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What to Look for in a High-Performance Golf Shoe
by Sean Scott
December 27, 2022
Professional golfers refer to their shoes as equipment. And like any pro athlete, they regard their golf shoe equipment as a crucial part of their game. The proper support, traction, flex, toe box dimensions, insole, molded heel cup, fit, and comfort have to be right. There is no place for compromise since the power in their golf swing builds from the ground up. Today, we’re going to go over the basics of what to look for in a high-performance golf shoe.
Do Your Shoes Really Matter
Of course, a pro golfer can outplay most of us barefoot or wearing fuzzy slippers or giant clown shoes. If you’re good, you’re good. By the way, it’s the same with golf clubs.
Give a pro a Sunday bag of sticks from the Salvation Army, and chances are they can still outplay most of us. For the rest of us, we can use every bit of help we can get, and a great pair of golf shoes can make a difference.
Confidence From the Right Feel
So much of golf depends on developing the right feel. It’s difficult to explain, but you’ll know it when you experience it. One example is the straightest and longest drive you make will feel effortless.
Another example is when you slip your foot into the right shoe. You will feel planted and stable yet light on your feet. This isn’t by accident. There’s an awful lot of high-tech performance and handcrafted quality that goes into it, and here are some of the attributes to look for:
DO YOU FEEL BALANCED? – When you wear your golf shoes on different inclines or different areas of the course,
do you feel stable on both feet? A high-performance golf shoe will have the right kind of built-in support and construction. There’s no easy way to compensate for this. You can tighten the laces all you want, but a properly made shoe will help you feel planted and balanced even with no laces at all.
TRACTION & GRIP – This isn’t just about how long your spikes are. It’s the same for spineless golf shoes. The outer sole design and tread are key because that is what makes contact with the ground, but the right grip starts inside the shoe itself. If the inside of the shoe isn’t contoured to match the shape of your foot, it can still slide ever so little during your swing, even though the bottom of your shoe has plenty of traction on the grass. Here again, you can tighten down the laces, but this can lead to other issues.
SUPPORT WITHOUT STIFFNESS – A pair of hand-carved wood Dutch clogs give you plenty of support, and so will many of the top brands of golf shoes. The question is, which golf shoe will give you support without being stiff? A true high-performance design has plenty of support and plenty of flexibility. The flexibility is easy to test; simply twist the shoe back and forth when you compare different brands and models.
HIGH-PERFORMANCE LEATHER IN THE COLD – Unfortunately, not every game will be played in the comfortable room temperature of a sporting goods store. Walking the course in cold weather can make many synthetics stiff and clunky. In contrast, most synthetics provide are adequately water resistant, while poor-quality leathers can absorb too much water.
Premium Mastrotto® Italian leathers give you excellent flexibility and are water resistant in all weather conditions.
THE SCIENCE OF "SUPER-COMFY" – Plenty of people own a pair of casual shoes or flips flops that are super comfy at the beach or around the house. The problem is how many people would describe their golf shoes as super comfy after more than 6,600 yards of a challenging golf course? Are you dying to take them off when you get to your car? The words super comfy might not show up in the design specs of a high-performance golf shoe, but literally, at the end of the day, that’s the goal of both the science and hand-craftsmanship that goes into every pair. If, after every game, your golf shoes are not the most comfortable shoes you own, it’s time to take a look around for a pair you will absolutely love.
The Game of Golf Is Back
COVID-19 has deeply affected our relationships and our way of life. Thankfully, when it comes to golf, the ordeal has reminded many of us how important it is to reconnect with friends outside in the fresh air. More and more people are dusting off their golf gear and getting out on the links. Even for those of us who might still shank a ball or two, the friendly banter and exercise of walking and having fun is a great way to spend the day.
Start With COMUNITYmade
The Traction LE men's spikeless golf shoes and women’s golf shoes are designed, developed, and hand-crafted right here in Los Angeles using proprietary lasts designed specifically for men and women.
The Traction LE line is a modern interpretation of classic golf shoes that provides all the high-tech elements and classic attention to detail it takes to produce a high-performance component of your golf equipment. We developed this shoe in collaboration with Nº33 founder Justin Eldridge to bring some much-needed flavor and flare to golf.
We developed this model in collaboration with Nº33 founder Justin Eldridge to bring some flavor to golf. And since this is a limited edition model, it would be a shame if you missed it.
A Little About COMUNITYmade
At COMUNITYmade, we believe in supporting the local economy and bringing back the lost art of quality manufacturing to the city of Los Angeles.
We are committed to making the most sustainable and responsible decisions, and our goal is to utilize the local materials and construction methods available to us here in the USA.
We are a For Benefit Corporation, and for every pair of shoes we sell, we donate up to 20 percent to the charity of your choice.
We are proud to live and work in the city of Los Angeles. By designing, developing and most importantly producing our shoes locally, we are able to reduce our carbon footprint and put people and planet first.
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Sean Scott
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