Why Most Golfers Buy Spikeless Shoes While Tour Pros Still Trust Spikes

It’s actually mind-blowing how much disparity there is between retail shoe sales and what’s played on the PGA Tour.

Did you know that, at retail, 65 percent of golf shoe sales are spikeless? That’s an astonishing number, especially when you consider that spiked shoes win out on Tour by a landslide. More than 90 percent of Tour pros wear spikes.

“Golf footwear is the one sport where the everyday player doesn’t necessarily wear what the pros wear,” said Jake Haley, Head of Golf Sales at Under Armour.

Walk onto any local basketball court and you’ll see hoopers of all ages wearing the same footwear as their NBA favorites.

The same goes for the gridiron, the football pitch and even the tennis court.

But golf? Let me say it again.

More than 90 percent of Tour pros wear spiked golf shoes while 65 percent of shoes sold to the everyday golfer are spikeless.

Why the disparity? It’s actually simpler than you might think.

Why “Big Spiked” owns pro golf

“They’re playing for their livelihood. We’re playing for joy,” said Haley.

When Tour pros have millions of dollars hanging in the balance and one slip can cost them generational wealth, it’s only natural that the vast majority would choose the option that delivers better performance.

You and I, on the other hand, play for joy.

“Joy” isn’t necessarily defined by performance when it comes to amateur golf. Sure, the 35 percent of you who opt for spikes probably care more about performance than most. But for the 65 percent of us buying spikeless, it’s because things like comfort, versatility and even style are just as important to finding joy in the game.

“People want the versatility going to and from the course, wearing one shoe as they walk out the door and inside the clubhouse,” Haley said.

The technology gap is shrinking

The cool thing is that, as the game advances, you’re starting to see fewer trade-offs when switching to spikeless, especially if you’re not swinging a driver at 120 mph.

“You’ve seen, in the last five to 10 years, this domination of lifestyle golf shoes and it’s not saying it’s slowing down, but I think performance is balancing it out a little bit more,” said Haley.

Spikeless performance is still not on par with spiked but it’s catching up.

“One (reason) is the technology and the R and D that went into making spikeless golf shoes that can provide you the performance you need,” Haley continued.

“Spikeless often outperforms spiked in force plate testing.”

Because spikeless golf shoes are lower to the ground, they provide better ground feel and, thus, in some instances, can actually help you use the ground more effectively.

It’s nuanced, sure, but it’s not something that can just be dismissed.

“For example, in our spikeless shoes, we’re doing everything you can to get as good of traction as you get,” Haley shared. “We use the hybrid of rubber and TPU compounds. So the rubber gives you good ground friction and comfort but then the TPU acts more like a spike in that it can penetrate the ground where you need it to.”

Which is right for you?

That largely depends on what you’re after. If performance is your No. 1 priority, spiked will serve you well. If you want something versatile? You’ll only find that in the spikeless category.

And if you want a little of both? Why not play it by ear, round by round?

“I’m going to determine spiked and spikeless based on the elements, based on the course I’m playing, based on the conditions,” Haley concluded.

“I would say spiked is for the golfer who is going to brave any of the elements. The spikeless would obviously be the inverse of that where someone prioritizes versatility and comfort.”