Skechers Go Golf Drive 5 Golf Shoe Review
We check out the versatile, waterproof Skechers Go Golf Drive 5 shoe to see how well it performs
A very decent offering from Skechers that delivers on all its performance promises out on the course
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Extremely comfortable from the start, with excellent cushioning around the heel
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Good waterproof properties and very good grip in the wet for a spikeless golf shoe
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Styling perhaps errs a little on the safe rather than eye-catching side
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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.
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Jeremy Ellwood has worked in the golf industry since 1993 and for Golf Monthly since 2002 when he started out as equipment editor. He is now a freelance journalist writing mainly for Golf Monthly. He is an expert on the Rules of Golf having qualified through an R&A course to become a golf referee. He is a senior panelist for Golf Monthly's Top 100 UK & Ireland Course Rankings and has played all of the Top 100 plus 91 of the Next 100, making him well-qualified when it comes to assessing and comparing our premier golf courses. He has now played 1,000 golf courses worldwide in 35 countries, from the humblest of nine-holers in the Scottish Highlands to the very grandest of international golf resorts. He reached the 1,000 mark on his 60th birthday in October 2023 on Vale do Lobo's Ocean course. Put him on a links course anywhere and he will be blissfully content.
Jezz can be contacted via Twitter - @JezzEllwoodGolf
Jeremy is currently playing...
Driver: Ping G425 LST 10.5˚ (draw setting), Mitsubishi Tensei AV Orange 55 S shaft
3 wood: Srixon ZX, EvenFlow Riptide 6.0 S 50g shaft
Hybrid: Ping G425 17˚, Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro Orange 80 S shaft
Irons 3- to 8-iron: Ping i525, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 R300 shafts
Irons 9-iron and PW: Honma TWorld TW747Vx, Nippon NS Pro regular shaft
Wedges: Ping Glide 4.0 50˚ and 54˚, 12˚ bounce, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 R300 shafts
Putter: Kramski HPP 325
Ball: Any premium ball I can find in a charity shop or similar (or out on the course!)
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