How to Care for Leather Golf Shoes 

Many golfers prefer leather shoes for durability, water resistance, comfort, and a classic look. However, these premium shoes require proper care to maintain their quality. If you want to extend the life of your leather golf shoes and get a few extra years out of them, this guide will cover everything you need to know. We’ve covered you, from pre-round prep to post-round cleaning and storage tips. While avoiding obvious things like jumping in puddles helps, there are additional maintenance steps you can take to keep your leather shoes looking and performing their best.

Pre-Round Leather Golf Shoe Care

Your leather golf shoes probably came with a shoehorn in the box.

Use it!

The shoe horn prevents damage to the heel, which helps ensure a proper fit and can even help prevent blisters. Before you put your shoes on, also take a look at the spikes (if you own spiked shoes) and ensure they don’t need replacement.

Finally, consider rotating your leather golf shoes. If you wear golf shoes every day, try to alternate between two or three pairs. Constant wear with one pair of shoes is not recommended, especially in wet conditions.

Post-Round Cleaning & Care

Pre-round leather shoe care is simple. Post-round care is a bit more involved. Start by cleaning, then drying, and then conditioning. Understandably, you aren’t going to condition after every round of golf you play, but try to do it frequently so you’ll prolong the life of your golf shoes.

Clean Leather Uppers

After each round, remove any dirt or grass by wiping the shoes with a damp cloth. A microfiber cleaning cloth works well. Stay away from a brush of any kind to ensure you don’t damage the shoe.

For white leather shoes, you can use a white-specific shoe cleaner to remove scuff and condition the leather.

Dry the Shoes

If the shoes are wet, add crumpled newspaper for about 8-10 hours to absorb the moisture.

You should also use cedar shoe trees when waiting for the shoes to dry, and never put them in direct sunlight as it can crack the leather.

Here is a complete guide on what to do when leather golf shoes get wet.

Conditioning the Leather

Apply a leather conditioner to your leather golf shoes on a regular basis. The conditioner helps keep the shoes supple, and it will work to prevent cracking.

If you play golf in a variety of conditions, the conditioner is even more important. Always do the conditioning after you have cleaned the shoes and they are completely dry.

Storage Tips for Leather Golf Shoes

Now that your shoes are clean and ready to store, you should invest in cedar shoe trees. These shoe trees help maintain the shoes’ shape, absorb moisture, and keep odors at bay.

The trunk of your car is not the best place to store your leather shoes. In fact, it’s one of the worst. High temperatures can break down the leather and shorten their lifespan.

Opt for a cool, dry place to store them, or put them inside a breathable shoe bag for easy transport to your next round of golf. The shoe bag protects from dirt and moisture but allows air circulation.

Additional Tips for Leather Shoe Care

If you own leather shoes, make sure you also avoid excessive water exposure when possible. 

Leather can handle some moisture. However, when it’s continually exposed or exposed for long periods, you may struggle to get the shoes back to their original condition. There are waterproofing sprays you can use on golf shoes, but most leather, when cared for properly, should naturally repel some of the water you deal with on the course.

When doing a deep clean, remove the laces and insoles. Sometimes, dirt can get locked in around the laces, and hand washing them will help. You may also want to replace the laces from time to time.

Having a leather shoe cleaning kit with the correct cleaning cloth, a mild cleaner, and a conditioner is a worthwhile investment when you own leather golf shoes.

Are Leather Golf Shoes Worth the Extra Maintenance?

It’s true that leather golf shoes require more care and attention than synthetic shoes. However, it’s not going to require that much of your time, and you should be able to keep your leather shoes for years to come.

Most golfers find that the style and durability of leather outlast those of their synthetic shoes.

It makes sense to alternate between a pair of leather and a pair of synthetic shoes.

If you’re not sure which golf shoes are best for you, take a look at our 2024 Best Spiked and Best Spikeless golf shoe guides.