Skate-Wear Central

Hagen Golf

Evolution Of The Golf Shoe

To be sure, other inventions have progressed more impressively than the golf shoe. Airplanes and automobiles, for instance, or the modern computer. That said, be grateful the golf boot is an extinct species.

You can thank Field and Flint for that. In 1923, the company took William Park’s patented, 1917 version of the golf boot, lopped off the top and voila – the American golf shoe was born. Not just any shoe, mind you, but the FootJoy golf shoe.

Name ring a bell?

Actually, golf-specific footwear dates to at least 1857, when “The Golfer’s Manual,” a Scottish publication, referred to shoes “roughed with small nails or sprigs” that enabled golfers to “march comfortably and safely over the most slippery ground that can be turned out by the meridian sun in the dog days.”

(That same year, the Burt and Packard Shoe Company was founded in Brockton, Mass. It would later become, you guessed it, Field and Flint.)

In 1891, the removable metal spike was born, to the chagrin of greenskeepers everywhere. Not to mention golfers, who sometimes felt the prongs poking through their heavy soles. Talk about a death march.

Skip forward to 1927, when Field and Flint’s FootJoy was named the official shoe of the very first U.S. Ryder Cup team, helmed by the fashionable Walter Hagen. Still, the stylish spikes of Johnston & Murphy were preferred by statement-making country clubbers in the Roaring ’20s.

In 1940, FootJoy introduced its first line of ladies shoes. Unfortunately, there was little to distinguish them from those made for men. The decade also saw the rise of FootJoy and Charles Eaton – later known as Etonic – as the leading brands among golf professionals and amateurs.

Not much happened over the coming decades, as golfers were content to wear Oxford-style shoes and manufacturers were happy to crank them out. Finally, in 1970, R&D caught up with the times and developed rubber soles for shoes – a quantum leap in comfort and flexibility. Etonic would pioneer waterproof treated leather, another important innovation, in the 1980s.

The next decade brought the golf shoe ever closer to its athletic cousins built for tennis, jogging and basketball. Breathable fabrics and lightweight polymers replaced thicker, heavier materials and made golf shoes more comfortable and durable than ever.

As the 20th century turned, the metal spike met its demise in the form of the plastic cleat — to the delight of greenskeepers everywhere. Companies that had long dominated the athletic shoe trade, like Nike and adidas, applied their existing technologies to golf shoes and made a serious dent in the market share of the entrenched manufacturers.

The increased competition sparked an explosion of innovation as companies jockeyed to make shoes ever lighter, more comfortable and – no small step – more aesthetically varied. Today, consumers can choose styles ranging from conventional saddle oxfords to golf shoes that resemble athletic models, or even sandals.

And female golfers no longer are stuck with manly footwear.

About the Author

At Comfortable Golf Shoes, we’re committed to helping you find the best golf shoes on the market by giving you a wide range to choose from.

We offer high-quality, stylish, waterproof, turf-gripping and, most of all, comfortable golf shoes from the best brands in the business, including FootJoy, Nike, ECCO and adidas.

Take a look at the golf shoes we have on offer.

Walter Hagen: His Cadillac Days – Michigan Golfer TV

Mens Old Guys Rule Playing Through Tee $19.95 Bring some style to your golf game with the Old Guys Rule Playing Through Tee

Mens Dakine Arc Rail Visor $16 The Dakine Arc Rail Visor is the stylish way to keep the sun out of your eyes when hitting the beach or golf balls on the range.

Shape-ups Golf: SU Tour $100 Stay fit and comfortable on the links with the SKECHERS Shape-ups Golf: SU Tour golf shoe. Leather upper in a technical golf shoe with stitching and overlay accents. Resamax midsole, cleated traction sole.

Shape-ups Golf: SU Tour – Back 9 $100 Style and comfort get the eagle in the SKECHERS Shape-ups Golf: SU Tour – Back 9 golf shoe. Smooth leather upper in a classic saddle oxford athletic golf shoe with Resamax midsole and cleated outsole.

Men’s Thorlos GX 3-Pack Golf Crew $40.99 Designed to help protect and keep your feet drier, healthier and more comfortable when walking the course; Extra THORLON provides a maximum golf density padding to provide better durability, protection against shock, impact and shear forces; THORLON top with added spandex provides protection and better fit; Lightweight padding in arch for better fit and arch support; Thorlos Protection Level 3; 85% THORLON Acrylic, 12% stretch nylon, 3% spandex;

Unisex Thorlos GX 3-Pack Golf Crew $40.99 Designed to help protect and keep your feet drier, healthier and more comfortable when walking the course; Extra THORLON provides a maximum golf density padding to provide better durability, protection against shock, impact and shear forces; THORLON top with added spandex provides protection and better fit; Lightweight padding in arch for better fit and arch support; Thorlos Protection Level 3; 85% THORLON Acrylic, 12% stretch nylon, 3% spandex;

Diamond Supply Co. Diamond Golf T-Shirt – Black $34 You’re the type of dude that can get into the exclusive clubs. Show off your classy side with the Diamond Golf tee from Diamond Supply Co. Featuring a prim and proper gentleman on screen printed on the front wearing an anti-polo shirt, this tee boasts the Diamond Supply Co. wordmark across the front. Tee up and hit some more greens with Diamond Supply!

Diamond Supply Co. Diamond Golf T-Shirt – White $34 You’re the type of dude that can get into the exclusive clubs. Show off your classy side with the Diamond Golf tee from Diamond Supply Co. Featuring a prim and proper gentleman on screen printed on the front wearing an anti-polo shirt, this tee boasts the Diamond Supply Co. wordmark across the front. Tee up and hit some more greens with Diamond Supply!

Unisex Thorlos GMX 3-Pack Golf Mini-Crew $37.99 Designed to help protect and keep your feet drier, healthier and more comfortable when walking the course; Extra THORLON provides a maximum golf density padding to provide better durability, protection against shock, impact and shear forces; THORLON top with added spandex provides protection and better fit; Lightweight padding in arch for better fit and arch support; Thorlos Protection Level 3: Maximum (Provides the Maximum Protection for the most rugged and challenging activities and weather conditions); 83% THORLON Acrylic, 16% stretch nylon, 1% spandex;

Women’s Thorlos GX 3-Pack Golf Crew $40.99 Exclusive THORLON construction wicks moisture better; Moderate heel cushioning/thick cushioning in ball of foot for maximum impact and shock absorption; Spandex in the arch/instep for support and stability (holds in place during twisting and lateral movements); Lightweight padding in arch for better fit and arch support; Thorlos Protection Level 3; Maximum (Provides the Maximum Protection for the most rugged and challenging activities and weather conditions);

Men’s Thorlos G 3-Pack Golf Roll Top $37.99 Midweight padding in the ball and heel protects against shock, impact and shear forces; Flat knit at instep and over the top provides for a better shoe fit; Lightweight padding in arch for arch support and a more contoured fit; 82% THOR-LON Acrylic, 17% stretch nylon, 1% spandex;

Unisex Thorlos G 3-Pack Golf Roll Top $37.99 Midweight padding in the ball and heel protects against shock, impact and shear forces; Flat knit at instep and over the top provides for a better shoe fit; Lightweight padding in arch for arch support and a more contoured fit; 82% THOR-LON Acrylic, 17% stretch nylon, 1% spandex;

Quiksilver Kids Wonderland Boardshort (Navy) $45 Boardshorts that can easily double as gentleman shorts at the golf course are what makes these trunks the most versatile pair you will ever own.