The lifespan of golf shoes is depending on how often you play, the conditions, and how you maintain your golf shoes. It also depends on spiked or spikeless golf shoes.

Spiked golf shoes come with spikes or cleats for gripping the ground. They are made to help your feet not to slip while you’re swinging. Modern golf shoes are spikeless and they are designed for more comfort, and they last significantly longer than spiked golf shoes.

How Often Should I Replace My Golf Shoes?

Since most golfers play in wet conditions, they should store their shoes in the trunk or clean their uppers and soles regularly. Professional golfers are known to clean their shoes after every round to keep them in good condition. They can expect to get up to four seasons out of them.

If your golf shoes have lost traction, it’s time to replace them. Paul says that this is a common sign that you should update your shoes.

A good pair of golf shoes can help you get through the round without feeling uncomfortable. Paul advises that you should update your shoes every couple of years to keep them up to date with the latest trends.

If your spikes are showing signs of a dip in performance, it might be time to replace them.

Changing out your golf spikes can vary depending on a number of factors, such as the number of rounds played and the weather.

3 Signs that You Need to Replace Your Golf Shoes

Eventually, your golf shoes will get worn out, and you will need to replace them. Your shoes are starting to cause discomfort or pain to your feet. The insoles have worn down, or the seams have burst.

Here are 3 signs that you need to replace your golf shoes.

1. You feel off-balance with your golf swings or something feels a little off with your game, even though your stroke mechanics and the golf clubs you use remain the same.
   
2. You find yourself frequently slipping during your swings or while walking. This means your shoes have lost their grip and traction.
   
3. Your shoes are losing their waterproof quality. Water has started to seep through your shoes and getting your feet wet.

If your golf shoes come with removable spikes, you might want to first see if swapping in new spikes would solve the problems.

If that does not solve the problem or if your shoes do not have removable spikes, then it is time to look for a new pair of golf shoes.

How Long Do Golf Shoes Last?

It is essential to understand how long your golf shoes could last, how to clean them, and when to replace them. On average, golf shoes last between 3 to 5 years based on how you take care of them, or how much you abused it.

The more effort you put into taking care of your golf shoes, the more they are going to help your game, and the longer they are going to last.

How long your golf shoes last actually depend on three factors:

1. The amount of Golf you play

Ever wonder how much walking is being done while you play a game of golf? A lot, it turns out. When you play a round consisting of 18 holes, you will be walking for approximately 5 miles in total. That is quite a lot of walking. And if you play golf regularly, all the miles add up quickly, and they are going to take a toll on your golf shoes.

So how many rounds of golf can you expect to get out of your golf shoes? There is no magic number for that. Like everything else in life, it depends. To get a general idea about this, we asked a number of golfers about their experiences:

Spiked Golf Shoes: for spiked shoes, the consensus is that you get somewhere between 14 to 20 rounds of golf before the spikes on your shoes get worn out and lose their traction and grip. At that point, you would need to replace the spikes.

Spikeless Golf Shoes: these are more recent development of golf shoes. They do not have spikes, so they generally provide less grip and traction than the spiked version. On the other hand, they are more comfortable, more gentle on your feet, and less likely to tear up the grass of golf courses. They are also more durable. Our panel of golfers reported a lifespan of 100 to 200 rounds of golf for the best spikeless golf shoes.

So should you buy spikeless golf shoes for their better durability? Not necessarily. When the outsoles of spikeless golf shoes are beaten up, you have no choice but to buy a new pair of shoes. On the other hand, with spiked golf shoes when the spikes are worn out, you can simply replace the spikes and keep wearing the same shoes.

Related: Spike vs Spikeless Golf Shoes which one should I buy?

2. The conditions you play under

The lifespan of your golf shoes also depends on how you wear them. To prolong the life of your golf shoes, only wear them when you are on a golf course. Do not wear them when you are driving to a golf course, or on a range, or walking from and to your car.

This way, you will minimize the wear and tear you put on your golf shoes. The best way to achieve this is to carry your golf shoes with you in your golf bag and only change into them right before you are about to play golf.

3. Your efforts in taking care of your golf shoes

You can also prolong the life of your golf shoes by taking good care of them. Clean and dry your golf shoes after each game and store them in a cool place away from sunlight. Whatever you do, do not just throw them into a bag or leave them in your car.

How to Maintain Your Golf Shoes

Yes, it is important to take care of your golf shoes if you want to prolong their life. But how exactly do you do that?

Follow these 4 simple steps:

Step 1: Clean Your Golf Shoes

Your shoes can pick up pesticides, mud, sand, and other matters when you play golf. So it is important you clean your shoes after each time you play:

1. Using a cloth, wipe down the uppers with warm water and soap
2. If your shoes have spikes, unscrew all spikes and remove any mud and grass trapped under the spikes
3. Wipe down the outsoles with warm water and soap
4. Mesh golf shoes are trickier to clean. For those mesh shoes, you have two options when it comes to cleaning them: hand washing or machine washing:
   
   Hand Washing: using a cloth or soft brush, scrub the mesh clean with warm water and soap. Then using a cloth, soak up any residual soap water from the mesh. Wipe down outsoles as well with a cloth.
   
   Machine washing: remove shoelaces and any removable inner soles. Wipe down mesh with a cloth using warm water and soap. Apply laundry detergent directly on any tough stains. Put shoes in a laundry bag before putting them in the washing machine. Set washer to gentle or delicate cycle and cold water. Start machine.

Step 2: Dry Your Golf Shoes

After cleaning your golf shoes, the next step is to dry them to prevent mildew.

1. After normal usage, simply put shoes in a dry, cool place for air drying
2. If your shoes are soaked from wet grass or rain, put charcoal shoe bags or scrunched up newspaper inside your shoes to help absorb moisture
3. Avoid putting your shoes in direct sunlight as sunlight is very damaging

Do not use hair dryers or space heaters to dry your shoes

Step 3: Inspect Your Golf Shoes

If your shoes have spikes, inspect the condition of the golf spikes. If they are worn down, it is time to get new spikes and replace the old ones.

For both spiked and spikeless golf shoes, inspect the outsoles, If the outsoles are worn out, get new shoes.

Step 4: Store Your Golf Shoes

After your golf shoes are thoroughly dried, it is time to put them in storage.

1. Insert cedar shoe trees into your shoes. Shoe trees help maintain the shape of your shoes and cedar helps absorb any moisture left behind in your shoes
2. Put shoes into a golf shoe bag. A golf shoe bag keeps your shoes in good shape both in storage and in transportation. Get a shoe bag that is ventilated to keep your shoes dry.
3. Place shoe bag in a dry, cool place. Avoid direct sunlight

Additional Tips:

• Do not leave your golf shoes in your car.
• Apply shoe polish regularly to your shoes.
• Consider getting two pairs of shoes and alternate between them – this will significantly extend the life of each pair.

When Should I Buy a New Pair of Golf Shoes?

A good golf shoe will last for around 3 to 5 years depending on the type of game that you play. If your feet get uncomfortable when you’re taking a swing, it’s time to replace those golf shoes.

Most of the time, replacing golf shoes is not necessary. However, it is important to maintain the shoes properly to avoid damaging them. If you can maintain them, they will last for a long time. To extend their longevity, always store them in a garage.

With careful maintenance, you could get the most out of your golf shoes and also maximize their lifespan. If you decided that it’s time to buy a new pair of golf shoes, we recommend you to go back to the basics on how to choose golf shoes that suit your needs, as you may change your preference since the last time you bought one.