Just like the shoes you’d wear when walking down the street or the formal leather shoes you may throw on for your next wedding, golf shoes need just as much TLC if you expect to get the most out of them and want to enjoy them on the golf course for as long as possible.
Given the unpredictable terrain and conditions they need to endure in every round - which could be anything from extreme heat to damp sludge and everything in between - it’s fair to say our golf shoes need some extra attention in the cleaning and caring process.
Whether you’ve picked up an incredible deal in our golf shoes sale or have an existing pair you’d like to keep wearing, knowing how to care for your golf shoes so they don’t succumb to the elements or constant wear can be tricky.
But don’t worry, the experts at GolfShoes.co.uk are here to shed some light on the subject, so you can find the best golf shoes for you and enjoy them for many future games.
So, go and find the perfect golf shoes for you and use the tips below to take care of them!
How to care for your golf shoes
Clean them after every round
This one goes without saying, but you’d be surprised how many golfers just fling off their mucky golf shoes at the end of a round and don’t even bother to take them out of the car in the state they’re in (more on that in a moment).
Golf shoes should be cleaned after every single round. Otherwise, stray pieces of grass, dirt and other substances can become lodged in the cracks and crevices of the shoe, which can severely damage the shoe’s materials if left to rot.
Not only that, but grass is notorious for staining, which could leave your shoes discoloured and looking very unattractive if you don’t wipe it off effectively.
Thankfully, cleaning golf shoes isn’t a strenuous process and can actually be done with some simply soapy water, a sponge and a soft cloth. Lightly wet the sponge in the soapy water and gently brush off any outstanding foreign bodies the shoes have picked up off the course.
The same goes for the sole of the shoe too. If you have spiked golf shoes with removable cleats for more grip, be sure to take them off and clean them according to the manufacturer's instructions.
But if you have spikeless golf shoes and dirt has become trapped in the sole design, don’t be tempted to bang them together as this can damage the structural integrity of the shoe and shorten its lifespan. Instead, take a thin, non-sharp instrument (like the blunt end of a pencil) and gently scrape out as much muck as possible, before wiping it over with the soapy sponge.
Then, you can dry the whole shoe with the soft, absorbent cloth and leave any remaining moisture to dry naturally.
Store them appropriately
You might be tempted to leave your golf shoes in the boot of your car after every round for convenience. But this is a death sentence to shoes that are prone to changing effects within the environment.
Like most materials, golf shoe materials can become irreparably damaged, withered, or warped by sudden shifts in temperature and humidity. And one of the places where these conditions are virtually uncontrollable is in the boot of your car.
Throughout the day, as the sun rises and sets, your car undergoes a drastic shift in internal temperature, which is especially true in winter.
One or two days might not do too much damage. But leaving your golf shoes in the car for prolonged periods will undoubtedly leave them worse off. So it’s always wise to store them inside your home (not in a shed or garage, either) where temperature and humidity conditions are relatively stable.
Absorb excess water
If you’ve been out for a round and got caught in a downpour, hopefully, you’ll have had the right pair of waterproof golf shoes on your feet.
But if your shoes aren’t entirely waterproof or if some stray droplets have worked their way inside the shoe around the seams, walking around in squelchy shoes can make for a disappointing game. Not only that, but leaving your golf shoes wet for too long can be harmful to them.
So, here’s a quick tip for you: When you get home, use a soft towel in and around the shoe to dry up as much of that pesky rainwater as you can. You won’t get all of it, as some of it may have soaked into the shoe’s material.
When this happens, bundle up some old newspaper and shove it inside the shoe, so that the paper is touching the edges of the inner shoe as much as possible. Then, just leave it!
Hopefully, after a few hours (preferably overnight) the newspaper will have absorbed the majority of the soaked-up rainwater, leaving your golf shoes dry as a bone and ready for another round.
Treat the leather uppers
As durable and robust as it is, leather still needs to be maintained to keep it as close to its original state as possible. Otherwise, it’s prone to cracking, tears, and chips, which make for an unimpressive-looking golf shoe.
To avoid this happening to your golf shoes, follow the cleaning steps mentioned above but then apply a thin yet liberal layer of leather softener afterwards. After all, leather is simply animal hide and, just like your skin, can be moisturised to keep it looking and playing its best.
There are plenty of leather softener options on the market, so have a shop around and find the one that suits your particular shoe best.
Insert shoe trees when not in use
Considering how much they’re expected to move and shift over eighteen holes, it’s no wonder some golf shoes tend to lose their shape over time.
This not only shortens the lifespan of the shoe, but can also make it more uncomfortable to play in, leading you to buy a new pair of shoes, which is an expense you might not need.
The best way to combat this is to insert a shoe tree into your golf shoes when they’re not in use. Shoe trees are simple items - often made of wood, but not always - that are designed to fill the gap in your shoes and mimic the shape of your foot when you’re not wearing it.
This helps the materials in the shoe to stick to their intended shape and not begin to wilt while they’re not being used.
Looking for new golf shoes on your golfing journey? Check out GolfShoes.co.uk
If your golf shoes have suffered at the hands of too many messy courses and have begun to degrade, perhaps it’s time to consider an upgrade?
At GolfShoes.co.uk, we’re home to an extensive range of brand-new golf shoes for sale, from the top brands in the sport, like Nike, FootJoy and adidas to name but a few.
With plenty of women's and men's golf shoes available, we’ll always have something to suit your playing style and have you hitting the most comfortable rounds of your life.
Take a look at our selection of golf shoes on sale here or reach out to a member of the team if you need a helping hand!
