If you have been playing golf for many years, you probably have quite a few pairs of golf shoes.
Golf shoes are special shoes designed to help us have better balance and stability on the golf course.
With the right pair of golf shoes, you should be able to swing more easily, walk the course more easily, and feel less fatigue at the end of the round.
However, there are lots of questions about golf shoes that players have when it comes to where and how they can be worn.
One of those questions is whether or not you can wear your golf shoes on concrete.
If this question has made you wonder, we have all the answers that you may need.
Can You Wear Golf Shoes On Concrete?
You can wear both soft spiked and spikeless golf shoes on concrete, but they will wear out much faster.
The bottom of these shoes is made from a rubber material that has a specific pattern in place.
The pattern is there to help increase traction and make it easier for golfers to get around the golf course with a better performance.
However, when you continue to walk around on the concrete, the pressure of your weight combined with the abrasive surface will start to wear down the bottom of the golf shoe.
Overall, wearing golf shoes on concrete is something that you are allowed to do, but it won’t make much sense for the longevity of your golf shoe.
Players encounter a bigger problem with the spikeless shoes as they are continually being worn off the golf course.
Some players will keep their spikeless shoes on after a round of golf and wear them to work or the store.
This is entirely acceptable with a spikeless shoe, but it is something that golfers must be aware of.
The bottom of the shoe is going to wear out much faster than a traditional golf shoe.
It isn’t the nature of the spikeless shoe that does this, but it is related to golfers wearing these shoes on any surface.
Spikeless shoes are quite popular and have really started to take over the golf world.
There are many positives to them, even if the bottoms wear out faster from being worn on concrete.
Can You Wear Spikeless Golf Shoes On Any Course?
Some golf courses have restrictions about what shoes can be worn.
Most of the time, the restrictions that golf courses have in place are to help protect their greens and surfaces and to uphold the traditions of the game.
The spikeless golf shoes can be worn on any golf course as long as they are truly spikeless golf shoes.
Do not try to say that a pair of shoes not intended for golf is spikeless, as this is not going to be the case, and it will likely anger some people who work at the golf course.
The one type of shoe that is banned from almost any golf course is the traditional metal spike shoe.
Golf shoes with metal spikes were the only option available for many years.
However, golf courses realized that amateur golfers with these spikes on did quite a bit of damage to the course.
This damage was often caused by people who would walk too close to the hole, drag their feet on the putting surface, and more.
Years ago, the decision to take metal spikes out of the game was a pretty easy one in the world of golf.
The switch to soft spikes was a seamless one, and players realized that the soft spikes were easier to work with and to wear.
However, the soft spikes need to be changed quite often, which many golfers don’t want to deal with.
This, in turn, led to the introduction of the spikeless golf shoe.
Spikeless golf shoes are very comfortable, easy to wear, and you don’t have to worry about changing them before you head out to the golf course.
In addition, when you finish your round of golf, you can walk right to your car with your spikeless golf shoes on and not have to worry about it.
Years ago, when metal spikes were the only options, the spikes would be very difficult to use when walking on concrete.
Do Pros Wear Spikeless Golf Shoes?
Professional golfers are the only ones who are allowed to wear golf shoes with metal spikes.
When golf courses made the rule not to allow metal spikes, they did not include the professional players in this rule.
Therefore, when you are watching golf on a Sunday afternoon, chances are the players have metal spikes on.
You may have heard the spikes clicking if you have ever seen a player walking across a parking lot or a cart path to get to their golf ball.
Pros have quite a bit of clubhead speed, and because of this, they need to ensure that their lower body stays stable and grounded.
Having that extra pull to the ground from the metal spikes seems to be well worth it for golf-playing professionals.
The pros will likely be allowed to continue wearing metal spikes for the foreseeable future.
This is almost a tradition of the game, and it will likely not be changed anytime soon.
Golf professionals should consider having some spikeless shoes for practice or a casual round, but it is essential to have a pair of spiked golf shoes in play when a tournament comes along.
Golf pros also have the advantage of the relationships that they have created with the equipment manufacturers.
These guys can get a shoe that feels and looks great for their game and even have some say in how the golf shoe is designed.
Should You Wear Your Golf Shoes To The Course?
With the traditionally spiked golf shoes, it was very easy to tell where you could and couldn’t wear your golf shoes.
The spikes make it very difficult to wear the shoes off the course.
This is where the concept of shoe bags and locker rooms came into play.
Golfers would wear non-golf shoes to the golf course.
Then they would park their car and head to the locker room.
In the locker room, the golfer could switch and put their spikes on before the start of the round.
The same procedure would repeat itself (in reverse order) when the golf round was complete.
This became so standard that most golfers will tell you that they have more than one shoe bag in their golf equipment closet.
When soft spikes came to the market, this same procedure was followed.
Although it is easier to walk anywhere with a pair of soft spikes on, they are still not ideal for some surfaces like concrete.
The introduction of spikeless golf shoes has really changed the entire shoe bag/locker room concept.
Golfers will now wear their golf shoes anywhere and show up to the course ready to play and enjoy a round of golf.
There is no reason to stop in the locker room, and the golf shoes themselves are very comfortable and easy to wear all the time.
Many business professionals have found that they have started wearing spikeless golf shoes all the time because of the unique styles and patterns offered.
The rules surrounding where you can change your golf shoes, which golf shoes you should wear, and which shoes are the best for your game have been changing quite a bit in the last few years.
If you are confused by this, feel free to still wear your soft spike golf shoes on the course and change in the locker room at your leisure.
The one thing that we all want to avoid is changing golf shoes in a parking lot.
Locker rooms are really the place to change shoes, and it is not always considered good etiquette to change shoes in the parking lot, especially at a private country club.
Tips For Keeping Golf Shoes In Great Shape
Now that you know that your golf shoes can be worn on concrete, it’s time to understand some of the ways to take care of these shoes.
Golf shoes are not always cheap, and making sure that you have a few pairs of them that will hold up for years to come, is a significant benefit.
Here are some of the best tips for keeping your golf shoes in great shape and not having to replace them every few months.
1. Own More Than One Pair Of Shoes
If you own one pair of golf shoes, those shoes are going to wear down pretty quickly.
The problem with only owning one pair of shoes is that you can’t switch to a backup when the course conditions are rough.
We don’t suggest that you need to run to the store right now and purchase a new pair of golf shoes.
The important thing is to keep an old pair after they wear down.
If you have an old pair of shoes that you can throw on for a golf round in the rain or after a course is aerated, you will save your better pair of shoes and keep them in great shape.
Owning more than one pair of golf shoes is a smart decision, and it is so easy to substitute an old pair on a rainy day of golf.
This will help to keep your newer golf shoes in better shape for years to come.
2. Clean Shoes After Play
After each round of golf, it is a good idea to clean your golf shoes.
This cleaning can help remove sand and dirt and debris that has gathered around the golf shoe and on the bottom.
Not only is this a good idea for those who are going to walk through a clubhouse at the golf course, but it is also important to keep the shoes in great condition.
Many golf courses will have a small air compressor near the clubhouse.
You can shoot some air onto the shoe and remove all of the debris.
Another important aspect is to actually wash the shoe from time to time.
You can do this with some small brushes and a little soap and water.
Be sure to leave the shoe in a shady outdoor area to allow it to dry.
3. Avoid Concrete When You Can
If you want your golf shoes to last, you must avoid concrete when possible.
Although the spikeless golf shoes have no issues traveling across a concrete surface, they will wear down quite a bit faster.
If you find that you have a favorite pair of spikeless golf shoes, you may want to avoid wearing them to work and the stores, etc.
Try to keep them on the grassy surface as often as possible, and you will get a much longer life out of the shoe.
4. Purchase Better Golf Shoes To Begin With
It makes sense to purchase golf shoes that are of higher quality to begin with.
Golf shoes that have the better materials and the better ratings are likely going to hold up quite a bit longer.
Try and find a shoe that fits your budget but also offers premium technology and performance.
In the end, paying a few dollars extra could save you from having to purchase an entirely new pair of shoes in a few months.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you now understand that wearing your golf shoes on concrete is just not the best idea.
Golf shoes are made to perform best in the grass.
Since certain materials have to be used to increase performance in the grass, you can’t expect to get this performance on a soft and hard surface at the same time.
By taking care of your golf shoes and wearing them only where appropriate, you will likely own them for a very long time.
Take care of your golf shoes, and you will be impressed with the results that you can get long term.
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