproof and all super comfortable. 

Spikeless grey

Spikeless white

I wear these on nice clean days where its not too soft or muddy. 

Spiked black shoes 

I wear these in wet or soft days. Better traction in wet or lose soil. .

Same exact set-up and usage. 

[Middler 3,460]

Update since June: I've converted from spikeless dry/spikes wet to spikeless all the time over the past 6 months. With the comfort, stability and traction of my CodeChaos I don't see any reason to use non-golf shoes. That said one of my buds plays in cushiony New Balance walking shoes (NOT golf) and another plays in low cut Merrell hiking shoes - to each his/her own.

[gavinski91 1,582]

17 hours ago, PMookie said:

It’s funny you posted about the Salomon shoes as I’ve been eyeing those and wondering about their comfort. Years ago, in the very early 90’s, I used to play my rounds in NB trail running shoes. I’m all about comfort, so I don’t care what kind of shoes they are!

Good to know about these! Have you tried other Salomons? Any drawbacks, sizing issues, etc?

I find that they tend to run a bit long (they advertise their size 10 as an EU44, while most other brands IME say it's an EU43) and the width doesn't work for everyone. The stock insoles in mine eventually collapsed as well, but by that point the lugs were worn down to almost nothing and they had a few hundred miles on harsh trails on them. Since I started this thread I've replaced them with a pair of Hoka One One Speedgoats, which have a similar stack height and lug design but cushier foam in the midsole and a bit less stiff (and fit the shape of my feet a bit better). I've also always found that GoreTex does a better job keeping my feet dry than any other alternatives.

One downside though is that the lugs are actually quite soft - they have no problem gripping in wet or muddy conditions, but will wear down very fast if you do a lot of walking on pavement. If the course you play has paved cart paths and you walk them often, you could very easily go through a pair in a single season - not something you want to do with $150 shoes!

17 hours ago, fixyurdivot said:

Other than at the range (an even then not too often) I'll wear my everyday tennis shoe.  Those look pretty good and, seemingly provide great lateral support and traction.  My only question would be how the treads might adversely affect softer greens?

The tread shape does have sharp edges, but the rubber is actually quite soft. If you were to sprint on the green, or run on and come to a sudden stop you could possibly cause some damage, but if you're just walking it won't be any different than most spikeless shoes.

 

To be clear I don't think I would suggest going out and buying trail runners specifically for golfing (unless you have foot issues that you're trying to address and they happen to be the best solution). But as per Korann's comment above, if you're like me and do as much or more trail running and hiking as you do golfing, it makes sense to have one less pair of shoes in the closet.

[Flip4000 56]

On 6/2/2020 at 3:14 AM, Middler said:

I tried playing in my running shoes a couple times as a test before buying spikeless golf shoes, but I wouldn’t do it otherwise. Might get away with it when it’s dry if you don’t swing very hard. Decent golf shoes provide better traction and stability than running shoes. There are comfortable spikeless and even spiked golf shoes. I wear spikeless golf shoes if the ground is completely dry, spikes if it’s wet or raining.

I think the key is stability. Golf shoes provide way more lateral stability than trail runners in my experience