We're now used to some of the best golf shoes of the modern era being more trainer-style (or sneaker for my North American friends) models. Adidas, Nike, Under Armour and others have been busy taking some of the best off-course styles and making them golf-appropriate.

New Balance is another brand that has been smashing it out of the park from this perspective. With the likes of the 997 SL and 574 Greens V2 hitting the course over the last few years, I was very excited to see my favourite New Balance style, the 550, get the golf treatment.

I must first quell the notion that shoes like this are built exactly the same as the on-street shoe with a golf outsole slapped on the bottom. While the upper design is an uncanny difference from the non-golf option, a specially designed outsole, waterproof upper and reinforcements in the heel area have been added to make it more suitable for golf than if you just picked a pair of 550s up from Schuh (other shoe shops are available.)

All that being said, and as nice as these shoes are to wear, they will not provide the same levels of support and performance that purpose-built spikeless shoes like the Under Armour Drive Pro Clone SL or Ecco Biom C5, for example. So, bear this in mind when considering whether something like the 550 SL is right for you.

The outsole is more golf-specific than the original, and offers solid grip in both the dry and damp/greasy conditions I've been able to test them in so far. I've not tested them in seriously wet conditions yet, but like all outsoles on these styles of shoes, they're likely not to perform as well as the best spiked golf shoe or a spikeless outsole like the one on the FootJoy Pro/SL 2026 I tested this year.

I've not got much to say about the look; they're a pair of 550s - simple as that. Released in the late 80s as a low-top basketball shoe, it took until the early 2020s for the style to come back into favour in New Balance's stable after a collaboration with Aime Leon Dore brought it back into relevance. Since then, the 550 has been one of the most popular lifestyle shoes on the market.

One note on sizing, they come up a full size small on me. My normal UK 8 fits much better in a UK 9, so bear this in mind before you purchase, or try and find a local store where you can try on a few different options.

At £119, there is stunning value on offer here, considering how much wear you'll be able to get from these. On the course for more casual rounds, in the bar afterwards, and in pretty much any setting off the golf course you see fit, there is a place for the 550s. I'm thrilled New Balance has brought such a great trainer style onto the golf course, and am even more thrilled with how well they've executed it.

It's not been a vintage year for Adidas golf shoes, in my opinion. The new Adipower was an overall disappointment due to its brash looks and funky fit, while the new colourways in the excellent S2G SL are just that, new colourways and not a new shoe.

Of course, the Tour360 24 is still very much one of the best golf shoes on the market, but nothing has really got me excited about the new releases in 2026. That was until the new MC70 arrived on my doorstep.

MC stands for modern classic, the same moniker we saw on the excellent MC80 golf shoe from a couple of years ago. The MC70 differs in that it offers a spiked outsole rather than spikeless (though you can get the MC70 SL, which is spikeless), and arrives at a very attractive price point to boot.

Indeed, in a world where these more classic styled spiked shoes top well over £200 from the likes of the FootJoy Premiere Series Packard or Payntr Eighty Seven SC, to see the MC70 at £115 is incredibly refreshing. But were any corners cut to hit this more affordable price tag?

From a design point of view, all the notes have been hit. The silhouette is beautiful, while the detailing on the saddle of the shoe (here in green on the colourway I tested) adds another new texture for the eyes to feast on. Add to that the white stitching on the green banner running just above the midsole, and you have a stunning-looking pair of golf shoes.

Unlike the aforementioned Adiboost shoe, the MC70 isn't overly branded either. Bar the small three stripes logo up toward the top of the saddle, you wouldn't really know this is an adidas shoe.

Sure, the upper material isn't as premium as some of its counterparts (you can't expect that for a shoe of this price), but the leather/synthetic blend delivers the right balance of comfort, performance and waterproofing.

The MC70 uses adidas' Boost foam in the midsole (my favourite of the three midsole foams the brand uses in its golf shoes), as well as Lightstrike technology, offering the right balance between solidity and rebound for performance as well as the softness you need for walking comfort over the nearly 13,000 steps golfers average during a round.

The outsole utilises six cleats, two on the heel and four further forward. I could argue this is another cost-saving measure, especially considering the eight or nine utilised on most of the best spiked shoes. It probably is, but in all honesty, it's a more than functional outsole for all conditions. It definitely isn't as low profile as something like the Payntr Eighty Seven SC, which does a fantastic job of disguising the spikes on its outsole.

Overall, this is a well-designed, high-performing and pretty golf shoe at an excellent price point. If the classic look is something you're after but you've been put off by the higher price points of other brands, adidas may well have you perfectly covered with the new MC70.

They've not been in the industry for all that long, but already G/FORE has made its mark on making some of the best golf shoes in the industry. Some of its styles are brasher than others, however.

On the brasher end of the spectrum was the last version of G.112 that was released in 2023. It had some quite funky styling cues that made it a little more Marmite than the designers probably wanted.

Thankfully, for the new 2026 version, the Boudica-esque spikes that bled from the outsole onto the midsole of that version have been removed, and in their place arrives a much more subtle overall silhouette. I can't help but compare them to the Sun Day Red Osprey shoe, which, incidentally, I think is the best on/off golf shoe currently available.

One of my biggest frustrations with golf shoes is unnecessary writing. The only thing taking away from the styling is the unnecessary script on the outside rear flank of each shoe. It takes away ever so slightly from what is otherwise a very classy design.

On my feet, the G.112 were incredibly lightweight. Despite this, they don't feel at all flimsy. My foot was locked nicely in place, and the fit is excellent. Tight in the places you need it for the swing, but with enough give so as there's no aches or rubbing.

The comfort is enhanced considerably by G/FORE's crowning glory: the nubbed, massaging insole. This insole is a trademark of all G/FORE shoes and adds to what is already a very comfortable lineup of shoes. Every G/FORE shoe has this technology on the insole, and it works perfectly.

The nubs give the soles of your feet a little massage as you walk along, offering some light relief from being on your feet for four or more hours. It's worth trying on a G/FORE pair of shoes just to experience this sensation. You'll quickly be won over by the comfort on offer.

For $250 (£199), some might expect a more premium primary material than a synthetic PU leather. That being said, this material doesn't make them look or feel cheap, and the fact that they are water repellent means you get at least some waterproof protection should the heavens open up while you're playing.

The outsole is solid for a spikeless offering. Not quite class-leading - I'd give that to something like the FootJoy Pro/SL or Under Armour Drive Pro Clone SL - but it's perfect in dry conditions and will hold you steady in damp ones too.

This low-profile silhouette and not overly dimpled outsole absolutely lend this to be a great off-course shoe, too. This makes the £199 investment a little more palatable, considering the number of places you'll be able to wear it. Coupled with the three subtle colourways available, there's no reason this can't be a dress shoe as much as a golf one.

Overall, this is a really smart and sophisticated offering from G/FORE. The pared-back styling from the last iteration is much better, and the performance and comfort are up there with the best spikeless golf shoes of this year.

It's been hard to ignore the work of Matt Fitzpatrick so far this year. Three wins on the PGA Tour - including a pairs win that granted his brother Alex his first ever PGA Tour card - and you'd say the Englishman has had a more than solid start to 2026.

Matt has been wearing Skechers shoes since 2022, so is it a coincidence that the biggest wins of his career have all come after he started wearing the best Skechers golf shoes? Of course it is, I'm just having a bit of fun.

I am not for one second saying that his shoes are the reason behind his fast start to 2026, but it is a nice way to start a review for what is ultimately another pair of Skechers shoes that look very similar to the many hundreds that have come before it.

Looks are deceiving, though, and two technology upgrades have arrived to bring the latest hero Skechers shoe right up against some of the other best golf shoes on the market in 2026.

I'll come on to the new stuff in a second, but let's start with the Skechers hits. The Slip-In technology - so good that it has to be in the name of the shoe - very much does what it says on the tin. Used in Skechers shoes now for as long as I can remember, it allows you to slip your foot into the shoe easily without the back of the shoe folding down.

The stiffness of the heel area is compensated by the Heel Pillow, providing a mix of comfort and support to keep the foot as locked in as possible without causing any unwanted rubbing.

The outsole is well-designed and thought through. Skechers uses one of the most popular spikes on Tour in its outsole, and the seven Softspiker Tour Flex Pro spikes on each foot give perfect grip in all conditions.

One key change from Skechers shoes of old is the upper. Some - myself included - will have criticised other Skechers uppers for being a bit plasticky. The designers have clearly been listening, and a new Clarino microfibre upper makes for a more premium-looking and feeling shoe that cannot be accused of being anywhere near plasticky.

Another new addition is the Hyper Burst Pro sockliner. Used on many Skechers running shoes, it's designed to add energy return to the shoe during the swing and keep the walking comfort golfers need for an 18 hole walk.

While it's great to see the brand dipping into other shoe divisions and adding those golf shoes, I can't say I noticed much of a difference from previous Skechers I've tested. If anything, it was a little firmer.

Writing on golf shoes is a huge bugbear of mine, and this shoe falls foul of that in a handful of areas. From the 'Slip-Ins' writing above the heel cup to the 'Hyper Burst' writing on the midsole foam, it is all useless information that only makes what could be a clean-looking silhouette look too busy.

The most egregious writing is the massive 'S' logo on the outside flank of each shoe. It ruins what would otherwise be a sensible and clean design and turns it into something that looks altogether less classy. It's a shame, because overall I think it's a sensible and altogether familiar athletic-looking shoe.

All in all, the Blade Tour is a classic Skechers shoe in every sense of the word. Comfortable, practical, supportive, grippy yet stylistically challenged versus the trendier competition.

If I'm being honest, I think Skechers have made much better shoes in recent years, most notably the Go Golf Prestige and Go Golf Pro 5 Hyper. That being said, the Blade Tour still stands up as a practical and well-priced golf shoe that ticks pretty much all of the boxes from a performance perspective.

Payntr Golf is riding a huge wave of momentum right now. Its Eighty Seven SC spiked shoe was a clear outright winner of the best golf shoe from 2025 after my extensive testing, and the brand has started 2026 with a flourish.

Now with Jason Day, Min Woo Lee, Sam Burns and plenty of others donning the Payntr logo on Tour, there is some serious impetus behind a brand that started life as a cricket shoe manufacturer some ten years ago. Even Justin Rose, not officially associated with the brand, and who has free choice of what shoe to use, has been using Payntr over the last 18 months.

This latest release - the Reserve Classic RS - looks to supplement the already extensive lineup that Payntr has been developing while also bringing down the price point of its £200 top-of-the-line model, the Eighty Seven SC.

Spoiler alert: the Reserve Classic RS is very, very similar to the Eighty Seven SC, with one key piece of technology removed to bring this shoe into a slightly more manageable price point for some.

Looks-wise, this is very similar to the Eighty Seven SC. Very low profile and classically shaped, the only difference from far away is the brown stitching that runs just above the midsole. It's a smart-looking shoe, and the attention to detail on the design is second-to-none.

Many of the best technologies that made the Eighty Seven SC my favourite shoe last year are present in the Reserve Classic RS. That includes the Clarino Trivela microfibre upper, PMX Foam midsole, and the Fast Twist insert system on the outsole.

I love the upper material used on Payntr shoes. It's soft to the touch, reasonably breathable, fully waterproof, and looks great too.

The only tech that isn't carried over is the carbon fibre propulsion plate that sat between the outsole and midsole on the Eighty Seven SC. In its place comes a PMX Speed Plate, built to allow golfers to more effectively harness ground reaction forces.

It's the same, principally, as the carbon fibre version, just without using carbon fibre. The technology does a great job of allowing you to get the most out of your swing speed using the ground reaction forces happening as you transition through the move of the golf swing.

Golfers with a slower swing speed are unlikely to feel the tangible benefits of this technology, but faster players will no doubt feel the little extra help under the sole as they fly through a driver swing.

Is the carbon fibre substitute any better or worse? Honestly, at my 100mph driver swing speed, it is really hard to tell, so it didn't feel like anything resembling a downgrade to me.

This is another shoe that really nicely balances the mixture of softness and firmness underfoot. You need softness to offer comfort when walking, but not so much that the shoe can't support the foot through the swing. With the mixture of the propulsion plate and the PMX Foam in the midsole, the Reserve Class RS is a comfortable shoe that performs brilliantly.

As with all Payntr shoes I've ever tested, the outsole is one of the best features of the shoe. The TPU outsole uses seven spikes in total to offer complete traction in all conditions. Despite this, it manages to remain incredibly low profile, and you feel very close to the ground, unlike on something like the G/FORE MG4+ O2 Lock, where you feel quite far away from the ground.

It's hard to know what role this shoe is trying to play, other than to hit a price point. Undoubtedly, it has done that brilliantly, while also maintaining as many of the best Payntr technologies as possible.

Those who swing their driver at anything less than 110mph (which, for the record, will be most of you reading, myself included) simply won't see the benefits of the carbon fibre footplate in the Eighty Seven SC, making this 'cheaper' version a more than viable alternative. With that in mind, trimming this technology out, making the design look and feel so similar and reducing the price point is a very clever move from Payntr that will likely make its technology-packed shoes even more accessible to a wider range of golfers.

I've been testing golf shoes for the best part of five years now, but there's one golf shoe (one of the very first I ever tested) from 2021 that still stands out as a favourite of mine. The shoe in question is the Ecco Biom C4.

Five years later, its replacement is ready. Golf brands replace excellent products all too quickly, in my opinion, so I was thrilled to see Ecco take its time in replacing this top-tier golf shoe.

Having seen the new Ecco Biom C5 in person for the first time in January, and having now worn it for the best part of two months on the golf course, I'm ready to give my verdict. I'm excited to say even my very high expectations have been exceeded.

The standout feature of 2021's C4 was the fit and comfort, and I'm pleased to report the C5 excels in these areas with similar, if not better, levels of brilliance.

It's soft enough to provide a comfortable walk, but not too soft so that it feels like your foot is out of control during the swing. Combining the right amounts of firmness and softness is a balancing act that all of the best golf shoe manufacturers are trying to perfect, and Ecco has found that balance here.

Though I couldn't see a discernible difference between the heel area on the C4 and C5, my heel definitely felt more supported and locked in when testing the C5, allowing me to really throw my body and legs through the swing, knowing my shoes were there to support my feet in the places they need to be kept.

All in all, I felt the performance levels of the C5 have even bettered the C4 - I really feel like this is as much of a performance shoe as something like the Under Armour Drive Pro Clone SL.

From a looks perspective, not much has changed, bar a few refinements. This is certainly one of the best-looking athletic golf shoes on the market. It's not a classic style like the FootJoy Premiere Series Packard, nor is it a fully on/off course shoe like the New Balance 997; this sits somewhere in the middle. Clearly for golf, but with an athletic feel and look.

My favourite part is what Ecco calls its 'exhaust grid scoops' - the holes in between the midsole and outsole - which do two jobs at once. They look great, for one, but they also aid in scooping up cooler, fresh air onto the underside of your foot.

Combined with the Gore-Tex Surround, it makes for a fully waterproof shoe that is also immensely breathable. If breathability is what you look for in a golf shoe, this is the best in class for me.

The £200 might be eye-watering for some, and it certainly sits at the very top of the price spectrum for all of the best golf shoes of 2026. I can't decide for you whether £200 is too much for you or not, but what I can tell you is this shoe oozes every penny of the £200 investment, thanks to the quality of materials and finish across the shoe.

Not only does it use high-end Gore-Tex technology, but the Ecco Performance Leather is both luxurious and durable, making for a shoe that feels like every one of your £200 has been well spent.

Finally, the sock-like material at the very top of the ankle area is also neatly detailed and very soft to the touch. All in all, it's a very classy design that has had no expense spared.

My only minor gripe comes with the spikeless outsole, and it's something that has occurred on many of the best Ecco golf shoes I've tested in recent years.

While it performs absolutely fine in pretty much all conditions, it just doesn't quite give me the confidence of a spikeless outsole like the Adidas Adizero ZG or FootJoy Pro/SL does.

While the lugs are in different shapes, none of them protrudes at a different level from the others. That means if there is a slip, there's no lug there to grab the shoe as it moves. What I'm basically saying in a lot of words is that while the outsole performs perfectly fine, it's by no means my favourite on the market.

Overall, the Biom C5 is a spectacular golf shoe. It fits perfectly, the breathability is class-leading, the materials are luxurious and durable, and the performance is excellent. If you're looking to invest in the long-term enjoyment of your golf footwear this year, the Biom C5 simply has to be on your shortlist.

How does one improve on perfection? This is a question I've been asking myself every morning as I gaze into the bathroom mirror, and I'm yet to find an answer. I also imagine this is what the FootJoy design team was asking itself when it came to updating its now legendary Premiere Series Packard golf shoe, already one of the best golf shoes on the market.

It is a model, alongside the Premiere Series Field, that has been hugely popular on Tour for a sustained period of time and equally popular on the fairways of country clubs and municipals across the globe. Quite remarkably, around 40% of all shoes on the DP World Tour and PGA Tours are Premiere Series.

It's the epitome of classic golf shoe design language and high-end materials married together into a golf shoe that has the technology a modern athlete producing 190mph ball speeds needs. I was lucky enough to receive my sample pair about two months ago and can report back that, despite similar looks, plenty has changed for the updated 2026 model. So, has FootJoy done the impossible and improved on perfection?

To the naked eye, not a lot has changed. But, to a trained eye, there have been some subtle design changes. As for what you can't see from a first glance, there have also been plenty of changes that have somehow improved on what I didn't think was there to improve upon.

I'll start with looks. Very much evolution over revolution. While the stripe of colour and different texture running through the middle has been changed and is available in a number of different colourways, not much else has.

There's some neat lizard leather detailing across the saddle, hand-selected, premium full-grain leather across the upper and premier EVA midsole comfort through the midsole.

Some, myself included, would never have declared that any previous FootJoy Premiere Series was the definition of comfort. Often, they take a little bit of breaking in, and there are some areas where the shoe argues against the foot rather than works with it. This was a key area the designers looked to improve upon, and they have done so superbly.

Firstly is the new padded and moulded Ortholite tongue that locks the foot in place while also offering more padding on an often problematic area of rubbing on the foot. Indeed, the new tongue is much more comfortable than the last Packard I wore.

There is also noticeably more padding around the heel area, another problematic area of pain for some golfers, which only further enhances the increased comfort the shoe offers versus the outgoing generation. Those who have doubted the Premiere Series for its comfort before need to reassess for this 2026 model. It still takes a round or two to break in, but once you power past that there is ample comfort on offer.

These still aren't the softest shoes underfoot - shoes like the FootJoy Quantum or Skechers Prestige provide that - but they certainly offer the right amount of support and power through the swing as well as the walking comfort you need for the nearly 13,000 steps golfers average on the course.

The latest Packard has also been given a fresh outsole for 2026. The new ArcTrax outsole benefits from nine spikes and offers perfect grip on the golf course while still remaining brilliantly low profile compared to some of the other best spiked golf shoes on the market.

Ultimately, you'll be buying a pair of shoes like this simply because of how gorgeous they are - and they really are even better looking in real life. Thankfully, FootJoy has done a perfect job of marrying these looks with modern technology and even more comfort than ever before.

I think everyone who loves the game of golf should wear, play in and enjoy a pair of FootJoy Premiere Series shoes at least once in their life. The new Packard is the best of the Premiere Series to date and the culmination of all that is great about what a brand like FootJoy offers the world of golf.

It's been hit after hit after hit after hit for the best Adidas golf shoes of late. Ever since I tested my first Adidas golf shoe in 2022 - the original Codechaos 22 - I've enjoyed every experience I've had wearing the famous German brand.

Its latest shoe, the Adipower 26, has come in to cover a price point that Adidas does not quite have the perfect shoe for. Yes, it has S2G in this 'affordable' space, but no performance shoe, so the Adipower is here to try and find the perfect balance between price point and performance. So, how did it do when I took it out onto the golf course?

From a looks perspective, this is Adidas' first miss for a long time. For me, the whole design is just too heavily branded. I can forgive the classic three stripe design running down the side of the shoe - we've seen it used to stunning effect on the Tour360 24 - but the massive Adidas logo printed on the heel of each shoe is a step too far for me.

If you look closer, there is more. From the three stripes logo embossed on the toe cap to the 'Adipower' printed on the part of the outsole that bleeds onto the upper, it's all too much. Add the shock of blue in the hero colourway I tested, and it culminates in a shoe that screams rather than sings.

Credit where credit is due, however, as the leather materials used on this shoe feel far more premium than the £110 price tag would suggest.

The website description for Adipower describes a 'snug fit', which, unfortunately, is the understatement of the year. I already go half a size up in Adidas shoes as per the brand's own recommendation but, but even with this extra sizing, I've never experienced a toebox and forefoot area quite as tight as this.

Not only does the shoe squeeze in from the sides, but the room above your feet is bordering on nonexistent. Indeed, it feels like the upper is pushing against your foot when you walk.

I understand the need for a snug fit in a performance shoe, as any negative space within a shoe only allows the foot to roll around and lose energy, but this experience was too much to handle.

I'd likely need to go up a full size and a half from my normal 8 UK, at which point I'll likely have too much space between the end of my shoes and my toes and defeat the point of the shoe entirely.

Adidas has also decided to use its Reptitor foam in the midsole instead of the Boost or Lightstrike we've become more familiar with in recent golf shoes.

Repetitor is noticeably firmer than either of the other aforementioned foam technologies, and you can feel that in the shoe. Combine this with the 'snugness', and I left the course a little disappointed, to say the least.

In the interests of balance, I will say that the extra heel padding that's been added is a welcome one, making the often problematic Achilles area in Adidas shoes a problem no more.

From a performance perspective, I can't fault much. Though the fit was off-putting, it certainly kept my foot planted during the swing. This was complemented nicely by the outsole, which, like all the best spikeless golf shoe outsoles nowadays, performed well even in soggy conditions.

Much like my review of FootJoy's new Pro/SL this year, the Adipower shoe just doesn't make much sense to me. If the £100-£110 mark is your budget for a performance pair of shoes, a pair of 2025 Codechaos shoes can be found for £90, the Adizero ZG is £105 and even the ZG23 can be found for under £100

If you can stretch your budget, the Tour360 24 - a shoe that has been the best on the market before the Under Armour Drive Pro Clone appeared - can be found for less than £140 now.

What I'm saying is, there are a lot of better shoes in the Adidas stable that are better and more affordable than the new Adipower 26, so I question its place in the matrix. It's an unfortunate miss from the mighty Adidas team, but one that has done nothing to affect its current position battling at the very top of the best golf shoes in the game.

The FootJoy Pro/SL is one of the most successful shoe franchises of all time. It launched in 2016 to great fanfare as a clean, premium spikeless shoe that was instantly recognisable and incredibly popular on tour.

Since then, there have been subtle evolutions, but for 2026, it has undergone a dramatic transformation. Can you recognise this as the Pro/SL you once knew? I certainly can't.

It's like seeing pictures of one of your favourite Hollywood movie stars after they've spent months away from the public eye, only to see them reappear 75lbs lighter after hitting up the prescription weight loss drugs and with a full head of hair after a trip to Turkey. Is this transformation a good thing? I had to head to the golf course to find out.

Indeed, it’s pretty much a complete overhaul. New materials, a new outsole design, and even a new last (the foundational mould that dictates the shape of the shoe) combine to leave the new Pro/SL looking unrecognisable compared to the lineage of legendary siblings that came before it.

I’ll be frank and quick about my opinion on the looks: I don’t like them. The Pro/SL used to be a far sleeker and more luxurious-looking shoe. It used to be the most desirable shoe on the market not that long ago, but I don't think the same can be said now. This is my subjective opinion, of course, let me know in the comments if you disagree with me.

I’ve seen comments and have had messages about the ‘plasticky’ look of the upper material. FootJoy has moved to synthetic materials on the Pro/SL, but it is for a very good reason.

Leather is luxury, yes, but it won’t perform as well as the purpose-built synthetic materials brands are now using in many of the best golf shoes. By making proprietary synthetic uppers, brands like Under Armour and now FootJoy can manipulate the material to their exacting specifications and therefore build it to support and move with the foot exactly where they want it.

That being said, Under Armour has done a far better job in elevating the looks and feel of their new upper material than FootJoy has. Where the Under Armour Drive Pro Clone shoes have an almost matte finish and are soft to the touch, the finish on the Pro/SL is less refined.

Though I totally understand and appreciate the use of synthetic materials in a shoe like that, the finish and feel of the shoe doesn’t agree with the £160 price tag attached, again in my opinion.

The performance and user experience of this upper, and the Pro/SL as a whole, however, is exceptional. I can’t fault how the upper and outsole work together to offer golfers excellent support through the swing and grip.

The Z-Tec upper provides the sort of targeted stability you need from a performance standpoint while also allowing flexibility in certain areas to harness energy throughout the swing. It has the rigidity in areas that leather simply cannot provide, and is therefore a much better material to use here.

Spikeless outsoles have gotten better and better as the years have progressed, and the best spikless golf shoes can absolutely compete with the best spiked shoes for out-and-out grip.

The new outsole on this year's Pro/SL is the culmination of years of great work by FootJoy, the brand’s best to date and one of the best spikless outsoles on the market. For me, it's the highlight feature of this shoe.

I first tested these on an especially greasy day, where the ground was both sodden and with lots of surface water on top. The Pro/SL didn’t fail me once, and I could hardly tell that I was wearing a spikeless shoe, not a spiked one. The days of assuming that spiked golf shoes offer significantly more grip are gone, and this is a fine example of that.

Elsewhere, don’t expect a soft and cushioned feel underfoot here. Performance spikeless golf shoes are much firmer than the best casual golf shoes we’re seeing more of, but the Pro/SL is especially firm in the forefoot area.

While there is good cushioning in the midsole heel area where StratoFoam has been used, that seems to disappear the further forward you go in the shoe. It doesn’t make for the most comfortable ride for your toes, and it's one of the firmer forefoot areas I've tested in a shoe. Nevertheless, this has got a much wider toe box than previous designs, which gives your toes more room to naturally spread as you walk.

Again, the Under Armour Drive Pro Clone SL does a far better job here of marrying the stiffness and support needed from a performance shoe with walking comfort.

That being said, this is one of the lightest golf shoes I’ve ever tested. Around 30% lighter than the last Pro/SL, it will likely be the lightest shoe on the market in 2026, even more so than the likes of the Adidas Adizero ZG I tested last year.

Having to carry a light shoe on your feet does a lot to help foot and leg fatigue over the course of a round of golf, and it’s impressive seeing how much tech has been packed into the shoe.

I understand the vision for the new Pro/SL. FootJoy has looked to really target its purpose as a high-performance spikeless golf shoe, rather than have it exist as a jack of all trades at the very top of its hierarchy.

FootJoy now makes so many great golf shoes, it doesn't need the Pro/SL to do everything - it can now complement the likes of the HyperFlex and Premiere Series Packard among the very best FootJoy golf shoes by offering something different.

The extent of FootJoy's impressive shoe range creates something of a problem for Pro/SL. The HyperFlex is more comfortable underfoot and better looking, while the Premiere Series is a profoundly better-looking shoe that has seen a delightful 2026 facelift. And if it's pure comfort you're after, the Quantum delivers an unmatched sensation underfoot.

Though the new upper is technologically sound and the outsole is a very high performer, there are just too many nagging issues for me. Is it a backward step for Pro/SL? Possibly in terms of the visuals, but I couldn't fault the playing experience.

At Golf Monthly we have tested a lot of Sun Day Red gear from the apparel all the way to the shoes, and I personally can attest the performance is usually of such a high standard that it competes with the best on the market. The Osprey shoes for example, I gave five stars and shoe expert Dan Parker came oh so close to doing the same for the Pioneer Cyprus shoe as well. Well I recently got my hands on the new Presidio shoe to see if this continues.

Starting with the looks, the sneaker-style, casual, spikeless golf shoe section of the market has grown and grown over the last few years and I think this is another worthy inclusion. I think it looks fantastic especially in the white/gray finish pictured here, whilst there are more colorful options out there including white/red, white/blue and some black finishes. It looks modern without being over the top, and clearly the designers have decided to subtly reference key technology in the shoe, without overly shouting about it.

With a shoe of this type, a non-negotiable is comfort, and I am pleased to report these deliver exactly how I would expect them to. It features a full length proprietary EVA midsole and foam primarily located towards the heel which meant I could use these shoes right out of the box and I confidently wore them all day as well.

The mesh tongue sits nicely on the top of the foot and the breathability was good thanks to the mesh construction of most of the upper. Touching on the comfort at the heel again, it is worth acknowledging I often struggle in this area with new shoes but the padding and heel cup design really is outstanding from a comfort perspective.

Speaking of the heel, the stability in this area is top-notch as well. The shoe features an External Heel Counter which keeps the heel locked in and stable throughout the swing, and it is worth noting the outsole’s full length ground contact enhances the stability in my opinion. In other shoes I’ve tested there is ground contact towards the heel and front of the foot, and less at the mid-foot which can compromise that locked-in feel, but again, the Presidio delivers here. Now admittedly, from a grip perspective you will likely find more from spiked golf shoes but for a spikeless shoe, the performance is still good thanks to multi-direction lug placement and the different edges and styles of lug as well. All the different angles on the outsole are impressive and perform well to boot.

To conclude, earlier I mentioned there is mesh involved in the construction of this shoe but don’t fret because these are still 100% waterproof. I think if you are in the market for a comfortable, stable pair of spikeless golf shoes then the Presidio shoes are well worth considering. The price is at the top end of the spectrum in this area of the market, but the performance will not disappoint.

Under Armour has already released what I believe will be the two best golf shoes of 2026. The Drive Pro Clone and the Drive Pro Clone SL blew me away with the mixture of comfort, performance and looks. I haven't tested everything due to be launched in 2026 yet, mind you, but so far they're top of the pile. So, with this in mind, why has Under Armour also released this new Halo Tour SL, and who is it for? I went out onto the golf course and to the driving range to try to answer both questions.

Let's start with the what, before the why. The Halo Tour is a spikeless shoe based on the brand's flagship Halo running shoe, which many of you reading may have used before. We've seen brands like Adidas and Nike dip into their archives before to inspire golf shoes, but I can't recall a running trainer so closely followed for a golf-specific shoe, though I'm happy to be corrected here. Though more casual in its look, performance, grip, stability and comfort have not been sacrificed, and this is still a purposely designed golf shoe, just with its visual identity rooted in running.

From a looks perspective, I can see exactly what Under Armour is trying to do with this shoe (and I appreciate there is likely a large audience out there for it), but they're just not my style. Under Armour's Halo running shoes are a huge part of the brand, and the golf team has absolutely grounded this shoe in the running shoe aesthetic. However, they remind me of a Puma Huarache, rather than something particularly athletic. Too loud, too lumpy, too busy. The way the design on the back of the shoe vaguely forms the Under Armour 'X' logo is clever, but it's ultimately a design that doesn't form to my personal tastes.

The way I'm seeing wider golf fashion going - classic shoe silhouettes, baggier trousers, knitted outerwear - I can't help but look at this shoe as already a little dated. Golf has had its rebellious moment. Hoodies, joggers, sneakers that you can play golf in all feel a little 2019 to me, and this shoe seems to be screaming more at that audience rather than looking ahead to what golfers might be wanting to wear in a few years. This, however, is entirely subjective, and beauty is in the eye of the beholder. You may love this bold and louder look, and that is fine.

What I cannot grumble at is the performance Under Armour has packed into this shoe. In fact, there are few golf shoes so obviously aimed at the 'sneaker' market that can come close to offering the same levels of performance. But Under Armour, in its now trademark style and quality, has been able to pack levels of performance we likely haven't ever seen in a 'casual' golf shoe before.

The stability is superb, thanks mostly to the heel cup, which neatly cups your heel in place for a locked-in sensation that doesn't feel uncomfortable or unnatural. Though the midsole feels softer than in Clone (it might not be, but it certainly feels that way), there is still the sort of support you'd expect from a performance spikeless shoe, and my foot never felt like it was rolling around inside the Halo. It's a very athletic-feeling shoe all told.

The outsole, though good, isn't as good as that on the Drive Pro Clone SL. Nor should it be. Under Armour would be cannibalising its own shoe if the outsole on Halo was better than its flagship spikeless model. It's a solid performer on the grass, though, with different-shaped nubs and traction cones that offer decent ground penetration and plenty of lateral stability. Importantly, in a shoe like this, the outsole doesn't feel too uncomfortable off the course on hard surfaces. Firmer TPU outsoles can often feel slippery on harder surfaces, but the more rubber-like feel of the Halo's outsole leaves it feeling solid and stable on all surfaces. This shoe is clearly being marketed at those who wear their golf shoes from the moment they leave their house to the moment they return, and everything in between.

And I've worn this shoe a lot off the course, probably more so than on it so far. There's a walking softness I've not experienced in an Under Armour shoe for a long time. You can really feel the Hovr foam in the midsole working to cushion your foot, but not to the detriment of support through the swing.

At £120, it's competitively priced. There's a lot of shoe for your money here. The quality and feel are up there with a shoe that could be £30-£40 more expensive. Add to the amount of on-course, driving range and off-course wear you could get out of these shoes, and it's a very sound investment for the modern golfer.

My dislike for the design is my only real criticism of this shoe, and that's an entirely subjective opinion. What isn't subjective is the mixture of comfort and real performance on offer in this more casual design. I can't think of any other shoe right now with this design language that performs as well as Halo Tour SL does. So, if you're less of a misery guts than I am about the looks, this shoe will tick all of the boxes for you.

The Under Armour Halo Tour SL goes on sale on February 20th with an RRP of £120.

Having been a reviewer of equipment in the golf industry for the best part of five years, I’ve become accustomed to brands getting very excited about their new product. And who can blame them? It’s their job to get excited about products to journalists like me, who, having used the product, then go into the world to interpret that excitement into something more palatable for you to read. To cut a long story short, I feel a certain sense of having seen it all before. So, I hope those at Under Armour can forgive me when the initial excitement around the release of the new Drive Pro Clone and Drive Pro Clone SL felt a little like the same record being played over again.

However, it didn't take me more than about five minutes with the new Drive Pro Clone on my feet to understand that this hype was backed by a huge innovation in the golf shoe space, one that I think all golfers are going to enjoy. To further my record analogy, Drive Pro Clone isn't an old record being spun by the designers; for most, it'll be like listening to Dark Side Of The Moon for the very first time.

The goal of Drive Pro Clone is to address the longstanding issue most golfers have likely faced: that traditional designs often struggle to match the natural shape of the foot and the unique foot shapes that we all have. We've all been there. A good performance shoe that pinches or is a little uncomfortable in certain places, or a really comfortable, spongy shoe that doesn't offer all of the stability and support you need on the course. It's hard to find the best of both worlds. However, both Drive Pro Clone shoes are billed to offer this sought-after marriage.

The Drive Pro Clone borrows from but also improves on a lot of what made the original Drive Pro a great performance shoe, and adds an innovative new upper material and a significantly more refined look to create one of the best golf shoes I have ever tested, and one that might struggle to be beaten.

The headline new technology is a proprietary auxetic upper which, as Under Armour is saying, 'behaves less like a traditional upper material and more like a dynamic surface.' By expanding, contracting and shaping itself to the unique shape of an individual's foot, Clone creates a more adaptive fit that remains consistent throughout the round.

These were huge claims when I first heard them, but it all became abundantly clear to me as I first tried the shoe on a few months ago that this new upper material was going to be a game-changer for the golf footwear industry, in my opinion. Under Armour has utilised it before in football and soccer boots, but in this golf shoe, it felt to me like it offers the feel and flex of a knit shoe, with the locked-in sensation of a performance shoe.

To the touch, it feels like real leather. And it looks like it, too. It’s a stunning development in golf shoe material that will offer performance and aesthetic benefits and allow golfers with all foot shapes and quirks to enjoy the sensation of a comfortable fit and a performance piece of equipment at the same time. No awkward pinching areas, no rubbing, just a great fit and support to boot.

It's hard to describe how good the fit is without you having tried it on yourself, so if your interest has already been piqued, I'd urge you to at least just get one of the Clone shoes on your feet to feel the sensation of the material around your foot. Those who have always had problematic feet or uniquely shaped feet, I'd encourage you to be the first in line.

In other ‘performance’ golf shoes, I often get a pinching sensation on the front outer half of my foot, one which will often fade after a few holes, but is an aftereffect of the shoe doing its best to support my foot tightly during the golf swing. I felt no such sensation in the Clone, yet I could still feel the strength and support of a performance shoe that was holding my foot in the right place to allow me to swing my best through the ball. The upper material had adapted to the unique shape of my foot in this position and given it the space it needed to not hurt, but still support it. It felt like a real eureka moment.

Aside from this upper, the Drive Pro Clone benefits from the same Swing Support System that ran through the Drive Pro from 2024. The outsole is the same as on Drive Pro, one of the best spiked outsoles I've tested. It utilises nine spikes in total to provide the same exemplary grip. It uses Under Armour's own S3 spike in four positions and the class-leading Soft Spikes Tour Flex Pro for the rest. It provides the perfect mixture of ground penetration and lateral traction that makes a great outsole. I'm glad Under Armour didn't feel the need to adjust this, and the outsole complements the innovations of the upper perfectly. There have been some refinements to the positioning of the Lockdown Lacing to better support the foot, while the Hovr midsole remains the same.

These aren’t the softest shoes underfoot, it is worth mentioning. However, this shoe was never designed to feel like a trifle under your feet. Plenty of the other best spiked golf shoes and best spikeless golf shoes will offer vast amounts of cushioning or midsole bounce at the cost of better performance, but the Clone strikes the perfect balance between comfort and cushioning when walking, while the midsole and insole technology help you swing to your most efficient out on the golf course. It feels softer when walking than Drive Pro did, so if you found them too firm, there has definitely been a change in feel moving into Clone. Just don't go into this thinking this is the softest golf shoe of all time underfoot.

Aside from this groundbreaking new upper and the refinements to the Swing Support System, the looks are the next part of the Clone which have taken a massive leap forward. These shoes are a seriously premium offering. Sure, they’re still an athletic silhouette when compared to something like the FootJoy Premiere Series, but Under Armour has done an impeccable job of elevating the quality from a feel and looks perspective.

A lot of this has to do with the new material, which, up close, has a sort of ribbed effect on the upper, while the look and feel of real leather does a lot to make this look refined, classy and premium. The all-white colourway is a stunner too, and I'm glad to see the back of the blocks of blue colourway that I thought cheapened the Drive Pro.

There have also been some other conscious design efforts which have been executed near-perfectly in my opinion. The silver detailing at the bottom laces and the silver Under Armour logo on the rear so so much to elevate the look of this shoe. Everything that was wrong with the looks of the old Drive Pro - the colourways, the writing on the side of the shoe and the less-than-premium materials - has all gone in favour of clean lines and subtly design cues.

But, despite my love for this shoe, not everything is perfect. Nor should anything be perfect. They’re not the most breathable shoe I’ve tested. Fully waterproof shoes won’t ever be as breathable as their knit counterparts, but I’d put the Clone on the less breathable side of the shoe spectrum. Perhaps this is one of the very few drawbacks of the new upper materials.

None of this genuinely affects my enjoyment of this shoe, however. Since being given my samples in October last year of this and the spikeless version, I’ve hardly worn any other shoes. They are ideal for any occasion, any conditions, and leave you in a position to try and present your best swing to the golf ball every time. It's now a very tight battle between my two favourite shoes. Nothing has come along to dethrone the Adidas Tour360 24 I tested in January 2024, but the Drive Pro Clone certainly has the edge on it as things stand. Perhaps its recency bias, but I find myself heading back to this and its spikeless sibling more than any other golf shoe right now.

Quite simply, I'd urge any golfer of any ability to at least try these shoes on. At the £160 asking price for the spiked version, they're not cheap, but they're far from the most expensive shoes on the market. I'm confident you get every penny's worth in this shoe.

Credit where credit is due. We don't often see a lot of innovation in the golf shoe market, but this is certainly a moment where genuine innovation will hopefully see performance gains for you on the course. Even if you don't find yourself playing any better in these shoes, you'll certainly look better in them and be able to enjoy 18 holes of full comfort. Five years of reviewing shoes can often have me feeling a little jaded about golf footwear, but Under Armour has certainly perked me up as we head into a busy 2026 for new golf footwear. It's a new yardstick I can't see being beaten for a while yet.

The Under Armour Drive Pro Clone will be available from February 6th with a retail price of £160/$190.

I've just finished writing my review of the Under Armour Drive Pro Clone, the spiked counterpart of the Under Armour Drive Pro Clone SL, and I'm finding it hard not to repeat myself, such are the similarities between the two. Same new technology, same refined Swing Support System, same look, just a different outsole. I'd copy and paste my paragraphs from that piece into here, but that's lazy, poor journalism, and Google doesn't like that very much, so here I go again. Luckily, this is such a good golf shoe that I'm more than happy to tell you all about it. Is this the best spikeless golf shoe I've ever tested? I'll do my best here to explain why it might be.

The Drive Pro Clone SL replaces 2024's Drive Pro SL with a brand new, revolutionary upper material that offers golfers an adaptive fit that compromises neither on performance nor comfort in a new, much more refined silhouette. The goal of the Drive Pro Clone family of shoes is to address the longstanding issue most golfers have likely faced in that traditional designs often struggle to match the natural shape of the foot and the unique foot shapes that we all have. How can any shoe manufacturer make the same size 8 shoe to fit every size 8 foot on earth?

To address and hopefully solve this, Under Armour has introduced a proprietary auxetic material, the properties of which the brand has explained to me, 'behaves less like a traditional upper material and more like a dynamic surface.' By expanding, contracting and shaping itself to the unique shape of an individual's foot, Clone creates a more adaptive fit that remains consistent throughout the round.

It didn't take me ten minutes with either the spiked or spikeless Drive Pro Clone shoes to get a feeling for this new material. It holds snug on areas of your foot whilst simultaneously giving any awkward parts of your feet the room to manoeuvre. Often on 'performance' style golf shoe, I get a bit of pinching on the outsides of both of my feet. Normally, this goes away after a few holes of walking, and I put it down to the price of having a performance-built shoe that is keeping my foot locked into place.

With this new upper material, I felt no such sensation of pain or pinching in this often problematic area of my foot, yet I still felt I had the support from the shoe throughout the swing. This is my best effort at describing what the new upper feels like. In short, this is a golf shoe I'd encourage you to at least try on to get a feel for the sensation of the fit, if my description thus far has piqued your interest.

The new upper material has also had a strong part to play in the premium look and feel of these shoes. This is a huge leap forward in terms of aesthetics from the old Drive Pro, and I simply love the way these look. While they're an athletic silhouette still - not like a FootJoy Premiere Series of G/FORE Gallivanter - they still ooze class and quality.

The upper material is textured ever so slightly, adding some depth to the look, while the additions of silver detailing at the bottom of the laces and the Under Armour logo on the rear of the shoe help elevate the premium look of the silhouette. It's night and day in terms of looks from the old Drive Pro, which offered a clunky colourway and some less-than-classy touches like writing on the side of the shoe. I am vehemently against any kind of text on a golf shoe.

This, however, is clean, unfussy, premium and right on trend with where I think golf fashion will be heading over the next few years as we pull away from manic busyness in favour of calm cleanliness.

Elsewhere, Under Armour has either kept the same or refined the three elements of the Swing Support System that made the Drive Pro Clone's predecessors extremely high-performing golf shoes. The Lockdown Lacing has been refined and repositioned to offer more comfort and a better fit, while the Hovr midsole technology carries over, too, offering the ideal mixture of support and cushioning.

The best thing Under Armour could've done, and has done, with this shoe is keep the spikeless outsole the same. It mixes TPU with rubber nubs, with the firmer TPU positioned from the lateral heel to the medial toe in the most important areas for grip. It provides ground penetration and lateral support that is as close as I've tried, alongside the Adidas Adizero ZG, for a spikeless outsole that can nearly mimic the true feeling of a spiked outsole.

Though I've turned into a bit of a spiked snob over the last few months (in that I'd personally rather wear spikes at any opportunity), the spikeless market is still massive, and there are plenty of golfers out there who simply prefer spikeless, and that is fine. This spikeless outsole is one of, if not the, best on the market, so you spikeless fans out there need not worry.

As was the case with the spiked version, there has to be some room for improvement - no one and nothing can be perfect! This isn't the most breathable shoe on the market. In very cold and very warm conditions, I found my feet got a bit sweatier than usual versus, for example, a knit construction spikeless shoe. Perhaps this is one of the very few drawbacks of the new upper material, but it in no way reduced by enjoyment of Clone as a product.

So, as I asked in the title, is this the perfect spikeless golf shoe? Well, that depends on your preferences. I don't like to think anything can be truly 'perfect' for everyone, and I don't like speaking in too much of the hyperbole that plagues the internet; however, I can confidently say that I think the Drive Pro Clone SL is the spikeless golf shoe for 2026 that will suit the absolute majority of golfers out there.

Thanks to the adaptive fit, stunning looks and all-around wearability, there shouldn't be a golfer out there who can't enjoy this shoe. Since I got my sample in October, I've barely been out of it, and the spiked version, and I've barely had to think about it on the golf course, such is the subtly at which it goes about its business.

So, it's a case of going and trying one for yourself to experience them. If you're this far into my review, you're clearly interested, so go on, get out there and find a pair and let me know how you get on in the comments.

The Under Armour Drive Pro Clone SL will be available from February 6th with a retail price of £140/$170.

New Balance has been a dominant force in sports footwear for decades, and its recent entry into the golf market has seen firm favorites from the brand's lineup reimagined for the course. A perfect example of this is the 574 Greens V2.

These shoes draw direct inspiration from one of New Balance's best sellers, the classic 574, which has been a mainstay on pavements and high streets for as long as I can remember. The crossover makes complete sense. Take a shoe renowned for comfort and style, and tailor it for the golf course. A winning formula that has been adopted by numerous athletic brands, including Nike and adidas, which have quickly created some of the best golf shoes from classic designs.

First impressions are key when testing a new pair of golf shoes, and both from a visual perspective and a comfort one, I was very impressed. The silhouette is one I’m familiar with, but it’s as solid as ever. While the 574 is a hugely popular shape, I have to say I’ve always taken a slight issue with the boxy nature of the toe. That aside, however, the visuals are great, the bright white body is complemented nicely by blue and red accents near the heel.

Slipping the shoes on for the first time, they also offer that trainer-like comfort that is hard to argue with. With plenty of width, a lovely level of cushioning and solid support, these shoes certainly deliver when it comes to comfort.

Out on the course, these shoes performed admirably considering the wet weather we’ve had here in the UK recently. Despite being a spikeless golf shoe, the variety of traction elements on the outsole did a good job of remaining stable on the wet grass, and even under the stress of a driver swing, I didn’t at any point lose my footing.

The waterproof microfibre leather upper also did a fantastic job of keeping my feet warm and dry even when walking through long rough. The predominantly white upper was also very easy to wipe clean, which is ideal for when the ground gets muddier during winter rounds.

On foot, the 574s strike the ideal balance of lightweight comfort with enough weight to feel secure, and the relatively wide footprint only adds to the level of stability on offer. The CUSH+ insole also delivers a comfortable ride that stood up to 18 holes with ease, and I noticed no level of foot fatigue or discomfort at any point during my round.

All in all, the 574s are a really solid offering from New Balance that I think will really strike a chord with the fashion-conscious golfer due not only to their design but also the versatility they offer for on and off-course wear.

Ecco isn’t a brand afraid to try something a little different now and again. The Danish brand has certainly adopted some signature Scandinavian flair in its recent offerings, most notably the upper design of Biom H5, inspired by Norwegian Fjords and the Scottish Highlands.

Though dubbed a high top, I see the new Biom H5 High Top as more of a golf boot, or just a more comprehensive golf shoe option for the autumn and winter months. I was excited to see how it stacked up against similarly designed shoes in some wet autumnal weather.

This is a literal extension of the Biom H5 shoe I tested earlier this year. Supremely comfortable, but not without its flaws, this high-top version has a much higher ankle area and a slightly different pattern and design across the upper. I’ll start with the standout feature, which is undoubtedly the BOA lacing system. This dial fastening and loosening system is a joy to use (as it is on other BOA shoes I’ve tested) and allows you to get a more customised fit as well as adjust the tightness of the shoe on the move with such ease. It makes a lot of sense to have this system on a shoe that will predominantly be used over the winter.

The comfort is strong as well, as it always has been for me, testing the best Ecco golf shoes. The boot’s weather resistance is ensured by the proprietary Ecco-Tex waterproof membrane, which keeps your feet dry and comfortable even in the wettest conditions, while the BOA fit system does the job of providing adjustability to fine-tune the fit of the boot and mould to your foot shape.

Beauty is certainly in the eye of the beholder with this shoe’s design. I’ve had plenty of feedback from colleagues and playing partners, ranging from sublime to ridiculous, snow boot to high-end trainer. I’ll leave you to make up your mind on the looks, but for me it’s an undeniably bold design that, if you’re comparing it to a golf boot, is a much better job than the black lumps of plastic I’ve often tested.

From a practical point of view, this shoe certainly lends itself to autumn and winter wear. The high ankle stops any water or other detritus from creeping into your feet, while also offering a good amount of support around the ankle and heel, unlike a standard shoe. It’s not the most breathable shoe in the world, great for the cold winter months to keep your feet warm, but a little stuffy if you’re wearing them on a mild day.

However, much like the sister shoe, I wasn’t all that impressed with the outsole. Though competent in dry and damp conditions, I don’t have full confidence in my grip in fully wet conditions. The lugs don’t offer the same ground penetration as the likes of the outsole of the Adidas Adizero ZG, and I just don’t think it’s a great outsole unless you’re playing in dry conditions.

If we look at this as a competitor to the humble golf boot, it’s a very stylish and practical differentiator to the often dull and clunky winter boot. Only the outsole lets down this otherwise good golf shoe.

Puma are known for producing some of the best golf shoes on the market and, for this review, I've been testing the Ignite Elevate X, a spikeless, waterproof model.

Out of the gate, I was a big fan of the looks as Puma have made yet another shoe with a modern aesthetic, with pops and flashes of color interspersed throughout.

For some reason, it actually reminded me of a Nike golf shoe, specifically a blend between the Nike Air Zoom Infinity Tour Next% 2 and Free Golf NN, with Puma's ExoShell engineered mesh upper and flatter design providing a clean, smart look.

Available in five different colorways, I tested the white, black and yellow model in autumn and winter conditions. You may think that the mud and wet underfoot conditions would stain but, I'm happy to report, that the mesh upper wipes and cleans well.

Admittedly, being a spikeless model, I would recommend wearing the Ignite Elevate X in spring and summer. The sole does provide eligible grip in wet conditions, but the overall look is more suited towards shorts and joggers.

That's the looks covered then, so how about the performance? Well, when I initially slipped the golf shoes on, I thought they were slightly on the heavier side but, within moments, they provided a very lightweight feel, which has remained ever since.

What I particularly liked, and a common theme among the best Puma golf shoes, the Ignite Elevate X has a really locked-in and secure feel. This comes from the FloatPlate Technology and the ExoShell Upper, which performed superbly to keep my foot secure through the swing and walking the fairways.

Although my feet embedded into them quickly, the only slight qualm is that I would have liked more padding underfoot.

There is the FloatPlate Technology, which helped the stability, as well as Ignite Foam found on other Puma models. Personally, I thought it performed quite well, but walking the fairways I did find the experience slightly harsh on the soles of my feet.

What I will say is that the Ignite Elevate X would suit those with wide feet. It claims to be a regular fit but, because the mesh upper isn't rigid on the sides, it did expand when my feet were inside the shoe.

What's more, the expansion of the tongue and the lacing system in place helped with the overall comfort, as the adjustability on the shoe was a personal highlight.

Overall, there is a lot to like about the Puma Ignite Elevate X, with the looks and comfort making this a very viable option for the spring and summer conditions. If there was slightly more cushioning underfoot, it would take this from a good golf shoe, to a great one.

Tiger Woods leaving Nike still feels a bit weird, but now his Sun Day Red brand have become more established over the last few years, it has begun (at least for me, anyway) to feel a bit more normal. Launched in May 2024, they've now got a wider range of shoes available for us to buy - the Pioneer Cypress have proved to be one of the best spiked golf shoes, whilst the newly released Osprey golf shoes were described as 'outstanding' by Sam Tremlett, who awarded a rare five stars out of five review. It was my turn to see what the brand was all about, so to say I was excited to get out onto the golf course with the premium Pioneer Magnolia shoes.

One word came to mind when I took these shoes out of the box - luxury. To begin with the looks, I think these are the prettiest shoes I've ever laid my eyes on. Sun Day Red sorted me out beautifully with the navy and blue colorway and as a man who wears navy during 99.9% of my rounds, it's maybe no surprise I fell in love at first sight. For those that aren't as keen on navy, fear not, there are currently seven different colorways you can choose from. Because of this, I'd argue that these shoes look even better than the Pioneer Cypress shoes, and those look fantastic!

The build is one that enhances the luxurious feel - the Premium Full Grain waterproof leather feels as good as it look and will keep your feet dry when those unexpected showers roll in. You also get two different pairs of laces to choose once the box arrives at your door, one waxed for maximum tie-down performance, the other with a splash of color to elevate your style further.

Once on your feet you'll feel the blucher throat construction which SDR claim enhances both adjustability and comfort. My feet felt secure and at home in these shoes as I walked down the fairway of the first hole during testing, something I can't say about every shoe I've tested. A combination of supple calfskin leather and textile line the inside of the shoe a keep your feet nice and comfortable.

Now, these are premium-style of shoe which means underfoot they're a lot more firm than the majority of other golf shoes. I'll admit, these shoes do require a while to fully break into them. I had the honor of testing them at the fabulous Sunningdale Golf Club in which I was invited to play two round, one on the New Course and one on the Old. I wore these shoes for the first time on the New in the morning and after 9 holes, my feet were a little sore. I'm also prone to blisters, so I was anxious that they would cut my heels up and leave me in pain for the second round. Thankfully, they didn't, but I did change out of them for the second round.

Having now worn them for just over half a dozen rounds, they feel a lot more comfy under foot, but I'd recommend wearing them for a quick 9 holes a few times before committing to a round of 18 holes in them (go up at least half a size if you have wide feet, also).

The proprietary EVA foam with a 6mm heel-to toe-drop, once broken in, provides nice levels of comfort and is complimented by the high-density TPU full-ground contact plate outsole, which brings me onto my next point of praise - the grip on offer here is top notch.

I've been a big fan of some of the best spikeless shoes this year. I love the versatility and simplicity on offer, but wearing these shoes and feeling the grip on offer makes me want to go back to spiked shoes every week!

The aforementioned TPU outsole paired with the 9-cleat configuration featuring removable Pulsar Soft Spikes provided as much grip and security under foot as you could ever ask for. At both Sunningdale and my home course, Royal County Down, I played a number of times in wet weather and didn't come close to slipping once.

I wouldn't recommend these as a shoe to wear every day, unless you're prepared for them to get a little beaten up, which I am not. Instead, I'll be using them as more of a special occasion shoe in which I'm playing a course I've either been lucky enough to be invited to or if I'm playing an important competition. My first experience with Sun Day Red shoes was a really positive one and I'm excited to see what they have in store in the future.

New Balance is somewhat of a newbie to the best golf shoe game, but the brand has hit the ground running, offering a great range of street style-inspired models as well as more golf-specific designs.

The Heritage SLs certainly fall into the former of those two camps, taking direct inspiration from the brand’s rich heritage in trainers; that inspiration is clear to see as soon as you take them out of the box.

I got my hands on the navy colourway, and the initial impression was a very good one. The tonal panelling creates a dynamic yet casual silhouette that could just as easily be worn down the pub as it could on the course.

The grey accents and white midsole also offer a nice touch of contrast, making them incredibly easy to pair with any number of trouser or short options.

While looks are important, they undoubtedly play second fiddle to comfort and performance. Thankfully, the Heritage SLs also came up trumps in both categories.

Slipping the shoes on for the first time was a real treat; the trainer-like design performs just like I hoped, providing plenty of cushioning and a good amount of space in the toe box, which I really enjoy as someone with wider feet.

The shoes are kitted out with a Dyna-Soft 10mm drop midsole as well as CUSH+ revolutionary foam, which, despite sounding very much like industry jargon, certainly does a good job of providing a cushioned and responsive ride.

I’ve worn these shoes on multiple occasions and have never experienced any kind of foot fatigue, with a nice touch of bounce received in every stride.

Throughout the swing, the outsole provides a good level of traction for a spikeless sole, and thanks to the fairly wide footprint, stability was never an issue.

While I can’t give all of the credit to the shoes, they were also the pair I was wearing when I got my first-ever hole-in-one, so they will forever hold a special place in my heart.

I’ve only worn these shoes during dry conditions; however, they are built with a waterproof microfiber leather/performance mesh upper, and come with a 1-year waterproof guarantee, so they should hold up nicely throughout the year.

Due to the lack of spikes, I would say they are probably best suited for summer or spring golf, however, a little mud and rain isn’t going to cause you any great issues.

Those reading from the USA might be more familiar with the Sqairz brand than those of us here in the UK. Sir Nick Faldo's close association with the brand and the regular commercial slots Sqairz fills on the Golf Channel leave the brand with a much bigger footprint in the States than on this side of the Atlantic.

The unique part of Sqairz golf shoes is undoubtedly the square toe box. This deliberate design choice has been made to open up the toe box and allow the toes to spread more naturally, creating a better balance and more ground connection. I was fascinated to give this a go and see how close such a unique design could get to the best golf shoes on he market right now.

Sqairz make some very dramatic claims about the performance increases golfers can expect in these shoes, which piqued my interest. On its website, the brand claims these shoes will deliver an average increase of 12 yards in distance, a 3.9mph swing speed boost and 30% dispersion tightening. These are very bold claims, ones that are backed by two studies, one out of Utah Valley University and the other focusing primarily on the brand's baseball shoes. Both of these studies, however, have limited independence verification and are both promoted heavily on the Sqairz website (I can't find the studies published elsewhere). All of this means we have to take it with at least a little pinch of salt.

I haven't got the resources to conduct a fair, independent study to back these claims or compare them to the studies Sqairz have conducted. I'd likely want a few days, and at least a dozen different participants to get anywhere near a proper test, so I'll leave these tests linked here for you to read to ponder over and decide for yourself whether a golf shoe can offer 12 yards more distance with no swing changes. I'll touch on my anecdotal evidence later in the review.

Taking the performance claims away, I'll spend some time doing what I always do with shoe reviews, and talking about the comfort, grip and support on offer to let you get a better understanding of whether this is the right golf shoe for you. Alongside the square toe box, this shoe really is packed with impressive features.

The square toe box was fascinating to test. Firstly, it visually offers something completely different when you address that ball in these shoes. Impressively, the design means that, from the side, the square toe box is almost completely unnoticeable. So, if you're worried that these shoes will be something of a fashion faux pas, it's only your own view from address that is really altered by the unique design.

The shaping certainly does give your toes far more room to breathe, and allows your foot to sit more naturally without having to squeeze your toes together, which occasionally happens in more traditionally shaped toe boxes.

Sqairz recommend those who wear FootJoy, Skechers, Puma or New Balance to stick with their normal size, despite the extra room in the toe box, while those who traditionally wear Adidas, Nike or Ecco shoes to go half a size down. As an avid Adidas wearer, I can corroborate these claims, as I felt I wanted just a little bit more security around the foot.

The outsole is well designed, offering excellent grip that certainly keeps up with the likes of the Adidas Tour360 24 or FootJoy HyperFlex Carbon. There are over 290 points of contact with the ground, thanks to a combination of six Pivix Softspikes as well as a cleverly designed traction system that runs between the soft spikes. Stability was impressive, too. There is a TPU heel stabiliser that runs all the way to the arch of the foot, which offers a real sensation of full foot support as you work through the swing.

Another clever and unique feature is the Sta-Put lacing system. Here, Sqairz has printed small pieces of silicone onto the laces, which stop them from loosening as you walk the course. It creates a much tighter, more secure fit when you first lace them up, which also lasts the course of a full round. Though a few of the silicone pieces started falling off after only a few times wearing these shoes, there were enough printed on the laces that it made no difference. Though not a full-grain leather upper, the grain-texture microfiber upper is reasonably premium, soft to the touch and, most importantly, fully waterproof.

Overall, this is an impressive shoe, one that was slightly marred for me by the bold and brash performance claims the brand insists on making. Study or no study, I can tell you for a fact I wasn't 12 yards longer on any golf shot during the two rounds I tested these shoes and my dispersion and swing speed weren't noticeably different either. If I can find a big enough study group to give these shoes a go, perhaps I'll test Sqairz's claims out myself, but for now, we just have the brand's own testing and my anecdotal evidence conflicting quite dramatically against one another.

Ignoring these claims, and analysing the shoe for what it is, this is an impressive, comfortable, supportive and grippy golf shoe that will suit a wide range of golfers looking for a performance-based golf shoe. The extended toe box will be helpful for those with wider feet (or massive toes), and it offers something tangibly different and unique to the golf shoe market, which is certainly lacking a bit of variance and real innovation nowadays. Sqiarz offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, one that should give any doubters no reason to at least give these shoes a try and find out for yourself if the performance claims can be substantiated in the real world.

“What shoes are those?” It’s a question I’ve already been asked half a dozen times over the course of three or four rounds. No one I’ve played with so far has heard of Heathlander (I’m based in the UK), but everyone has been complimentary about my new golf shoes. They are, even if I may say so myself, very smart.

Heathlander was founded by passionate golfers Teddy Lynn and Mark Himmelsbach. Lynn grew up playing heathland beauties in the south of England, including the likes of Sunningdale and The Berkshire (lucky Teddy); Himmelsbach spent a lot of his youth playing heathland gems in Michigan, one of the few states in America where this type of golf course can be found.

Now working together for a boutique advertising agency in New York - which has involved some time in the golf industry - they’ve also managed to create a fairly niche golf brand. The mission, so they say, was “to build a golf brand for proper golfers - golfers who have the spirit of Heathlanders".

Well, I’m pleased to announce that I am a Heathlander, and now the owner of a snazzy pair of the brand’s shoes, as well as a Heathlander wind sweater and quilted vest. In this review, I’m going to see how they stack up against the best golf shoes as well as the best spikeless golf shoes on the market.

As you can see, these are a classic-looking model, but with a rather striking sole (I have the Surrey/Pink, but there’s also the Berkshire/Yellow, Devon/Light Blue, Wiltshire/Green, and Norfolk/Purple). Very bright and quite different.

I couldn’t wait to try these on, especially on my home course, Formby (and Formby Ladies), which - and you’ll forgive me for being biased - offers an unrivalled mix of dreamy links and heathland holes (the perfect place for the Heathlander test).

Despite September being very wet so far in the north west of England, I was quick to unzip the shoe bag, slip them on and head out. Inside, you’ll find a smaller reusable shoe bag (very useful) and an alternative pair of laces (mine were light blue). As far as first impressions go, top marks.

Hooking one left off the 1st tee on Formby Ladies, I found the heather - and I continued to do so for much of the round, purely for testing purposes. The signs are good, in that the pebbled leather upper doesn’t scratch too easily, always a concern on courses with lots of heather and gorse.

Heathlander hasn’t gone overboard with the tech talk. We know from its website that exceptional comfort and all-weather traction are priorities. We also know that the shoes have been built with a proprietary rubber outsole and shock-absorbing PeBax® insole for lasting support and grip.

I’ve now played three rounds of early autumn golf in them, where it’s been quite wet and slippery underfoot. It’s not unusual for heavier shoes of this type to need a little time to soften unlike some of the most comfortable golf shoes. This has been the case; in fact, I did change shoes after nine holes when wearing them for the first time. Since then, they’ve become a lot more supple, to the point where I’d now say that they feel very soft and comfortable.

Grip-wise, they’re impressive too. The soles are composed of three layers: a foam sockliner/insole, an EVA midsole, and a rubber outsole with 9mm rubber tread pattern. It’s unlike anything I’ve tested before, and I’ll be interested to see how durable it is. However, given that they’re not designed for off course wear they should give the wearer a good innings.

There has been a bit of chat online that the rubber tread could potentially damage tees and greens, although the shoes have been endorsed by Rob Collins, a renowned golf course architect and Heathlander fan, who hasn’t seen any evidence of this. That Heathlander also received an award for “Best New Product” at the 2025 PGA Show is another fine endorsement.

If I could change one thing about these shoes it would be the pink soles. I really like the Heathlander logo - which features this same color - but I find it a bit garish on the whole of the sole, even if you only show off the full splash of color when you hold your finish position. I’ve said the same thing about G/FORE golf shoes in the past, and I’m happy to be called boring.

I’ll also accept that some golfers are going to really like the pink. It might not be my preferred color - maybe we’ll see a choice of sole colors at some point - but I do really like the overall design style. I can’t fault the performance, either.

I think we’re going to see more good stuff from the brand, so I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled.

G/FORE has already proven through its growing collection that it make somes of the best golf shoes money can buy. The Gallivan2r and G/FORE MG4+ O2 G/Lock really impressed us during testing, which makes its latest release, the spikeless MG4+ O2 version of that same shoe, even more exciting. I took them onto the Championship Links at Royal County Down to see if they matched my lofty expectations.

I'll begin by talking about the looks on offer here. G/FORE has been known for bold designs in recent years - the G.112 and G/18 shoes come to mind in this regard, boasting some rather eye-catching colorways which, in all honesty, I haven't been madly in love with. However, pulling the MG4+ O2 shoes out of the box and seeing the Pumice and Chalk White colorway, I was sold on the visuals.

The styling is the perfect encapsulation of the modern golf shoe. The molded external heel provides a sporty look and a home for the G/FORE logo on the exterior whilst also giving the platform for unbelievable comfort - something I'll get on to later. Each pair also comes with two pairs of laces for you to choose from, allowing for extra color coordination opportunities.

There was good news and bad news from the first round of testing - it rained heavily for the opening three holes. This meant that I got soaked, but those conditions were perfect for testing the grip of the spikeless MG4+ O2s. I'm pleased to report the lightweight, water-repellent performance upper did its job and my feet remained dry despite the downpour. Due to the wet conditions under foot, the TPU sole that features what the brand call its Heel-to-toe Sawtooth Traction meant I didn't slip once.

The MG4+ O2 Spikeless shoe delivers the same performance as its G/LOCK Softspike counterpart, the only difference being they are designed without the removable Tour Flex Pro Softspikes for the contemporary golfer. It really was very impressive.

Now onto the star of the show with so many of the best G/FORE golf shoes - the comfort. I've reviewed some fantastic spikeless golf shoes that provide plenty of comfort. The Under Armour Phantom Fore and Duca Del Cosma Foro come first to mind. Although those were both very comfortable experiences, the unique ribbed insole with the MG4+ O2 and other G/FORE shoes arguably sets the standard for comfort in the golf shoe market.

We've spoken about it in previous reviews but I simply have to reiterate how enjoyable the walking experience is. If you're starting to ache and tire toward the end of the round, simply wiggle your toes or move your foot around in the shoe, and you can get a nice little massaging sensation. The insole is enhanced further by the Performance Mesh Lining that adds breathability as well as the Moulded External Heel Counter that keeps your heel where it needs to be during the golf swing whilst also providing comfort to the firmest part of the shoe.

If I offered advice to anyone considering these shoes, I’d recommend going a half size larger than usual, especially if you have wider feet. I found the fit rather narrow and I have rather slim feet so I can only imagine it could prove a tighter squeeze for those with wider feet.

All in all, these shoes are a shoe-in (no pun intended) to be one of the best spikeless golf shoes of 2025. Top level performance is matched by a slick but not too outlandish design that will look at home on any golf course. The durability of the materials and grip provided despite the absence of spikes means the MG4+ O2s are also an option as one of the best winter golf shoes and can prove a reliable option for players who play all 12 months of the year.

When Golf Monthly was offered the chance to test men's World No.1, Scottie Scheffler's Nike Victory Pro 4 Golf Shoes, it made sense for the No.1 golfer in our team to wear them. Unfortunately, they were unavailable - as was everyone else anywhere near a single-figure handicap - so it was left to me.

However, while I and many others might lack the on-course ability of Scheffler, I can earnestly say that these shoes give you every chance to eek out as much of your potential as possible.

While helping to create the Nike Victory Pro 4 shoes, Scheffler outlined comfort and stability as the most critical factors for designers to focus on.

One of the key features of the Nike Victory Pro 4 shoe is the fly wing - a small part of the shoe which connects the midsole to the upper for optimal lateral stability. I'll be honest, I don't love the look of that particular piece of the Nike Victory Pro 4, but it is a very small price to pay for the benefits it provides from a practical sense.

For Scheffler - who possesses a particularly unique swing - he needs that support when pushing through the ground and unravelling into the ball. That's where the fly wing comes in.

Although my swing isn't quite as dynamic as Scheffler's, I always felt like I had full support to move as I needed, with the aforementioned design playing a significant part in helping the shoe retain its shape and performance while swinging.

Working hand in hand, I also found the levels of grip in the shoe to be unparalleled. It felt like the ground and the shoe's sole were velcro, even when rain had fallen or was falling - I just couldn't slip. When I tried dragging my feet along the floor, it would either not move at all or I'd slightly rough the ground up.

The Nike Victory Pro 4 offers a kind of confidence in terms of traction that I would have a tough time believing could be surpassed, yet alone equalled in the best spiked shoes market.

More specifically, the actual placing of the nine twisted spikes is what makes this shoe so impressive when it comes to those two factors the men's World No.1 was keen to focus on.

Scheffler's input saw a lone spike placed in the middle of the toes, which I found not only spreads the load of your body weight perfectly but also means you can rotate the back foot with full confidence that you won't slip.

In regards to comfort, I really couldn't complain at all once they were broken in. The stiffness of the shoe was something of an issue on the first wear, but after that, I could have continued to wear them all day. They really are a joy to have on your feet and one of the most comfortable golf shoes out there.

If I had a slight complaint with the Nike Victory Pro 4, it's that they could be slightly lighter. I felt the overall weight of the shoe was a little higher than you'd ideally want, but it's not like you're walking around with bricks on your feet and there was no extra ache in my legs after 18 holes.

Returning to the plethora of positives, though, the synthetic leather upper layer is waterproof and looks incredible after several uses - not just fresh out of the box. Another aspect of the shoe which I really appreciated was the internal foam collar which offered an extra layer of comfort around the ankle. I think the overall look of the shoe will appeal to many golfers as well.

At the Nike Victory Pro 4's current price point, it has to be considered one of the best Nike golf shoes out there - especially because it works well all year round. And if it's good enough for the men's World No.1 and the No.21 player at Golf Monthly, it should be good enough for you as well.

Sun Day Red is a brand that has grown significantly in the world of golf over the last couple of years. Of course it helps having Tiger Woods fronting the brand but from my experience of testing the clothing and shoes, the quality is right up there with the best on the market. My colleague Dan Parker agrees, saying of the Pioneer Cypress shoe; ‘A luxurious and high-performing golf shoe fit to don the feet of arguably the game's greatest player.’ The only thing I don’t agree on there is ‘arguably’, Tiger is the greatest player ever Mr Parker. Regardless, when I heard the brand was going to release a golf shoe for on and off the course, I was very excited indeed because this is exactly what I look for. Enter the Osprey shoe.

The first thing you notice when receiving a pair of these shoes is the high-quality attention to detail. The box feels premium and then picking up the shoe it is lightweight and feels properly constructed. The stitching, premium materials and complete design combine to make the Osprey worth the $160 price tag in my opinion.

Then from a looks perspective I think these are currently my favorite looking golf shoes anywhere at the moment. Some might say the overall design lacks something to make it stand out, but I disagree. There are lots of little design flourishes all over the shoe from the logo on the heel and tongue sections, and the flowing lines of the shoe itself. Clearly the brand designers have said less is more here, and I love it.

As the quote here illuminates, this shoe has versatility at its core as well. I can attest the shoes work off the course in different social situations and I have worn them into the office for work a number of times as well. For me they are at the top of the list when it comes to the best casual golf shoes, and even best golf sneakers as well. They looked and performed flawlessly on each occasion, largely because of the minimalist design I mentioned above. There are four colors to choose from ranging from the all-white model I tested, to an all-grey finish, with black and white/navy shoes in between.

The other factor the Osprey really excels in is comfort. If a shoe has been designed to go from the course, to everywhere else seamlessly, your feet have to feel at home in the shoes all day. And I am not exaggerating here, but I can wear these shoes all day easily, because I have done so in testing at least four times. The fit is true to size and I am confident it will suit those with narrow and even wider feet too. The use of foam throughout the design, and specifically on the thick tongue and heel areas meant my feet felt nicely housed in the shoe whilst the EVA midsole system provided comfort underfoot, not too firm and not too soft. Importantly the breathability was good as well. I have tested shoes that cocoon the feet before and you can’t wait to take them off as they get too hot, but there is no issue here because of the subtle mesh tongue design. Overall these are some of the most comfortable golf shoes out there.

Next I should talk about factors like grip, stability and traction. I will come right out and say there are better models on the market for this, choose any of the best spiked golf shoes in our guide and you will get better performance in these areas. As a result these are shoes I would probably not recommend using in winter or in truly wet conditions because you will be compromising on performance here. However for a spikeless shoe they do perform in dry and damp conditions excellently. The omni-directional pattern on the outsole, and the heel counter give solid traction and functional support respectively.

Ultimately, despite the small misgivings about winter/wet use, I am not sure I can praise this shoe much more. For a sneaker-style shoe it feels luxurious and delivers on performance in the right conditions. To some, that compromise in the wet will be a no-no, but if you play in hot weather all year round, or you basically want two shoes in one because of the versatility, the Osprey is well worth considering. I’ve tested a lot of sneaker style shoes as has my colleague Dan Parker who oversees all golf shoe testing at Golf Monthly, and we agree that we would put the Osprey up against anything else on the market.

Payntr Golf has had something of a breakout year. Alongside its Eighty Seven SC shoe picking up my award for the best golf shoe of 2025, I've seen the model swoop up various other awards from golf media, too.

Not content with nailing the best spiked golf shoe of recent times, Payntr has brought out the Match Day SC to try and become the best spikeless shoe at the same time. To my delight, it's effectively the same golf shoe built on a spikeless outsole. That means all the same great looks, all the comfort and all the performance-enhancing technology built on a new platform. What's not to love?

Much like its spiked sibling, the Match Day SC is packed to the brim with technology armed to offer more comfort and performance. The carbon fibre propulsion plate situated just above the outsole is the real stand-out performer of this shoe. It runs the full length of the shoe and allows you to harness ground reaction forces more effectively. We've seen the use of carbon in the FootJoy HyperFlex Carbon, and each time I've worn a shoe with this material in it, I can feel the difference. Will the average golfer with a sub-95 mph driver swing speed benefit greatly from it? Probably not. But any 105mph+ golfers out there will feel a difference underfoot through the swing.

These things are nearly impossible to measure quantifiably, but I can attest to the amount of rebound I felt through the sole of my foot, both while walking and swinging the club. The foot locks closely but comfortably in place across the tongue area and the heel, giving that classic locked-in sensation you’d expect from a shoe of this type, while plenty of foam in the midsole and a 3D moulded footbed offer the comfort needed to walk 18 holes.

Like the Eighty Seven SC, the quality of the build and the materials are exemplary, easily making up for the higher-than-most asking price. The upper materials are soft while the area by the heel is a serious source of comfort in an often problematic area of the shoe for many golfers. The toe box is a little tighter than some, so maybe go up half a size or choose a different width option if you'd prefer some extra comfort by the toes.

The outsole is excellent, offering solid grip in all types of conditions, while still maintaining the same sort of low-profile build that the spiked model has. However, it isn't quite class-leading in my opinion. I much prefer it when spikeless outsoles have nubs on them at different heights as well as different shapes. Having nubs at different heights across the outsole means that if one nub doesn't grip the surface, another is there to pick up the slack. I find you get less of this on spikeless shoes, which have a flatter surface on the bottom. The outsole on the Adidas Adizero ZG still is the cream of the crop from this year, in my opinion.

As for the looks, well, they are also identical to the Eighty Seven SC, just without the spikes. I'll say what I said in that review: this design move has been a huge step up from Payntr and is likely part of why the brand has been getting so many plaudits this year. The unique styling touches on the heel of the 004 RS shoe are gone, and in its place, a refined, timeless and classic aesthetic has been created.

With the signing of Bryson DeChambeau and re-introduction back into the golf space, Reebok has made a fair amount of noise in 2025. This is thanks to its unique apparel, worn by DeChambeau’s Crushers team, and also at the start of the year the brand released three golf shoes - called the Nano (which Bryson wears), the OG Pump and then the Question Golf shoe. Well we can now add a fourth to that as well with the Club C Golf Shoes.

Chances are you would’ve seen the standard version of this shoe out and about because it is an extremely popular shoe, which therefore makes a lot of sense that the brand would manufacture a golf version. The silhouette is towards the sneaker end of the golf shoe spectrum, which has become more and more common on the market of late.

This comes as no surprise to me because I too want a shoe that can work on and off the course, look great everywhere, and yet still perform when I need it to when hitting shots. I will touch on the course performance in a bit, but I think these shoes look great, in basically all the colors they come in. They are undeniably versatile, especially in the all-white finish I tested, and as such I think they are easily one of the best casual golf shoes on the market, and one of the best golf sneakers as well.

So in the looks department I think the Club C’s deliver, and I am confident I can say the same about the comfort. The full-grain leather used for this shoe is supple and very soft, and despite perhaps not feeling as premium as the leather used on models like the FootJoy Packard LX ($245), the Club C only costs $100. So given the price, the quality of leather here is solid, whilst the comfort is excellent. The lightweight design lends itself to use all day, the fit is standard, and I particularly liked the soft terry-lined collar which housed my feet and ankles comfortably. The thickness of the tongue was noticeable as well because of its padding and just generally, my feet felt comfortable cocooned in the shoes. At no point did my feet get too hot either so that is a huge plus point for breathability. What’s the point in a versatile golf shoe you can’t wait to take off? No, the Club C’s I can comfortably wear all day.

Moving to the hitting experience and here is where I was a little wary because when some brands release a golf version of a popular shoe, they stick golf on it without changing or optimizing other elements of the shoe for golf-specific play. But I don’t think that is the case here because chiefly the outsole has been totally redesigned. Reebok has introduced a golf-specific spikeless outsole which features chevron-like arrows facing different directions to try and give grip. These 6mm nubs did a good job in dry, summer conditions of gripping throughout the swing, and I noticed they performed on very dried out, slippery brown grass as well. Admittedly in wet conditions you will be compromised a bit but realistically you could say that about some of the best spikeless golf shoes, if I am playing in the wet, I am opting for spiked every day of the week anyway. Speaking of which the Club C’s are only water-resistant, not fully waterproof so that is something to be aware of.

Overall if you are after a pair of summer golf shoes that you can wear as much on the course as off it, then I really think the Club C’s are worth a try. There are loads of sizes to choose from for men and women, several cool colors and importantly, these are only $100. So you can clearly get a pair of these for summer golf, and then a more waterproof-focused pair for the winter, and you are essentially buying a shoe you can use anywhere as well so this further heightens the value.

For more golf shoe buying advice, be sure to have a read of our best golf shoes and best waterproof golf shoes buying guides.

More and more golf shoes in 2025 are managing to bridge the gap between performance on the course and a look that works away from the course. TravisMathew is an example of a brand that excels here and the Daily Pro Hybrid Plus shoe is the latest in a long line of shoes that fit the bill perfectly. So much so that we selected them for our Editor's Choice Awards in 2025.

WATCH: Dan Parker runs through the best golf shoes in 2025

Building on the Daily Pro Hybrid shoe, which looked great in pretty much all settings but didn’t offer the weather protection serious golfers were after, the Daily Pro Hybrid Plus adds a waterproof upper to enhance the overall appeal. Importantly, this has been executed in a way that maintains the off-the-course versatility with a clean, fuss-free design and a choice of four colors to match them to your favorite pair of golf pants.

These shoes are very much athletic in their design - there’s plenty of mobility in the shoe, which some golfers will love although others may want the structure and stability the best spiked shoes offer. These shoes are true to size and fitted snugly without pinching in key areas, meaning the comfort on offer was impressive. They aren’t super soft underfoot, but there’s enough padding to cushion the blows as you walk and put a small spring in your step.

The grip from the spikeless outsole was ample - I certainly didn’t feel myself slipping while making an aggressive swing, but nor did I test these shoes in really wet conditions. Like most golfers, if the course was really wet I’d opt for a pair of cleated shoes, but I’m confident these would do a good job for any golfer most of the year in terms of traction. This is down to the plentiful rubber nubs that did a good job of holding my feet in position. The outsole also struck the perfect balance of offering some movement for walking comfort as well an element of rigidity to boost the stability on offer.

We’re all looking for value for money in today’s economic climate and there’s plenty on offer here given the versatility of the outsole and the look. The waterproof synthetic upper wipes clean incredibly easily, just enhancing its case when weighing up the best spikeless golf shoes of 2025.

Most of you have likely not heard of Goatlane, a relatively new golf brand, producing premium golf shoes, apparel and accessories. I'm here to make a change to that, and by the end of this review, you'll know exactly what Goatlane is all about. Its latest shoe, The Contour, might well be the best-looking shoe I've ever tested - and I want to tell you all about it.

The looks are what set this apart from any of the other best golf shoes on the market. In the black and white colorway I tested them in, these look more like a luxurious off-course golf shoe than something worn to play 18 holes in. Each pair is handmade in Portugal, and you can see that quality and craftsmanship as soon as you take the shoes out of the box.

It also means any £220 investment into these shoes suddenly feels like decent value for money, considering the amount of wear you'll get out of them on and off the course. If this black-and-white option isn't to your taste, there are some similarly smart and stylish colourways to choose from. The silhouette is nice and has a low profile, while the overall styling of this shoe reminds me of non-golf shoes designed by Arne or Axel Arigato. When you consider the dustbag and extra pair of laces that come with every order, the £220 price tag seems to represent decent value for money for a product of this quality.

Though this shoe looks like it leans more into the off-course wearability than out-and-out performance on the course, I was pleasantly surprised. It can't stack up against the best spikeless shoes made for performance, like the Adidas Adizero ZG or Under Armour Drive Pro SL, but then again, this shoe wasn't built to. The outsole is certainly built for golf. Using 4mm rubber nubs across the outsole, it offers decent grip in both dry and wet conditions, with the water-resistant upper meaning you can use these in a sharp rain shower or if there is a little surface moisture on the ground.

My heel felt pretty well locked into place, too, adding to the impressive performance on the golf course. The footbed is incredibly comfortable, while the shoe itself is supportive enough through the swing without feeling too constrictive - it really does a great job of blending on-course and off-course comfort.

Such are the premium materials used throughout this shoe, they do take some taking care of. Keeping them in the accompanying dustbag and cleaning them thoroughly after every round will be vital to keeping these in good shape, and will require much more attention than cheaper golf shoes for sure.

All in all, this is by far one of the best-looking golf shoes I've ever tested. I've never received so many compliments about a pair of shoes before. Truth be told, I've been wearing them more off the course than on them, but I was still really impressed with the quality of performance from a shoe that looks more at home away from the golf course. If you're looking for something a little more luxurious and a little different this year, Goatlane's Contour is a beautiful and unique option.

It's a lesser-known brand, but when I think of Duca Del Cosma, the word that comes to mind is premium. I got my hands on the Duca Del Cosma Davanti shoes last year, and not only did they prove to be my favorite to date from the brand, they were my favorite pair of golf shoes in 2024, period. Thus, when the new Foro shoes arrived at my front door, I was suitably excited to give them a test run.

Unfortunately, that first test run came in rather wet, rainy conditions at Royal County Down. Given that I'm Irish and have over a decade of caddying experience at the club, you can imagine this wasn't my first rodeo in the wet conditions. It also gave me a great opportunity to test out one of Foro's main selling points - waterproofing.

Don't laugh, but Duca Del Cosma has used what they called their 'Waterproof Bootie System' to ensure waterproofing and dry feet. This, coupled with the lightweight waterproof coated vacuum knitted fabric with high frequency welded upper, kept my feet dry despite playing in substantial rain for the best part of two hours. The grip from the outsole also impressed me, with the only time I lost grip being when I hit a drive way off line and left myself a horrible shot with the ball way above my feet in the rough. With every other shot, whether from the fairway or rough, I felt nicely locked into the ground despite the wet underfoot conditions.

My one criticism of the Davanti shoes I tested last year would be that they were a little on the heavy side compared to some of the best spikeless shoes. Fortunately, Duca Del Cosma has addressed this by delivering one of their lightest shoes to date. The high-quality and robust Airplay Roma outsole and the lightweight EVA midsole meant these were a pleasure to walk in and never caused any foot fatigue. Although they weren't the most comfortable golf shoe upon my first few wears, I have already noticed an improvement in comfort as I break them in more and have no doubt they'll be on par with the comfort I experience with the Davanti shoes thanks to the INSITE ArchRelief support insoles that provides additional comfort, rebound & cushioning.

To conclude with the looks, I can see them splitting opinions. As commonly seen with Duca shoes, the midsole means they look and feel quite elevated - this doesn't bother me at all personally, but some of my playing partners expressed this style and feel would not be their preference from a golf shoe. I tested the funky gum pink and blue colorway which certainly turned some heads in the club car park and first tee box. I'm not sure I'd choose this colorway over some of the other options, but I commend the designers for opting for a rather bold style rather than simply conforming to the boring norm we see from shoes all too often.

This colorway also makes them trickier for me to wear off the course, but an all white option is there for those who want to pair them with casual outfits and wear out to dinner or out for a drink on a Saturday night - they'll certainly look the part in that regard.

I don't think I can say I prefer these to the Davanti shoes from 2024, but given how highly I rate the latter, this was always going to be a high bar to clear. Coming in at £159 RRP, these remain a stylish and sophisticated spikeless shoe that will deliver plenty of grip and performance whilst keeping your feet bone dry in wet conditions - something that cannot be said for the majority of spikeless golf shoes.

My view on spikeless golf shoes has completely flipped in recent years. Ask me four or five years ago what I thought of them, and I'd advise you never to go near them, mainly due to a lack of grip and traction on the golf course as the reason. Now, if you're unfortunate enough to bump into me on a golf course, I'll almost certainly be wearing a pair of spikeless shoes, as using them has proven that opinion to be completely false.

I'm a bit of a hoarder when it comes to shoes, so I keep a number of my favorites in my rotation, most notably the Duca Del Cosma Davanti, the Under Armour Forge 96 and the Jordan ADG 4. Of course, there are a few spiked shoes in that rotation as well, but the majority are spikeless as I find them the easiest and comfiest to wear. Out of all the options in my collection, these new Under Armour shoes may be the best and most comfortable of the lot...

The Phantom Fore shoes are the epitome of comfort. After my first spin with them on the golf course, I soon realized that these shoes would be on my feet a lot, both on and off the course. Since getting my hands on them they have been just about everywhere - on the course, to the gym and even on mountain walks! The source of this comfort is UA's HOVR+ cushioning, which reduces impact, returns energy and helps propel you forward, making these one of the best golf shoes for walking.

The comfort starts pretty much immediately after you put them on, courtesy of the knit collar and tongue for a sock-like fit. We noted in our review of the previous iteration of this shoe last year that the sock-lining proved tricky to slide into sometimes, but I had no such issues with the newer version. The Supportive TPU heel counter and accompanying heel pull mean it's dead easy to slide them both on and off, too.

One thing of particular importance to me when looking for the right shoe is breathability. Unfortunately, I'm prone to getting quite sweaty feet, especially on warmer days and I find the majority of golf shoes don't give me enough breathability, negatively impacting my comfort as a result. I tested these shoes at Royal County Down amid some surprisingly warm weather, and I was blown away at the breathability on offer, so much so that I'd class them as the most breathable and comfortable golf shoes I've ever worn.

They also held up in the rain. Thanks to the soft, molded TPU-coated foam upper with knit collar and NeverWet-treated knit, coupled with the lightweight waterproof membrane, means you're protected from those unexpected showers that may roll in halfway through your round. There's also a one-year waterproof warranty included for your peace of mind.

As for actual on-course golf performance, I was really impressed. I questioned how stable I would feel in the knit-sock style shoe but never once felt insecure or off-balance despite hitting from a range of undulating lies. Of course, spiked shoes are likely to perform better in wet conditions, but I felt confident and secure in the Phantom Fore shoes when it was wet underfoot.

Additional directional rubber studs helped me feel locked into the ground, and during my testing, which took place over nearly a dozen rounds, I didn't slip once.

Finally, the looks are wonderful. I got the all white colorway and loved them, especially with how they combined with the coloring of the undersole. Although they are slightly elevated compared to other golf shoes out there, I never felt too far from the ground and thought the aesthetic was up there with some of the best golf sneakers out there.

Considering the performance on offer both on and off the course, a rye smile entered my face when I saw the price tag of £110. The price of golf shoes, as well as pretty much all golf equipment and accessories, has spiralled in recent years, which has made it harder to find true value. I think you would be hard pressed to find a better value golf shoe in 2025.

I received the Nike Air Max Plus G golf shoes a few days before I was due to play a series of rounds in quick succession - and I fell in love the moment I opened the box. The pristine white, iconic design of the Nike Air Max Plus G transported me on a nostalgic journey back in time, visiting all of the great pairs of Nike Air Max Plus trainers I wore growing up. While many of the best Nike shoes have taken direct inspiration from the off-course counterpart, these were the ones I was waiting for.

With several rounds planned for the days after I first slipped them on, I was excited to truly put them to the test... and they did not disappoint, quickly becoming what we think is one of the best golf shoes to have launched this year.

This shoe is more than just a fashion piece, standing up to the test of tricky terrains and plenty of mileage due to the inevitable zigzagging of my below-average golf game.

Aesthetically, they are perfect, down to the finest detail, like the recognisable TN logo on the heel and sole - but the comfort levels they provide are also elite. The stability they provide is at the high levels you would expect from a premium golf shoe, giving me the confidence to really get after each shot and eek out that extra distance.

Typically, after a round of golf, I can't wait to get out of my golf shoes, but as one of the best spikeless shoes, the Nike Air Max Plus G are versatile enough to wear both on and off the course. I was so content that I decided to sit on the patio and have a few drinks with my playing partners without feeling the need to limp back to my car and retrieve my 'comfy' shoes.

The outer material is also really easy to maintain, needing just a quick wipe with a damp cloth or a blast with the air compressor as I exit the 18th green.

As the weather turned considerably warmer in mid-May, I did notice a slight breathability issue, but to be honest, I think any golf shoes would have struggled to negotiate the soaring temperatures.

I am yet to try them in particularly wet or muddy conditions, mainly due to the glorious spring we are experiencing, but I am sure that, due to the robust build, they will be more than up to the task right through until winter. Overall, I would say that these are my favourite golf shoes that I have owned to date, and I would highly recommend them to anyone wanting a comfortable, eye-catching pair for the 2025 golf season.

Pluto Golf is a new streetwear-inspired golf brand that has recently landed on the scene, and it’s making a splash with a striking array of apparel, accessories and footwear. The brand’s first attempt at designing one of the best golf shoes in a crowded market, the P1 boasts a sneaker-inspired design akin to that of a Nike Air Force One, but thanks to an altered outsole and increased cushioning, it’s the perfect fit for the course.

I’m a big fan of golf shoes that can be worn off course without sticking out, and that’s exactly what the P1s deliver. The panelled leather upper and large P logo will turn heads on the course and the pavement for all the right reasons. The timeless design is by no means groundbreaking, but it hits all the right notes for the fashion-conscious golfer.

In terms of features, the P1 is kept relatively simple; there are no spikes, and the thick midsole doesn’t boast any kind of flashy air support system. Despite that, the insole provides plenty of cushioning, and the padded heel area delivers a really solid fit around the ankle. In terms of fit for the rest of the foot, there is a good amount of space in the midfoot, but I would recommend going up half a size in order to allow for a slightly more roomy fit in the toe box.

As far as performance is concerned, the P1s are solid without being spectacular. The stability on offer is good, and in summer conditions when the fairways are dry, the outsole does a good job of keeping your feet under control. It’s fair to say, however, that the outsole is somewhat lacking in pronounced traction elements, which could make things a little slippery with moisture underfoot. With that being said, the P1s are definitely more of a summer spikeless golf shoe than an all-rounder, and for that reason, we don’t want to cast too much shade on the design.

With a fantastic array of colours available, these shoes are incredibly versatile, perhaps more so than any other shoe on the market. The P1s are absolutely ideal for those who want to walk off the golf course not wanting to look like they have just played golf. While that may sound silly, the way modern golfers like to dress it is definitely a serious consideration for many people.

At £123, these shoes offer good value, and the quality of construction certainly justifies it too. Versatile, stylish and perfect for those who prefer a more modern look, the P1 is an excellent offering from Pluto and one that I’ll be wearing a lot this season.

Puma has really upped the ante this year when it comes to footwear, and the Royale shoes are without a doubt one of the best golf shoes of 2025. Puma is one of the heavy hitters in the category and has had a good presence on Tour for a number of years. Despite that, I always believed something was missing from its armoury, a really good-looking pair of performance shoes that have a more formal design. In 2024, we met the Avants, which looked to be heading in that direction, and PUMA has gone one further this year, finally filling that spot with a standout model in the Royale.

As soon as I caught a glimpse of these shoes, I knew I was in for a treat. Puma has opted to take a much more refined approach to branding with the Royales, with the trademark Puma logo featured across the body created using faint perforations rather than a large eye-catching print or colour. This decision works wonders. I wouldn’t say I dislike the Puma logo, however, the lower profile design does add a touch of class to the whole look.

A blue welt that runs the whole way around the shoe looks very similar to that of a G/FORE Gallivan2r, and it’s again a design decision that seamlessly elevates the look of the shoe. Small logos on the heel and tongue let you know the shoes are Puma, but they are subtle enough not to distract from the overall design.

The rest of the shoe, it has to be said, is left very simple. The premium full-grain leather does most of the talking, leading to an ultimately very classy visual. In terms of comfort, these shoes are top-notch. The PROFOAM midsole is one of the best in the business, delivering lovely cushioning and a real sensation of energy return in every stride.

With ample padding around the heel and plenty of room in the toe box, the upper delivered long-lasting comfort, with no annoying rubbing or cramping to report. In terms of performance, the Flexspike outsole does a fantastic job of providing both stability and traction. The eight rubber spikes on the sole grip the turf nicely, while the main body of the outsole delivers enough flexibility to allow you to utilise ground force without sacrificing anything in terms of stability through the swing.

All in all, there is little to fault with the Royale. The design is simple but stunning, allowing it to be paired with almost any outfit, and the performance is good enough to go head-to-head with any of the best spiked golf shoes of 2025.

Costing £114.99, the Royale’s also offer excellent value, coming in at a lower price point than their competitors by a considerable margin. If you love simple style, premium performance and excellent value, then these are the shoes for you.

It was a sad day when Tiger Woods left Nike. It was a brand partnership that I never thought was going to die, but all good things must come to an end. Nike did, and still does, make some of the best golf shoes around, so it was always going to be interesting to see where Tiger went after his deal ended.

While he ended up in a pair of FootJoy Premiere Series shoes for a while, in the end, Tiger launched his own brand to wear for the autumn of his career. Enter Sun Day Red. The strange syntax and somewhat rudimentary logo took some online criticism when it first launched in May 2024, but my experience with the brand's Pioneer Cypress shoe - the now shoe of choice for Tiger Woods - put any preconceptions I may have had about the brand to one side.

The quality of these shoes right out of the box gives you a much better idea of what this brand is all about. At $250, you'd probably expect that the quality is high, but it's the attention to detail and the craftsmanship that genuinely sets them apart from the competition. I commended the new FootJoy Premiere Series Packard LX for its levels of quality, and the Pioneer Cypress is right up there alongside it. The stitching, the full grain leather, the embossed logo on the heel, the logos under the outsole, the perforations in the soft leather all come together to create a shoe that looks, feels and even smells like every cent of your $250 investment.

Stunning to look at, the Pioneer Cypress is also one of the most technology-filled golf shoes I've ever tested. Tiger's well-documented injuries mean he has very exacting requirements when it comes to his golf shoe. One is the 6mm heel-to-toe drop that allows you to leverage more of the ground as you work through the golf swing. Fit is also vital, and to help this the shoe uses a supple calf skin leather in the liner to create a comfortable and luxurious fit. The fit is true to size, too, though if you have a wider foot, going up half a size is a good idea.

The outsole is one of the more impressive spiked outsoles I've tested in recent times, too. It uses a high-density TPU contact plate with a nine-spike configuration, which delivers superb traction in all conditions. Despite the impressive grip, it's a low-profile outsole that doesn't make you feel like you're too far off the ground. Some outsoles, like that on the G/FORE MG4+ O2 are far too bulky, but the Pioneer Cypress has found the right balance here, in my opinion.

The Pioneer Cypress also comes as standard with two insoles, or footbeds, as shoe manufacturers like to call them. One is a standard smooth footbed that you see on 99 percent of golf shoes, but it also comes with a nubbed insole that massages your foot as you walk along. I've only ever seen this on G/FORE shoes before, and it's a nice addition that you'll likely want to use once you've got used to the initially strange sensation underfoot.

There's not much more praise I can give this shoe, and there's barely anything I can fault besides the hefty price tag. It's a luxurious shoe, but one that still delivers on overall performance. It's undoubtedly an indulgent purchase, but one I think any golfer will enjoy round after round, especially if you favor more stable footwear.

I once overheard someone who shall remain unnamed call Skechers 'the brand that style forgot.' Harsh though I thought this was (Skechers sold nearly 300 million pairs of shoes in 2024, so they can't be that ugly), I thought this was likely a fair assessment for its recent golf shoes. Last year's Go Golf Blade was a plastic and cumbersome on the eye, and I'd worried the brand had lost its way entirely after a few years of average attempts and crafting the best golf shoes.

WATCH: See the Go Golf Prestige shoes in action as part of Editor's Choice in 2025

So, imagine my surprise as I unboxed the latest Go Golf Prestige to see a subtle, detailed and altogether classy brogue-style golf shoe. 'Is that really a Skechers shoe?' the same person asked me of the new Prestige. Yes, yes it is.

This brogue-style shoe is subtle with some lovely stitched detailing that runs through the middle and rear of the silhouette. In the white/brown colourway I tested it in, the brown banner that runs just above the midsole is another nice design cue that elevates the whole silhouette. I know it's not as good-looking as something like the FootJoy Premiere Series Packard LX, but for a Skechers, I have to say this is a vast improvement on last year's efforts.

However, one thing that really frustrates me is writing on golf shoes. I'm already wearing the shoe, I don't need to be told (or tell everyone around me) the technology that my shoe has! The 'Skechers Slip-Ins' writing on the heel of the shoe really does take away a little of what is otherwise a classy look, in my opinion. Truth be told, I'm searching for criticism here, such is how impressed I am with Skechers about-turn on styling this year.

The bonus is that you can now get these classy looks with all of Skechers' best shoe technology. While I've doubted some of the looks and some quality issues with recent Skechers golf shoes, I've never doubted the effectiveness and comfort of the Slip-In and Arch Fit technology, so the Prestige feels like a very happy medium between looks and practicality.

Skechers' Slip-In technology is back again, with the reinforced heel allowing you to slip on these shoes without having to bend down to adjust the ankle area. My foot really did slide into these super easily, and I enjoy not having to bend down to fiddle with the ankle area. Of course, you still have to bend down to tie the laces, but I've not got the time or energy to argue with Skechers' Slip-Ins marketing jargon today - it's not totally hands free.

To make this reinforced heel as soft as possible once you've forced your foot into the shoe, Skechers has added its Heel Pillow technology. This is truly one of the softest heel experiences I've tested in a golf shoe, and if you find this particular part of your foot painful or problematic in other shoes, then the Skechers could be your answer to more comfort. There's a lot of padding, but my foot still felt nicely supported in this important area of the shoe for good performance.

Arch Fit is a game changer for those with flat feet like myself. It gently lifts the arch of your foot upwards to help reduce foot fatigue and overall aches and pains. I've used this in many of the other best Skechers golf shoes I've tested over the years and can't fault the comfort, cushion and genuine help with my flatter feet. You don't have to be flat-footed to benefit from Arch Fit, but it's even better if you are!

The version I tested benefits from a solid spiked outsole using Softspikes with the replaceable Pulsar pin system. The grip is excellent in all conditions, and I can't fault how I felt when swiping the club in these shoes. If the spiked outsole isn't for you but you like the look of the Prestige, then you'll be thrilled to know the SL version has a fully spikeless outsole - everyone's a winner!

Overall, this is a marked improvement from Skechers from a looks perspective, while its renowned comfort innovations are still performing well. Adding these shoe technologies into this classy, subtle silhouette shows that Skechers can design good-looking shoes and has executed this particular example with aplomb.

No brand returning to golf better symbolises the rise of casual golf shoes quite like New Balance. Known primarily for its street sneakers and shoes from other sports like running, football and tennis, the brand has now been making golf shoes for a couple of years. Its latest offering, the 480 SL, blends a classic silhouette with a golf-specific outsole that is aiming to be one of the best spikeless shoes of 2025.

It's worth noting that shoes like this, which are a street sneaker style taken to golf, are purpose-built golf shoes, and not just a street shoe with a golf outsole slapped onto the bottom. I could tell this straight away with the 480 SL, especially with how impressive the outsole is. It uses multiple different-sized and shaped nubs to offer traction laterally during the swing and plenty of grip while you're walking.

It's nice and low profile too, making it ideal for wearing off the course as much as you do on it. I can't say it gives as much grip or as much support as a performance spikeless shoe like the Adidas Adizero ZG or Under Armour Drive Pro, but as casual golf shoes go, it has one of the best outsoles I've tested recently.

That it has such a low profile outsole with the looks of a normal every day sneaker is brilliant, effectively giving you two shoes in one. I never once felt out of place when I wore these to the pub or out to the shops, as the silhouette blends in with any other sneaker you see on the street.

The fit was a little uncomfortable for me, with the toe box area in particular not offering me much room. They come up true to size everywhere else, but the toe box just felt a little cramped at the top of my foot. Perhaps going up half a size is the best option here to give the foot a little extra breathing room, but then I fear the fit would be a little too big elsewhere. Though it's great that the upper is fully waterproof, it's also not one of the most breathable shoes I've worn, especially in the unusually hot spring we've experienced in the UK. Perhaps that was down to the cramped fit, but I fear the synthetic PU upper is the culprit here.

Though the fit was a little uncomfortable, I was impressed with the cushioning underfoot. The Cush+ insole New Balance has opted for here offers the right amount fo cushioning while walking the nearly 13,000 steps you complete while playing a round of golf, and it feels responsive underfoot during the golf swing too.

That this shoe can be worn so much on and off the golf course, the £120 RRP feels like decent value for money, especially when you consider that the most fashionable off-course New Balance shoes can retail for upwards of £150. That being said, don't expect the same sort of quality that you get with an off-course New Balance sneaker here, as the materials don't quite match the quality of the off-course counterparts.

All in all, I enjoyed my time testing the 480 SL albeit for a new niggles that left me wanting a little more from the brand. That being said, New Balance has only been back making golf shoes for a few years, so I'm sure these slight niggles will be ironed out as the brand looks to expand its presence in the ever-growing golf footwear market.

Golf fashion has been changing at a rapid pace in recent years - hoodies and other casual style golf gear has been exploding in popularity as the game slowly but surely relaxes previously stricter dress codes. Collar-less polo shirts and hoodies have become increasingly popular whilst brands (I'm looking at you, Malbon) have really pushed the envelope in recent years to help modernize the game.

One big area for a change in style is in the golf shoe game. Metal spikes are certainly a thing of the past but so is the idea of all golf shoes following the 'traditional' styling. Sneaker-style golf shoes have taken off in popularity recently, largely thanks to the fashion on offer but also the versatility to wear them both on and off the course. This is exactly the market Under Armour look to tap into with the Forge 96 shoes.

The looks of these shoes really grew on me during testing. When I opened the box upon receiving, my first impression were that they looked a little basic. In hindsight, this was harsh - these are a cool, 90s-themed retro shoe and I love them for that. Available in three colorways, I personally loved the white and blue option I received as they paired nicely with a number of my go-to outfits (I wear navy a lot...).

I wouldn't say these shoes are as versatile off the golf course as some other options out there, like the Ecco Street 720s for example, but the all white colorway could be easily worn to the pub or a restaurant after your round of golf. My golf club employs a 'no golf shoes in the bar' rule, but nobody commented on my footwear when I wore these into the bar after each of my rounds.

I tested these shoes across around a dozen rounds at Royal County Down and was left suitably impressed. Considering these shoes arrive in around half way up the price scale for golf shoes, you're getting plenty of bang for your buck. Upon my first takeaways was the comfort on offer - there are definitely more comfortable golf shoes out there, but not many at this price point. I also find that once I break into certain golf shoes, especially spikeless, sneaker-style options that they can feel a bit firm after just a few wears. This was not the case with the Forge 96 shoes as I experienced the same levels of comfort in my tenth round as I did in my first.

Under Armour have used mesh, synthetic & suede upper materials for durability & comfort and these shoes certainly proved durable during my testing. These shoes feel super lightweight and are an excellent option for those who tend to walk their 18 holes rather than ride a cart. There was also adequate breathability, proving these are an option as one of the best golf shoes for walking. The upgraded midsole foam and sockliner also helped make my 18 hole hike a comfortable one. The only slight critique I could make in terms of the build is the difficulty over cleaning the mesh upper, down below the laces. Dirt developed relatively quickly in the area where the shoe bends during the golf swing and I have been unable to fully clean it out, albeit it is barely noticeable. As a result, I'd refrain from wearing these as a winter golf shoe or if you're playing a round on a particularly wet or muddy golf course.

In terms of performance through the golf swing, many players are put off by spikeless shoes as they believe they're sacrificing traction. This couldn't be further from the truth as some of the grippiest golf shoes I've worn in recent years have been spikeless. The Forge 96 shoes don't provide quite as much grip as other models I've worn like the Duca Del Cosma Davanti shoes, but they're also a lot cheaper in terms of price.

The long story short is that in my multiple testing rounds, I didn't lose my balance or slip in these shoes once, and that includes playing in wet conditions. This is largely thanks to the durable, high-traction rubber outsole that features a strategic pattern for multi-directional support throughout the golf swing. Having the peace of mind knowing I could keep my grip and balance whilst wearing these added a lot to the total experience.

During my wet weather testing I did notice the outsole tended to squeak as I walked, particularly when on the greens. This doesn't bother me personally, but my playing partner did comment on it, so you may have stay extra still as they stand over that knee-knocker 6ft par putt so you don't distract them.

The Forge 96 shoes are yet another really solid addition sneaker golf shoe market and are right up there with the best Under Armour golf shoes in terms of looks, performance and value for money. Although more expensive options may provide slightly more traction and/or performance, not many will beat the value for money on offer here.

As the biggest sports brands in the world have started converting their sneaker range into purpose-built golf shoes, very few have opted for a spiked outsole. The Nike Air Jordan 1 Low Gs, the Adidas Samba and Nike Air Pegasus '89 G are all built on spikeless examples as brands want to give golfers as much on and off-course versatility from a pair of the best golf shoes/sneakers. So, when the new Nike Air Jordan 1 Nu Retro G shoes arrived at my door with a spiked outsole, I was excited to try them out.

Styling-wise wise this is very much a Jordan Low 1 with a few extra details for this new version. You can see the Air Jordan logo has been embossed onto the side of each shoe, which is a new detail I'm less sure about. Some people I've shown the shoes to have loved it; others have thought it's made what is a clean silhouette a little too busy. I'm in the latter's camp and wish they'd just left the silhouette as clean as possible. It's subtle, though, so I don't mind that Nike has opted to add some detail.

I love this particular 'University Blue' colourway I tested it in, a homage to the UNC blue Michael Jordan wore during his time at college. If this is a bit keen for you, five other colourways are available for you to choose from, with a more subtle all-white or black/white available.

It was great to test a sneaker style with a spiked outsole for the first time. So often, the best casual golf shoes are all spikeless, so this was a nice change. I could instantly feel that the shoe had more stability and traction versus something like the Air Jordan Low 1 G. The whole shoe feels a little stiffer than other sneaker-style shoes, but this is in a good way. My foot felt more supported through the swing than on any other casual golf shoe, while the rubber heel design is effective, too.

Aside from the spikes, the makeup of the outsole is the same as on the Jordan 1 Low G I tested a while ago. The fact that you can take the spikes out of the Nu Retro means you effectively have a spiked and spikeless golf shoe as your fingertips here. You'll need to invest in a spike wrench to take the spikes in and out, but it's a nice touch that allows you maximum versatility from just one pair of shoes. That being said, this is such a low-profile shoe that I haven't felt the need to take them out. However, if you want to use them at the range or wear them outside of golf without the spikes on that option is available to you.

The fit is comfortable and secure, while the soft foam in the midsole offers good cushioning while walking. The upper is made from what Nike has called, 'a blend of real and synthetic leather.' I would suggest that the synthetic leather has very much won out in this battle as the shoe's materials feel a little cheap to the touch and don't have anywhere near the softness of a more premium shoe like the FootJoy Quantum, which has a super-soft leather upper. That being said, it's still fully waterproof and by no means uncomfortable - I just want to temper expectations about the quality of materials used throughout the shoe.

All in all, I really enjoyed my time testing the Nu Retros. The spiked outsole and overall stiffness of the shoe make it one of the best casual shoes for those who want extra support and traction. The fact that you can take the spikes out is a neat touch that adds great versatility, too. Sneaker heads will no doubt love this design, and it's been neatly executed by Nike.

G/FORE don't do things quietly. Primarily known for making some of the best spikeless shoes on the market, it's only in the last couple of years that the brand has started to make spiked shoes. The Gallivanter G/Lock arrived last year, and this year, the new MG4+ O2 G/Lock has arrived as a more athletic spiked option to the range. Based on the incredibly successful MG4+ silhouette, this new model is ostensibly the same design built on a new spiked platform. I loved the MG4+ spikeless, so the new shoe must be impressive too, right?

Well, from a looks perspective, it ticks all the boxes once again. You could argue that G/FORE has dialled down its garishness since it was founded in 2011. Gone is the arrow branding it used to incorporate on the side of the shoe, now replaced with block colourways and subtle detailing you can only see close up, rather than from 100 yards down the fairway. It is still very much a fashion-forward brand, and I think that comes across in the looks of this new silhouette.

The white midsole area is a little chunky for my taste. Both from an aesthetic and practical point of view, it dominates this shoe. When you're wearing the shoe, you can really feel that you're a couple of extra inches off the ground. That's great if you're trying to break the 6-foot height barrier like I am, but it did make me feel a little like I was on a pair of those stilts you used to use at school. You know, the ones that are like little upturned buckets with strings attached to them you used to find in the playground? Google it if I've lost you here. Compared to the very low profile Payntr Eighty Seven SC it's an entirely different feeling when you're stood over the ball, one that took a bit of getting used to.

The spiked outsole is excellent. Truth be told, it is hard to get a spiked outsole wrong because soft spikes are so good at providing grip, but G/FORE has designed this well. It uses 10 Tour Flex Pro Softspikes, which is more than on the Adidas Tour360 24 or Under Armour Drive Pro, but it doesn't feel like overkill here. I always look out for the added spike right at the top of the foot by the toes, and I'm glad G/FORE has used an extra spike here. Comapre it to the six used on the new FootJoy HyperFlex, and you might think 10 is overkill, but the more spikes, the merrier in my opinion.

Though a touch ungainly, this midsole does have a very practical purpose. Built using EVA, known for its flexible and lightweight properties, it makes for a very comfortable underfoot sensation that contributes to an altogether lightweight shoe. The moulded external heel counter is excellent at keeping your heel where it needs to be during the golf swing, while the internal padding around the heel area makes what is a very stiff area of the shoe altogether very comfortable with a very pleasant fit for all foot shapes and sizes. On sizing, this shoe fits true to size.

A signature G/FORE piece of design is the insole, which is covered in small nubs that give your foot a massage as you walk along. This is something that has been on all of the best G/FORE shoes I've tested, and I love it. It's such a clever touch and one that genuinely does help with foot fatigue across 18 holes. If you're starting to ache and tire toward the end of the round, simply wiggle your toes or move your foot around in the shoe, and you can get a nice little massaging sensation. No other shoe has anything quite like it, and I don't know a single person who wouldn't enjoy it.

All in all, this is a solid spiked golf shoe and something a little different from the rest of the market this year. I'd say it sits behind the Adidas Tour360 24, Payntr Eighty Seven SC and Under Armour Drive Pro, but it is right up there when it comes to the best spiked golf shoes you can buy this year. The massaging insole alone is enough for me to highly recommend this shoe, even if the size of it takes some getting used to.

In the world of golf shoes, it is interesting to see how much buzz a new Nike shoe often gets. Despite not making golf clubs for years the brand still has a lot of juice when it comes to the apparel/shoe sector and I am as guilty as anyone of buying into it as well. When Rory McIlroy showed up at The Showdown last year I immediately spotted the new shoes, the Victory Tour 4’s and I just had to get my hands on a pair to test. I have been lucky enough to test the previous Victory Tour 2 and 3 golf shoes so I was excited to get these out on the course to compare, especially to the previous 3 which got five stars in my review, and believe me, I very rarely give out five stars. It deserved to be labeled one of the best golf shoes out there, so can the 4 continue that theme?

Starting with the looks, our shoe expert Dan Parker and myself have talked regularly about how sneaker-like, casual golf shoes have become a lot more popular of late, and yet we are also seeing brands continue to offer a more traditional style. We then see some try and combine the two. I think the Victory Tour 4’s fit into that last category. Whenever I see the Swoosh I usually think of sneakers, but this shoe, in my opinion, combines a modern, casual look, with a more sophisticated aesthetic, especially when you compare it to the previous 3’s. The lines of the shoe flow together nicely and it is a simple looking shoe which I like.

The construction isn’t simple though thanks to the soft, full-grain leather used, which is soft to the touch and gives it a premium feel. There are currently 4 different colors available including a special edition Masters-themed finish with blooming pink flowers which certainly stands out, and I expect more special editions to come out throughout the year, along with other standard colors. Overall I am confident many people are going to really love the look of this shoe, and I think it does look great, but I should admit I think I still prefer the previous 3 looks-wise.

Moving to comfort, this is the area I was really looking forward to testing. The 3 was one of the most comfortable golf shoes I’ve ever used and it is still part of my regular rotation. Well I am pleased to report the 4 also delivers top-notch comfort despite some noticeable tweaks to the design. The first thing I noticed was the thicker padding around the ankle has been slimmed down which I was initially nervous about given my proneness to blisters in that area, but there was no need for concern in the 4’s thanks to the internal foam collar. Elsewhere Nike says it took feedback from athletes to create a new frame for a better shape and fit - chiefly the Dynamic Fit system for more support and the Cushlon midsole for comfort and stability.

Additionally a new Flyplate technology has been added, which is a carbon fiber plate designed to flex as you walk, and stiffen when swinging, for added comfort. I must say it is hard to really feel the different technologies working in this shoe but all I can say is it felt very comfortable to use all day, which I did a number of times. I think the biggest compliment I can pay a golf shoe is that I forget I am wearing them during testing, and I think this is the case here. Walking in them was a pleasure and the inner materials seemed to mold to my feet nicely, but I will say, the midsole feel is on the firmer side so if you want a softer-feeling shoe underfoot, then go for the G/FORE MG4+ O2 G/LOCK or Skechers Go Glf Prestige shoes.

I think the area where there has been the biggest change from the 3’s to the 4’s is in the grip and stability. By no means did the 3 lack here, but the 4 does perform at a higher level for me. To start, the number of spikes has gone from seven to nine which certainly added to my peace of mind during the golf swing, when I was having to hit shots from uneven lies and wet or muddy areas in particular. The shoe was low enough to the ground that I didn’t feel like I was hitting shots on stilts, and the combination of the spikes and traction pattern gave me grip in every direction.

Additionally it was notable how the heel of the 4 seemed to be wider than the 3, which I think further added to my feeling of stability. Finally I should mention the shoes are 100% waterproof which is an absolute must for me these days, and the shoes retail at $190. This is a premium price but actually less than other competitor models out there and given the performance, I do think it is justified.

To conclude, I think the one word I would use to describe this shoe is refinement, especially in the looks, comfort and grip departments. Aesthetically in particular the shoe looks classy and more traditional than previous shoes in the line and despite me preferring the older shoe in this regard, this isn’t enough to not give this shoe five stars because the performance is up there with the best spiked golf shoes on the market.

It's tough to discern value in the golf shoe market. Some golfers are happy to spend $150 or more on one of the best golf shoes they'll wear regularly, but for some, it's tough to warrant spending over the $100 mark when they don't play that often. Nowadays, it's tough to buy a new golf shoe that you can wear all year round for under $100/£100, but I think I've found the solution for the budget-conscious golfer that still values performance, looks and comfort.

The shoe in question is the Under Armour Drive Fade. In the UK, where I test these shoes, they retail at £109 but can already be found at £99 in some places. This almost seems too cheap for a spiked golf shoe from such a well-recognised golf brand. 'What's the catch?' I thought to myself. Well, it's certainly not in the looks department. While they're not a jaw-droppingly gorgeous golf shoe - see the FootJoy Premiere Series Packard LX for this - they blend in nicely. It's a classic spiked golf shoe silhouette with some decent colourways on offer. I wouldn't go for the all-white or all-black version, as I think the red accents on the shoe I tested elevate the overall look nicely.

Perhaps the one area this shoe falls down is the quality of materials, but you have to expect this at the price point. The upper materials are synthetic, a little firm to the touch and don't soften up in the way a leather shoe does. That being said, they're still fully waterproof but aren't as breathable as something like the Adidas Tour360 24.

No expense has been spared on the excellent outsole, though. It uses the same S3 spikes used on the brand's leading Drive Pro spiked golf shoe. These spikes were developed in-house by Under Armour for the Drive Pro's launch in 2024 and are some of the best on the market. There are seven on each shoe, all strategically placed to offer the best traction through the swing. Under Armour probably won't like me saying this, but I could hardly differentiate between the grip on offer here versus its more premium Drive Pro shoe. This comes in at £129 - so £29 more expensive - and I do worry if the quality of performance from the Drive Fade may cannibalise what is still a great shoe in the Drive Pro.

As with pretty much all of the best Under Armour golf shoes I've tested, it isn't the softest underfoot. That's not to say it's uncomfortable, I just want to highlight there are shoes like the FootJoy Quantum or Payntr Eight Seven SC which offer much softer sensations underfoot if that is what you prefer. It must be a tactic of Under Armour's in its golf shoe design, and it makes sense, seeing as they're often designing shoes for maximum performance over out-and-out comfort. The fit of this shoe is superb though, and your foot feels locked in during the swing, flexing where it needs to but with support from the shoe that allows you to put your best swing on the ball. The Hovr foam in the midsole is also a tried and tested technology I've enjoyed using, and you can especially feel it at work through the heel absorbing shock as you walk

All in all there is a lot of golf shoe for your money here. Solid looks, excellent performance and a price point that the casual and budget-conscious golfer can appreciate. If spikless is more your thing, then you're in luck, as the Drive Fade SL offers similarly superb value on a spikless platform. Credit to Under Armour for creating such a good shoe at this price point; let's hope, for their sake, it doesn't cannibalise its Drive Pro shoe too much.

Though we've seen more casual golf shoes come into style over the last few years, I think we're all in agreement that there is still a place for what I would call a 'classic' golf shoe style. More like a brogue than a sneaker, this is probably the style of golf shoe that most non-golfers would associate with golf. While plenty of other brands try their hand at styles like this - G/FORE's Gallivanter for example - the boss has always been FootJoy. Its Premiere Series of shoes have been heralded by Tour players and amateurs alike. This year, the brand has returned with two new additions to the series, the Field LX and the Packard LX. Both, in principle, are the same spiked golf shoe, with the Field LX benefitting from detailing at the rear of the shoe with the Packard through the middle. So, when it took the Packard LX out onto the course, how did it stack up against the rest of the best golf shoes on the market?

I'll start with the looks, which absolutely blew me away the first time I took them out of the box. I knew what to expect from a Premiere Series shoe, but it was the attention to detail that FootJoy has gone into with this shoe that has elevated the Packard LX ahead of any Premiere Series shoe I've tested before. As you'd expect, the shoe is built with full-grain leather throughout, but this year there have been added details in the shape of a nubuck leather pattern running through the middle of the shoe and what FootJoy is calling bison texturing. Both have elevated what was already a stunning silhouette into an even classier overall product. The texturing on the toe area, in particular, looks incredibly premium, in my opinion.

The leather saddle (which runs through the middle of the shoe on the Packard LX and the heel of the Field LX) is made with a rich nubuck material. This material is much more velvety than normal leather. It's soft to the touch and offers a very nice contrast to the leather used across the rest of the shoe. Contrasting silver and blue colours across the middle of the shoe also give something else for the eye to feast on. Though a softer material, it has been treated with LifeSheild waterproof technology that should keep this material looking as fresh as possible for a long time. These are an expensive pair of shoes made with premium materials, so they will need to be taken good car of to keep in good condition.

Quite simply, it's the best-looking golf shoe I've ever seen. All of my colleagues and friends who I've shown these to have been in agreement, and if you're not impressed by the picture alone, then I urge you to see these in person to get a better understanding of the quality of material and attention to detail that has gone into the design here. When I put it up against what I considered to be the best looking shoe of last year - the G/FORE Gallinvan2r - you can see the difference in the quality of materials before you even hold the shoes in your hand. Granted, these shoes have a £50 difference in RRP, but what I'm trying to show here is that every one of your £200/$250 feels well spent thanks to the quality of build and materials on the Packard.

It's all well looking this good, but of course, the Packard LX needed to function as a good golf shoe. Now, I'm not going to pretend this is the softest, most cushioned golf shoe on the market, but rest assured, this shoe will soften up after a few rounds of golf - you've just got to trust the process. The comfort around the heel and ankle, something that was perhaps a little firm on the previous Premiere Series, has been softened up too, and the padding around the ankle area is an area I sincerely appreciated. The Ortholite EcoPlush Fitbed (the insole of the shoe) is excellent, too, offering a good amount of cushioning underfoot.

Once again, it's not the softest of all the best golf shoes I've tested, but for this type of shoe, it more than suffices. The outsole is excellent, too. Though spiked, it's low profile enough that most people thought it was actually a spikeless shoe. This is the perfect balance for me. A low profile build that doesn't make you feel like you're standing on stilts, but with all the benefits of traction you get from a spiked outsole. It offers multidirectional traction throughout the swing and more than enough traction for walking, even in wet conditions.

This shoe is like when you see an annoyingly good-looking person in public and then find out they're also immensely talented, a really nice person, oh, and they're also rich. You know the ones I'm on about - how can you be that good-looking and talented and not be a completely horrible person? It's not fair, you can't have it all. This shoe does have it all, and it has it all in spades. Quite simply, if you are after a shoe in this classic, brogue style I wouldn't point you in any other direction than the latest Premiere Series. Just choose whether you want the Field LX or the Packard LX, and off you go. I'm sorry to the Puma Royales, Skechers Go Golf Prestiges and G/FORE Gallinvanters of the world, you've simply lost the fight.

The last time we saw the HyperFlex name was in 2023, in the shape of the FootJoy HyperFlex Carbon. I crowned it the best golf shoe that year, thanks in part to the mixture of superb comfort, support, and grip it offered. For those who follow the shoe choice of professional golfers, Justin Thomas, who has been wearing some form of Premiere Series or DryJoy shoe his whole professional career, has switched to the HyperFlex this year. Having worn these over a couple of rounds already, I can see why.

Starting with looks, FootJoy certainly hasn't altered the playbook here. This is about as typical as a golf shoe can get. It's neither a classic brogue style like the Premiere Series Field nor a sneaker style like the Ecco Street 720. If I was to be cynical, it's the kind of shoe A. I. would come up with if you asked it to render a generic 'modern golf shoe'. An athletic silhouette, yes, but one that certainly screams 'golf shoe'. It's inoffensive, but it doesn't make me excited to wear them. This, however, is just about the only thing I can criticise this shoe for. Looks, too, are a subjective matter - you may love how these look - and if you do, then discount all of the above and strap in for the rest of this glowing review.

FootJoy has nailed the performance aspect of the new HyperFlex. My feet sat beautifully in the shoes and felt well supported, yet comfortable, every time I put them on to play. Through the swing, it flexed in the areas I needed it to while supporting it in key areas through the swing too. Laterally, when I swung the club, it's some of the most support I've felt through my foot, and that gave me the sort of confidence I like to put through my swing. I'm far from a mid-swing speed golfer, but no matter how fast you swing the club, it's nice to have a pair of shoes under your feet that you have confidence to put your best movement on, regardless of how quick that is.

These shoes also feel powerful. The PowerPlate (which is the red area you can see in the middle of the outsole) works to transfer energy from the ground to maximise your speed, while the TPU Saddle on the upper takes any energy from your foot moving upwards in the shoe and transfers it back into the ground. This technology was all part of the confidence I felt in these shoes. By no means am I saying you're going to start swinging the club 5mph quicker in these, but I'm sure you'll be able to use what power you do have as efficiently as possible in these.

The outsole uses six Pulsar LP Cleats from SoftSpikes, and I found the grip to be superb. It's strange not to see a seventh or eighth spike added around the toe area - this is something I've seen on the Under Armour Drive Pro and Adidas Tour 360 24 - but I didn't feel as though I missed it. There are some secondary traction points added to the toe, which are useful, more for grip while walking than for anything during the swing. Speaking of walking, the OptiFlex outsole is built to bend naturally with your foot to reduce foot fatigue. I can vouch that these shoes certainly feel less stiff when walking than the old HyperFlex.

Some other additions have upped the comfort in some often problematic areas of golf shoes. The heel is a big stand-out here. There's been some additional padding added here, which stops any rubbing while also locking the heel into place nicely. The knit material around the ankle is also a neat touch, adding to the holistic feeling of comfort I had whenever I stepped into this shoe. A new insole has been used this year, not quite the same as the Ortholite Impression FitBed used in the Pro/SLX Carbon, but not far off. This time, it's called Ortholite Rebound and Recovery FitBed. It's super soft but full - as the name might suggest - of rebound. It puts a spring in your step as you walk on the course and is one of the best insoles in all golf shoes currently on the market, in my opinion.

So, while the looks don't do it for me, who cares when the HyperFlex performs this well? To blend performance and comfort in this way is something only a few brands can do. With all of its years of innovation in shoe design, leave it to FootJoy to make a shoe that is a joy to wear.

Ecco has been responsible for some of the most comfortable golf shoes of the last decade or so. A few years ago, you could've argued they were solely aimed at the 'older' golfer who preferred comfort over style. However, with the likes of Rick Shiels and Erik Anders Lang wearing its newest, most stylish golf shoes, Ecco has taken on a whole new vibe when it comes to the best golf shoes available. That brings us to its latest spikeless iteration, the Biom H5. Last year's Biom H4 was a favourite of mine, as was 2022's Biom C4, so I was excited to take the latest iteration out onto the golf course for a thorough test.

I'll start with looks, as I always do. The H5 has 'drawn inspiration from the flowing Nordic fjords and rugged Scottish Highlands' according to Ecco. I love the unique way the outsole bleeds onto the shoe, and it's not hard to see where the Nordic fjords inspiration has gone here. The neat details across the upper part continue this nature frenzy, and overall, I think it looks excellent. It's a real differentiation from the rest of the best spikeless golf shoes I've tested this year, and the classic athletic Ecco silhouette I've become familiar with blends nicely on and off the course if that's your sort of thing.

The comfort I've also become with very famialir with in Ecco shoes is here too. Underfoot, there is decent arch support, and the insole has a great amount of cushioning and rebound underneath it. The seam-knit sock construction at the top of the foot is a delight and provides a comfortable fit around the ankle area. Add to this the premium leather materials used on the upper, and this is a premium, comfortable golf shoe at every level.

A new outsole called Ecco's 'Terra Traction System' is decent but by no means class-leading. All of the nubs are the same height, meaning if one loses traction, they all go. Outsoles like that on the FootJoy Pro/SLX Carbon or Under Armour Drive Pro SL are designed with differently sized and shaped nubs in both depth and width, meaning if one loses traction, another can be there to grab on. Spikeless shoes like these examples - and the Adidas Adizero ZG- also have differently shaped nubs that are specifically for traction in the swing and some that are just to support walking. The outsole here is a little simplistic when compared to the competition. If you play in primarily dry conditions with some early morning or late evening dampness, you'll be fine. However, it can't compete with the other models listed above for all-conditions, all-year-round grip

For my slightly narrow feet, I found that even the standard-width shoe came up a little wide. As a result, I found my foot rolling around quite a lot within the shoe during the swing. This wasn't aided by the lack of support I felt laterally through the swing, which fell short of some other spikeless shoes I've tested this year. For sure, something like the Adidas Adizero ZG or Under Armour Drive Pro SL is significantly better at supporting your foot through the swing, letting it move naturally where necessary but also supporting it in the areas you need it during the golf swing. Perhaps this could be alleviated by going down a size from my normal fit, but even then, this is a long way off the most stable spikeless shoes on the market. If you have wide feet, this shoe will be a dream choice. It even has the option to take out the insole for more width, but still benefit from the same comfort, something few other golf shoes can offer.

All in all, while this isn't Ecco's best golf shoe in recent years, in my opinion, it is still a worthy contender for many golfers this year. If you're after a comfortable, stylish spikeless shoe to wear in dry conditions, this should be on your short list - and should be even higher up if you have wide feet. Those looking for an all-year-round spikeless golf shoe with solid stability will want to look elsewhere in 2025.

The Ecco Biom H5 is available in both men's and women's styles, both also available with a BOA lacing system. They retail for £179 in the UK and $220 in the US.

If you include the Fuel Sport golf shoe from 2023, this is the third iteration of FootJoy's casual, spikeless golf shoe. The brand shocked me last year with the surprise release of the Quantum golf shoe. It has a very similar silhouette to the 2025 version of Fuel but came with a slightly different construction that made it one of, if not the, most comfortable golf shoe I've ever worn. So, the bar was set high for the new Fuel as I took it out to Florida for a few rounds of golf.

My first impressions were just how lightweight the shoe is. It's even lighter than the Adidas Adizero ZG I tested earlier this year, which was one of the best lightweight golf shoes I've tested for a long time. The featherweight construction helps with foot and leg fatigue when walking 18 holes while the construction is still premium and robust - the shoe isn't going to fall apart on you despite its minimalist feel. It seems to be a trend amongst the best spikeless golf shoes this year to go lighter, and I'm enjoying this move immensely.

From a looks perspective, I think this is a leap forward compared to the 2022 FootJoy Fuel. The 'FJ' branding on the heel has been more subtly executed and I love the ombre effect on the blue colour working its way through the midsole. It's a classy take on a modern silhouette, and I'd expect nothing more from a brand like FootJoy. The outsole is solid too. Not as comprehensive by any means as the aforementioned Adizero ZG, but the inspiration it has taken from the Pro/SLX Carbon means it'll handle damp conditions much better than the Quantum, which had a surprisingly flat outsole design almost exclusively designed for use in dry weather.

Out on the golf course, this shoe performed well. The lightweight build was noticeable in making walking more pleasant, while the outsole gave me confidence that my foot would be supported throughout the whole swing. My biggest compliment is that I didn't notice the shoe while I was playing. Other than a few comments from my playing partners on how good they looked (which is always nice) the Fuel did its job well. With that in mind, they don't stand out in any one particular field for me, rather doing everything you'd need of a golf shoe to a more than satisfactory level.

If you're shopping in this part of the market, I'd still point you in the direction of the Quantum. That shoe can be picked up for less than $120/£100 now it's a year old and outdoes the Fuel for comfort, in my opinion. However, the outsole on the Fuel is much more comprehensive than the Quantum, so bear that in mind if you're looking for an all-year-round spikeless shoe. The lighter build, more comprehensive outsole and lower price of the new Fuel make this an appealing spikeless shoe option for a broad range of golfers in 2025.

It’s been a while since we’ve seen the Adizero moniker in golf. Adizero's name is more famous for the brand’s groundbreaking lightweight running shoes, which were first introduced in 2004. We saw the Adizero for the first time in golf in 2013 - and it was an inauspicious and brief run at the time. Indeed, the spike system was deemed so aggressive that it was banned by some courses for making too many indentations on putting surfaces. With that particular episode very much in its history, the story for Adizero and golf in 2025 is sleek, lightweight and performance-built. This is a spikeless golf shoe that looks to give everything a spiked shoe can - I was excited to take them out on the course for a spin.

We'll start with looks, as this is where every experience with a golf shoe begins. It's a very similar silhouette to the Adidas ZG23 golf shoe launched at the start of 2023, which is a lightweight spiked golf shoe. As was the case with ZG23, the looks of Adizero ZG are not my favourite on the market right now. This is mostly because, to me, the Tour360 24 shoes are so good-looking that any other of the best Adidas golf shoes simply don't tickle my fancy quite like they do. So, I’ll leave you to make your mind up on the silhouette and, for what it's worth, the red colourway looks sharper in my opinion next to the white/silver I was testing.

Where this shoe ultimately shines, and where we should all be making the important decision before investing, is in its performance. The new outsole is superb and matches the grip and security you get from a conventional spiked shoe almost identically. I’ll never say a spikeless shoe can offer more grip than a spiked shoe as spiked shoes ultimately still prevail, but this isn’t far off. The aggressive lugs on the perimeter of the outsole do most of the heavy lifting in terms of lateral grip and I am confident these will provide ample grip in all possible conditions. It only takes one slip on a tee box to lose confidence in your shoes and the Adizero ZG does one of the best jobs of any spikeless shoe I've tried at instilling this confidence in all conditions.

The lightweight build is another feather in the shoe’s cap. Wearing just a lightweight yet powerful shoe on your foot certainly helps when walking 18 holes. Lightweight though they are, they still feel solid and premium. The materials are soft to the touch and the moulded heel cushion inspired by the running shoe category provides targeted padding to a key area of comfort. The support is superb too. It locks your foot in place in the right areas (specifically very comfortably around the heel) yet allows the foot to move through the swing as it is naturally supposed to do in the forefoot area. I barely noticed them while I was playing, such was the confidence they inspired in my performance.

The likes of Ludvig Aberg and Collin Morikawa have already put these into play on the Tour. Yes, they're Adidas athletes so they're being paid for the privilege of wearing the shoes, but they could've chosen the Codechaos 25 or Tour360 24 and have instead traded in their ZG23s for the new Adizeros. This is yet another strong offering from a brand making significant waves in performance footwear and apparel in golf. A fast, sleek and lightweight golf shoe that hits all the right notes in terms of comfort and performance, those after a lightweight, all-year-round performance shoe will be well served by the Adizero ZG.

When Jason Day appeared at last year’s Masters in a pair of as-then-unreleased Payntr golf shoes, my interest was piqued. Up to now, Panytr’s Tour presence has been rather understated with the brand instead of focussing its investments on R&D as a fairly new player. Until today, that decision has been working in Payntr's favor and the brand, young though it is, has been developing some of the best golf shoes that go toe-to-toe (pardon the pun) with golf shoe brands twice its size.

WATCH: Discover why the Payntr Eighty Seven SC shoe was chosen for Editor's Choice in 2025

With Jason Day on board, however, the brand has taken everything up a notch with the introduction of the Eight Seven SC. The Eighty Seven is named as such as it’s the Australian’s lucky number and you’ll notice the perforated section around the heel and tongue is made up of 87 holes specifically. A small detail though this is, it tells the story of a golf shoe where every minor detail has been carefully considered. Day was walking into a manufacturer already renowned for making high-level performance shoes like the Payntr X 004 RS and X 003 F spikeless and the Eighty Seven SC has built on what was already a platform designed for elite performance.

The carbon fibre propulsion plate situated just above the outsole is the real stand-out performer of this shoe. It runs the full length of the shoe and allows you to more effectively harness ground reaction forces. We've seen the use of carbon in the likes of the FootJoy HyperFlex Carbon as well as in Tiger Woods' new Sun Day Red shoes and each time I've worn a shoe with this material in, you can feel the difference. Will the average golfer with a sub 95mph driver swing speed benefit greatly from it? Probably not. But any 105mph+ golfers out there will feel a difference underfoot through the swing.

These things are nearly impossible to measure quantifiably, but I can attest to the amount of rebound I felt through the sole of my foot, both while walking and swinging the club. That this outsole also uses seven of the Soft Spikes Tour Flex Pro spikes makes for a shoe that breathes confidence in how powerfully you can swing the club. The foot locks closely but comfortably in place across the tongue area and the heel, giving that classic locked-in sensation you’d expect from a shoe of this type while plenty of foam in the midsole and a 3D moulded footbed offer the comfort needed to walk 18 holes.

As for the looks, I think this has been a huge step up for Payntr. Not that its previous shoes weren’t good looking, they just had some unique styling touches in the early days that didn’t always look great. I'm thinking about the heel area in particular on the 004 RS, which was a different material to the rest of the shoe and didn't look all that refined in my opinion. This shoe is refined however and I enjoyed the detailing and touches of gold additions dotted across the silhouette. This isn’t a loud shoe, but I think the classy styling puts it up against some clean silhouettes like the G/FORE Gallivan2r G/Lock, FootJoy Premiere Series Field or the Adidas MC80. The upper material is wonderfully premium too, both to the touch and to look at. That being said, such is its softness, using a shoe tree and making sure you clean them immedialy after playing is the only way to keep them looking in good shape.

From every angle, this is an impressive golf shoe. Refined looks create a very desirable silhouette and it is truly bursting at the seams with technology. It’s comfortably Panytr’s most holistic creation to date and golfers looking for that added edge in performance should seriously consider an investment in the quality of their footwear.

What started as a headcover company in 2011 and evolved into golf apparel like polo shirts and mid layers now has a golf shoe. And like all its other products, the new Stitch Golf SL Pace golf shoes are a premium offering that’s a little bit different from other shoes in the market.

Just like Stitch golf bags, for example, the new SL Pace golf shoes are crafted with high-end materials that certainly reflects its $225 suggested retail price. They look good, and certainly seem like they will last. But how do they perform? Fortunately, I was able to play a half dozen rounds with them, both riding and walking, to give them a good evaluation.

These shoes were actually two years in the making. The Apex, N.C. company says it got into the shoe business because its customers were interested in what it might come up with and made a lot of inquiries. A representative from Stitch Golf also told me that the company thought this was a missing component to their business.

My first impressions right out of the box were positive, and they got noticed immediately by other golfers around me, for their looks and craftsmanship. When I first put them on and went out to the range, I immediately felt a lot of stability in these shoes, as well as a springy feel from the cushioning in the sole. Brand new, they did feel a bit rigid at first, which might be expected from the full-grain leather upper. But as I wore them, I definitely felt like I was starting to "break them in."

Since this is a spikeless shoe, it’s also designed to be worn off the course, so I did that, too. Going from the course directly to dinner was a natural transition.

Ultimately, though, testing the SL Pace was about putting it through its paces on the course, and this is where I thought it excelled and compared well with the best golf shoes on the market.

But first, here’s how the SL Pace is constructed. The top of the shoe, or upper, is a breathable leather that’s also waterproof. The inside of the shoe features full-grain leather lining, which is designed to provide a soft and plush feel as it regulates temperature and wicks away moisture. It has a padded tongue and padded collar.

The footbed is vented and soft, designed to absorb impact. And it also has a molded heel designed to provide a stable base and improve balance, control, and power in the golf swing. The sole and heel of the SL Pace is substantial, almost an inch and half thick in the heel. That’s where the springy effect comes in. I also felt a little taller, which is never a bad deal when you’re on the shorter side.

Also, I didn’t play with these in really wet conditions, but I did find that the spikeless outsole provided plenty of traction. The bottom line is that the SL Pace shoes from Stitch Golf are very stable.

My understanding is that it went through several iterations, and that it was thoroughly tested by golfers and refined. That certainly seems to be the case. The bottom line is that Stitch's new golf shoe is pretty much what I expected. It’s a high-quality product that seems to cover all the bases.

During the rounds I played with them while riding in a powered cart is when I found them to be the most comfortable. As a walking shoe, a little less so, but again, I think as they get broken in they will be more comfortable. As a walker, I didn’t find them as comfortable as the best Skechers shoes or True shoes, but the SL Pace shoes are certainly up to the task if you’re walking the course.

The Stitch SL Pace is offered in three colorways – all white with a yellow/orange outsole, white with blue accents and a blue outsole (Colorblock), and gray with a gray outsole (Fadeaway).

A while ago I tested the Municipal Origin shoe and I must admit, whilst it may not have been the best shoe for out and out golf use, it was comfortable and looked great. The main areas it needed to be improved were in grip, stability and waterproofing and it seems the brand heard this with the release of the Sportcross ATG (All-Terrain Golf) shoe. This is a shoe I was seriously excited to test because Mark Wahlberg, co-founder of the brand, was posting a lot of videos teasing the release over the last few months.

• Buy from Municipal here

So after receiving a sample pair, how did they test? Well starting with the aesthetics, whilst they may divide opinion, I think the shoes offer a sporty, modern look without being totally over the top, especially in the all white finish I was testing. There are louder finishes, such as the Sporting Green and Ocean designs, but in white I loved the silhouette. The different materials blended together nicely and I actually liked the ‘Municipal’ written on the side, although I think the ‘M.Float’ writing on the outsole could be removed for a cleaner finish. Like many of the best golf sneakers, these will work well with shorts and joggers in the summer months, and after my testing they clearly perform in winter as well thanks to the other design elements I will get into shortly. The final aesthetic point is I liked the packaging, in particular the premium shoe bag the shoes come in, and the extra pair of laces.

Moving on, the next element I want to mention is comfort. Now Municipal nails its colors to the mast here saying ‘it’s headlined by our proprietary M.FLOAT Comfort System, which makes it the most comfortable golf shoe you’ll ever put on (if you have a pair of our Origin shoes, you know what we mean)’. I must say, I do know what the brand means. Provided you get the right size because the fit can be snug, these are right up there with some of the best on the market in terms of comfort. I didn’t feel any discomfort or rubbing during my testing and the feeling underfoot was the perfect middle ground of firm and soft. I don’t like shoes going too far one way or the other, but the ATG’s sat comfortably in the middle. Finally from a comfort standpoint I should mention these shoes are very lightweight indeed so wearing them for a long time was a breeze.

Next the grip and stability was solid thanks to the Tricluster Grip Technology. The tread of the spikeless shoe moved nicely but gripped the ground when I needed it to. I wasn’t a huge fan of the rubber fabric wrapping around the sides of the shoe but this was a minor point because the traction offered by the rubber was excellent. This also helped with waterproofing because these are 100% waterproof thanks to the Crossdry 360 waterproof membrane. Ultimately the combination of these elements make the ATG shoes versatile not just for golf, but also hiking and long walks too.

Overall Municipal seems to be making more noise in the world of golf recently and these shoes should continue that trend. I think the look of the shoe is really growing on me, especially in the all white design, whilst the grip and stability is solid. Waterproofing is a must for me and the ATG’s deliver nicely here, with the only negative being the lace fabric which can feel a touch scratchy to me. Then again I can easily change them so this isn’t a huge issue. It is worth saying it is very important to get the right size as well given how snug the fit can be here.