I hear arguments all the time about golf equipment, and the shelf life for upgrades, new technology, etc. Two pieces that absolutely don’t get enough space in that conversation are 1) golf grips, and 2) shoes.
Today’s post is about golf shoes. Like the tires on your truck, these wear down over time. I don’t walk a lot, but I buy shoes that work for strolling 18, should the itch appear. I’m almost exclusively a Footjoy guy, and have really taken a liking to the Premier series.
I got these Footjoy X Garrett Leight golf shoes the day they were released (back in early ’22). I absolutely love them. The brown saddle has a cool wayfarer look, and as expected, they are extremely comfortable. It’s fair to say that these are my go-to golf shoes.
Another thing: I like shoes that grip. I would wear metal spikes if the courses still allowed, but since they don’t, I need screw-in soft spikes (vs. the molded bottoms). It might be a mental tick, but I get scared that I’ll slip in my swing, mainly because of my elite swing speed (…).
I was playing about a month ago, and when walking up a hill, I slipped on some zoyzia grass that was on the side of a hill. It freaked me out a little, as I wasn’t expecting it, so I decided it was time to give these shoes a little homegrown refinishing. Let’s do a little before and after…
First: here they are fresh off the course:
I gave them a good scrubbing with a brush and some Dawn Powerwash (the best cleaner on the planet). I also threw away the original insoles.
Very happy with how they turned out…
Moving on, here is the set up for what’s about to happen. First, I got a new set of insoles. I’ve used these from Dr. Scholl’s for quite a few other pairs of shoes, and they are great. Next, I got a set of Softspikes Pulsars and a wrench (I couldn’t find my old one). Add in some Golf White polish (which I actually didn’t need) and a new Hudson Sutler shoe bag, and we’re ready to get to work:
Off with the old spikes:
And on with the new:
Ad here’s the final product. Clean as a whistle, new cleats, and comfortable insoles:
Ready for the next round. Total expense: I spent about $50 on all the goodies, and it took me about an hour to complete all the work (excluding the overnight wait for the shoes to dry after washing). I’d say that’s a worthy investment.
Fairways and greens, Soldiers.
25 years ago I was working in the cart barn at a local club when they were transitioning from metal to plastic/rubber spikes only. You wouldn’t believe how many times we got called to pick up a golfer who had twisted their knee or ankle because their soft spikes created slippage.
Anyways, you hit on everything one needs to keep their shoes up to snuff- shoe trees, cleaner, inserts, good spikes. No reason why a top-shelf Foot Joy shouldn’t last as long as a pair of Allen Edmonds or Aldens.
I remember when you got these Footjoys, still look great! I have an old pair of Footjoys from probably 2018 or so, whatever they were called before the model you have. They could use a good cleaning as well.
Maybe you are a member at a CC where they clean your shoes post round, because my shoes look way way worse than that! lol