Skechers Go Golf Drive 5 Golf Shoe Review

Skechers Go Golf Drive 5 Golf Shoe Review

Skechers has gained a reputation in recent years for making some of the best golf shoes on the market, with ‘out of the box’ comfort ranking high among the brand’s claims. But can that really be true? It’s certainly not always the case with golf shoes, which can sometimes take a little coaxing in.

But in Skechers' case, it invariably is, with certain models ranking among the most comfortable golf shoes out there. And it's certainly true of the new Go Golf Drive 5, a versatile, casual, waterproof, spikeless golf shoe that provides a relaxed fit, with the Arch Fit insole system offering podiatrist-certified arch support.

One of the key considerations with even the best spikeless golf shoes is how well they perform when the elements conspire against you. Everything got put to the test the day we trialled the Go Golf Drive 5 as the heavens opened halfway through our round, allowing us to fully test all the shoe’s performance credentials (the photos were taken earlier in the day before the weather took a turn!).

Let’s address the issue of comfort first, for if your golf shoes prove uncomfortable in any way, it can have the ability to distract your focus away from the key task in hand of hitting golf shots. The ample cushioning on offer here, particularly around the heel section, meant that they almost felt like slippers the moment we put them on. We have occasionally in the past had issues with the heel section in Skechers' golf shoes sitting a little too high, but not so here – the Go Golf Drive 5 is supremely comfortable to walk and play in.

Are they waterproof? Most definitely, and we should know, having endured something of a deluge in our early evening round, the like of which would certainly have exposed any weaknesses in that department. But our socks remained completely dry.

The rainfall also gave us the perfect opportunity to check the shoe’s grip properties, and again, it passed with flying colours. Indeed, the first thing that caught our eye when we opened the box was the Goodyear branding on the striking red pimpled sole. It sounds like a perfect collaboration for grip when you think about it, and so it would prove, with no sliding issues even in conditions where you might perhaps expect the odd foot slip.

Skechers hails this a versatile on-course/off-course shoe and we certainly wouldn’t disagree with that – it has a contemporary, if perhaps slightly 'safe', look that wouldn’t look out of place on the High Street or down the pub. However, the raised pimples on the sole do mean you stand a little higher to the ground than usual when walking on hard surfaces or paving slabs, which takes a little getting used to.

Overall, a decent-looking shoe that does everything it sets out to do on the course, adapts well to off-course wear and comes in at well under three figures if you shop around, representing decent value for a waterproof, part-leather golf shoe.