As much as we adore the challenge of playing golf in the driving rain or a howling gale, nothing tops walking around a beautiful course soaking up the sun in shorts with shades on, with only your golf game likely to spoil your day.
However, this invariably means being exposed to heat and sun for hours at a time. When you’re on your feet for so long, comfort and breathability in your footwear is paramount.
And, let’s not forget that just because it’s (supposedly) summer, that doesn’t mean you won’t be playing soggy rounds - this is Britain, after all - so we have included shoes that feature some element of weatherproofing in our summer golf shoes roundup.
Traction may not be as vital in summer as it is in the cooler, wetter months but it’s still essential because swinging a club is an incredibly vigorous movement. A well-designed outsole is crucial to keeping you grounded. We’ve included spiked and spikeless outsoles for those players who prefer making the transition from 18th hole to the 19th as quickly as possible without retreating to the car to switch shoes.
The issue with spiked shoes is they can be a little cumbersome and not particularly comfortable. Meanwhile spikeless offers up dreamy cushioning and lighter weight - but all at the expense of traction. However, golfing specialists have come a long way in footwear, so these days it’s all down to personal preference and aesthetics.
Whatever your summer golf ‘fit, we’ve rounded up the best shoes to finish it off.
Best golf shoes for summer at a glance
- Best overall: G/Fore G.112 Debossed Skull 7 Tees - £185, G/Fore
- Best for casual rounds: Adidas Samba - £90, Adidas
- Best spikeless: UA Phantom LE - £103.97, Under Armour
- Best spiked: Nike Victory Tour 3 - £229.99, Nike
- Best for style points: Puma Fusion Classic X Arnold Palmer - £99.99, American Golf
- Best for golfers with foot problems: Skechers GO GOLF Elite 5 Slip ‘In - £140, Skechers
- Best traction: UA Drive Pro LE - £150, Under Armour
- Best value spikeless: FootJoy ProLite - £99.99, FootJoy
- Best for comfort: G/Fore MG4+ - £185, G/Fore
- Best transition shoe: Air Jordan Golf Mules - £99.99, Nike
Shop now
G/Fore G.112 Debossed Skull 7 Tees Golf Shoe
Best: overall
These shoes have been styled with summer in mind, with bold colour accents throughout the shoe.
G/FORE are becoming the go-to choice for many golfers and we can see why: the low-profile design helps you feel grounded when addressing your shot. This is aided by the dimpled outsole that was very effective and runs up the heel, all the way to the toe as well as creeping laterally up the side for even more stability on uneven surfaces and hills.
The toe box felt a little tight to begin with but had softened by the back nine and the mesh lining and synthetic upper offered bags of breathability and comfort. The EVA midsole offers lots of support to the arches, plus excellent energy return.
The gel bumps that massage your feet as you walk (standard on all shoes from the brand) take a bit of getting used to but they really do take the sting out of 18 holes.
Buy now £185.00, G/Fore
Adidas Samba Golf Shoes
Best for: casual rounds
Adidas has brought its iconic Sambas from the terraces to the golf course for relaxed rounds keen golfers often play in summer.
Sambas have always been comfortable to wear and the cushioning in the midsole certainly softens the effect of your step count over 18 holes. The synthetic upper is breathable but doesn’t confine the shoe to dry days only.
The outsole has a good lug pattern for plenty of traction from the tee and there are three strategically placed spikes in the forefoot to help keep your feet as you go through your range of motion for several different shots.
Bonus: they’re suitable to wear straight to the clubhouse too, so no need to change before or after.
Buy now £90.00, Adidas
UA Phantom LE Golf Shoes
Best: spikeless
We loved the multi-directional lugs on the outsole of Under Armour’s Phantom shoe, which helps keep one grounded but still allows movement when you’re swinging. And you’ll appreciate the knitted upper when your playing partner has booked you a midday tee time in mid-August, keeping air flowing around the feet.
The shoe has also been designed with golf swinging in mind: the parts of the upper that will take the most strain have been reinforced so all that added pressure won’t lead to the breakdown of the material over time.
You wouldn’t know it from looking at them, but there’s excellent waterproofing in the form of a membrane and also a treatment so the shoe will cope well with early morning dew or if you get caught in a sharp shower halfway around.
The brand’s HOVR foam is in evidence, which made this one of the most comfortable shoes that we tried.
Buy now £103.97, Under Armour
Nike Victory Tour 3 Golf Shoes
Best: spiked
So, you want to play like Rory? While Nike’s kicks won’t be able to help with that, you can at least, look like him from the bottom up with the updated Victory Tour shoes that McIlroy has been spotted wearing on the course.
They’re made with a full-grain leather upper so they’re super comfortable straight out of the box. Generous ankle padding makes feet feel secure, while soft terry cloth lining around the collar and tongue keep things feeling nice and breathable.
Nike’s cushioning system, Zoom Air, is stitched onto the upper so the shoe will carry you around with good energy return and stop you wilting on the back nine.
Underneath, you’ve got a considered spiked outsole that offers grip yet accommodates free movement, regardless of how your foot moves through the shot.
Buy now £229.99, Nike
Puma Fusion Classic X Arnold Palmer Golf Shoes
Best for: style points
Puma serves up a very stylish shoe that will turn heads in the clubhouse, but how well does it perform? We’re happy to report that for bone-dry days, these are comfortable and lightweight and the maze of hexagonal lugs on the bottom of the shoe perform well so you can concentrate on really letting go with that tee shot and also ensure stability in and around the green too.
Buy now £99.99, American Golf
Skechers GO GOLF Elite 5 Slip ‘In
Best for: golfers with foot problems
If you’re after an effortless shoe that you can literally slip into without bending down and with laces that are secured with the simple twist of a dial, located on the side of the shoe, then the Elite 5’s offer total ease of use.
In addition to this, the obligatory Skechers Arch Fit insole is included if you suffer from some foot problems which ensures some protection from spending so much time on your feet and encourages weight dispersion taking the pressure off painful areas. The synthetic upper is breathable and the heel pillow, padded collar and tongue adds plenty of comfort and keeps the foot nicely secured in the shoe, while the dial means you can tailor the right level of comfort and fit for the holes ahead.
The spikeless outsole offered up a sufficient amount of traction for a range of shots too.
Buy now £140.00, Skechers
UA Drive Pro LE Golf shoes
Best: traction
There’s a huge amount of biomechanics involved in golf and these shoes have been designed with that in mind. With an upper that supports and locks the feet in so that once your feet are planted you can just focus on how you’re addressing the ball and the shot itself.
There’s bags of breathability from the upper, with the HOVR foam providing plenty of bounce as you walk, but it’s the spiked outsole that we liked so much, with nine spikes that really dig through dry, hard ground and the outsole which climbs up the outside of the shoe to add to the overall support you get from it.
Buy now £119.97, UA
Footjoy ProLite
Best: value spikeless
This is a very lightweight summer shoe that’s supremely comfortable with a mesh liner, so it offers lots of breathability for hot feet.
The shoe balances comfort without feeling your foot sliding around in the shoe and offers the stability needed for the range of shots you’ll play during your round. The shoe does this with an upper design that provides a spacious rounded toe that then tapers at the heel to lock the foot in quite naturally.
There’s a comfortable, thick midsole for good energy return and although the outsole looks quite basic with simple vertical and horizontal grooving it performed well and allowed for good movement on the tee, the fairway and the green.
Buy now £99.99, Footjoy
G/Fore MG4+ Golf shoes
Best for: comfort
Another head-turning spikeless shoe from G/FORE with an almost all white upper offset by a “deep sea” mid/outsole, although if you’re not keen on this look G/FORE offer another ten colourways so you’ll be able to find a visual that suits your personality.
The MG4+ offers superior comfort and cushioning without sacrificing any breathability, making them a great summer shoe.
Foot feels comfortably locked in without any tightness or pinching and the thick midsole offers plenty of rebound and bounce from the triple density foam which will put a spring in your step, even if you’ve just shanked one into the rough.
All this is offset by an efficient outsole with a hybrid lug pattern offering knurled and saw-toothed lugs that offer plenty of grip. Also, the fact that the shoe is fully waterproofed means that it’s not confined to summer and you can keep wearing it well into the autumn.
Buy now £185.00, G/Fore
Nike Mules
Best: transition shoe
We couldn’t conclude our round up of summer golf shoes without including these mules that are designed for that post-spike drink in the clubhouse.
Made from pierced full-grain leather to aid breathability and cool down tired feet. They feel like the lovechild of Jordan’s and sliders: incredibly comfortable to wear after a particularly hard round, with a midsole filled with memory foam for plenty of comfort while the tongue keeps them in place and makes them look like a shoe, so you won’t fall foul of any clubhouse dress code rules.
Although, for some clubs you may have to choose one of the more muted colourways that are on offer.
Buy now £99.99, Nike
Verdict
The brand is relatively new on the golf shoe scene but G/Fore are making quite an impression with shoes that mix eye-catching styles with on-course performance. The G/Fore G.112 Debossed Skull 7 Tess Golf Shoe is a great example, offering a perfect balance of comfort, style, breathability and traction.
