Golf Gear: ProGolfNow’s Early Spring Shopping Guide
Outside your clubs, your shoes are probably the most important piece of golf gear you will buy.
I’ve seen people play golf in flip flops and sneakers and sandals and all kinds of athletic shoes and it doesn’t make sense to me. The options for golf shoes are wide and the reasons for proper footwear are obvious. I want shoes that support my feet and grip the ground. I don’t want to be slipping and sliding around when I’m trying to swing a golf club.
I may have a golf shoe fetish. I keep my golf shoes in bags that breathe and I use cedar shoe trees because I know how hard those shoes work and I want to freshen them up for the next round. You can get shoe bags and cedar shoe trees at Dicks, both about $15.
Enough of the preliminaries. If you need to replace a pair of well-worn golf shoes now’s the time to let your fingers do the shopping. Think about the possibility of becoming a trendsetter at your home course.
Do you need a little more support through your swing than you’ve been getting? Michelle Wie and Rickie Fowler broke trail for us on this one. Give those new high-tops a look.
Nike designed Wie’s pink high-top golf shoes to give her some added ankle support while she was coming back from injury. I’m giving them serious thought. I’ve twisted my ankle more than once scrambling around in the rough and climbing in and out of bunkers.
They look good – I get a retro vibe from them – and I do like that camo-Swoosh!
Price tag: $150
Wie liked her high-tops so much that she talked her pal, Rickie Fowler, into nudging Puma to design a pair of him, so guy golfers can eventually get funky footwear too. Sadly, Puma doesn’t have Rickie’s high-top model, a variety of Puma’s Titan Tour Ignite line, ready for mass marketing yet.
While you’re waiting for Puma, you guys might want to take a look at Ecco’s new Cage model.
Good looks, fantastic support, soft spikes, and waterproofed leather. It doesn’t have the retro-look of Fowler’s high-tops but it’s certainly a step beyond those dull white golf shoes that look like they came from a dentist’s office.
Price tag: $200
Ecco also has a new women’s summer hybrid that’s very attractive. The molded outsole is the same as Ecco’s earlier hybrid and I can assure you from experience that it’s a sturdy and effective design. The upper on this summer hybrid is leather rather than the fiber mesh that’s used in other women’s summer golf shoes, and I find that very appealing.
I like the breathability of these uppers and I also like the lining, but I’m all for anything that wicks when it comes to golf gear!
Price tag: $160
If you’re looking for something whimsical and colorful for your feet, take a gander at the new Adidas Prime Ballerina shoes.
This lightweight shoe combines style with stability – a fine combination for summer golfing.
Price tag: $110
Next: Don't Forget the Socks