How do you size golf shoes? On a golf course, proper shoe sizing is more important than one might think.
First of all, you will be doing a lot of walking on the golf course, unless you have a golf cart. You are likely going to take over 5000 steps. Therefore, you are going to want to feel comfortable in your golf shoes. You are not going to have much fun if a part of your shoe is digging into your flesh for a few hours.
Second, when you get in position to hit your golf ball, you want to be relaxed and stable in your shoes. If your shoes are too narrow and painful, causing blisters, you are going to feel irritated, might lose your balance, and that will throw your game off.
You are going to want your golf shoes to be well fitting, without too much excess length in the toe box, and only have one finger’s width of space in the heel. Studies show 70% of golf players are not wearing optimally sized golf shoes. To help you figure out if you are part of those 70% of golf players, we are going to look at how to fit golf shoes more in detail, down below.
Benefits of Correctly Sized Golf Shoes
There are many benefits to sizing your golf shoes correctly, and those come mainly in the form of comfort, performance, and equipment lifetime.
-21% improvement in golf swing power: Your feet will not slip within the boot of your golf shoes, which allows you to plant your feet into the ground more firmly and with more authority. With a stable link to the ground, you will be able to have a smoother kinetic chain when you swing, and transfer more power to the golf ball, increasing your carry distances significantly.
-Better comfort: Your feet will not slip within your shoe, reducing boot degradation and risks of blisters. Your feet injuries and ailments will be less common, and it will be quicker to recover from those, since they will be less painful than those that appear in bad fitting shoes.
-Longer boot lifetime: Well fitting golf shoes will crack less on the exterior of the boot. Also, the inside of the shoe at the heel will not degrade too quickly if the fitting is optimal.
How to Size your Golf Shoes?
1. Measure your feet
To figure out how to size your golf shoes, you need to measure your feet accurately.
The easiest way to measure your feet is likely by using a Brannock device, but who actually has one of those on hand? You could always go to a local shoe store just to use the tool, but there are ways to measure your feet at home as well.
Measure your feet in playing conditions. Wear socks. Assume a standing position. Measure your feet around the time when you usually play. One quick caveat is that it is preferable to measure your feet at the end of your golfing play. The reason is that your feet will have swollen due to the physical exercise.
You need to measure your foot’s heel-to-toe length. Use a tape measurer or a long ruler to measure your foot from your heel to your big toe. Your big toe will usually be the longest toe, but if the one next to it is bigger, you will probably feel more comfortable if you choose a shoe size one half-size bigger.
You can also measure the width of the balls of your feet, at the widest part of your feet.
Compare your foot measurements with the sizing charts of the specific golf shoe manufacturer you are interested in, such as Callaway and Adidas. However, ideally, you should still verify the fit of your foot in whichever shoe you choose, because sizing charts are not always 100% accurate.
2. Check your shoe width
You want your shoes to remain snug around your feet to give you optimal performance.
You also want your shoes to be wide enough so that you do not feel pain when you are out playing on the fairway, walking from shot to shot.
The trick here is to go with feel. You need to feel comfortable in your shoes, but always make sure your foot is not slipping in the boot, or the comfort will come at the cost of performance.
3. Check your shoe length
Ideally, you should leave half an inch of toe space between your longest toe, and the end of the shoe. The shoe should fit well and not move around too much. Your foot should not slip in the shoe.
If there is a lot more than half an inch of space in length, the shoe is too big for you.
If your toe is literally touching the end of your shoe, your shoe is too small for you. You will get blisters. Size up half a size and try it out. If the shoes are still too small, size up again.
It can be challenging to find the happy medium between shoe length and width. Try out different shoe manufacturers if you are struggling to find the right fit for you; every manufacturer designs and constructs their shoes slightly differently, and lesser known brands may be right for you.
What are the signs your golf shoes are sized incorrectly?
1. The inside of your shoe is degraded around the heel area
The degradation of the heel area in your shoe is caused by your foot slipping and moving around in your shoe. The friction against the back of your boot leads to material degradation.
If your boot’s heel is degrading quickly, your shoe is probably too big for you.
2. You can slip your shoes off without unlacing
You want your shoes to remain secure on your foot once you lace them up.
If you can easily remove your shoes without loosening up the laces, they are too big for you.
3. The shoe materials creases and bunches up
If this happens, your golf shoe is either too wide or too long. Look at how the creases form to understand what the issue is.
4. Your eyelets are too close or too far apart
If the eyelets of your shoe are too close together, your shoe is too wide.
If the eyelets of your shoe are too far apart, your shoe is not wide enough.
BONUS TIPS:
Choose a golf shoe that has a fairly sturdy construction, so that your foot is well supported. Thank to this, you can improve your balance and lower the risk of an ankle sprain.
Furthermore, it is worthwhile to look for golf shoes with replaceable cleats so that you will not need to replace the entire shoe if the boot is still comfortable and in good condition. It is better for your wallet, and for the environment.
Conclusion
In summary, you now know how to size your golf shoes optimally, maximizing your performance and comfort when playing golf.
Remember, you want a comfortable shoe that is as snug as possible, and your foot shouldn’t slip within the boot.
Have you ever had golf shoes fit so bad they were painful? Tell the tale in the comments!
