Spiked vs. Spikeless Golf Shoes: Which Style Fits Your Game?

My recommendation, at least for anyone who plays more than 10 or so rounds per year? Keep at least one pair of both spiked and spikeless golf shoes that you love on hand. 

I use spiked golf shoes from March until about May. When the course dries out and the weather warms up, it’s strictly spikeless until the cooler, wetter fall weather hits. Then, from about mid-September until the bitter end of the Inland Northwest golf season, it’s back to spiked golf shoes.

We’ll cover these reasons in more detail, but here’s your quick and dirty guide to which type of golf shoes you should wear.

Consider spiked golf shoes if:

• You play in wet or soft golf courses often
• The courses you usually play have a lot of sand traps
• You have a fast swing speed and prioritize maximum stability
• You want the most durable option

Consider traditional spikeless golf shoes if:

• You play in a variety of conditions throughout the year and still want really good traction
• You walk some or all of your rounds and prioritize comfort
• You want one shoe that works all season long

Consider an all-day spikeless golf shoe if:

• You like the look and feel of sneakers in your golf shoes
• You often hit the range or course before or after work when time is of the essence
• You prioritize style, versatility and comfort above premium traction
• You mostly play in warm, dry conditions

Here’s a breakdown of how each style of golf shoe stacks up in the most important performance categories. This guide will help you decide which golf shoes fit your needs best.

While the obvious answer is that spiked golf shoes perform best for traction and stability, the more aggressive spikeless options are just as good as most spiked alternatives.

I’d put the ECCO BIOM H4 (and the new BIOM H5 purely from a traction and stability standpoint) up against any spiked golf shoe in wet conditions. I also have full confidence in the TRUE OG 3 Pro in any conditions. I’ve played in all types of conditions in those spikeless options, and have never walked off the course regretting my footwear decision.

When the conditions are ideal (dry, hot, and sunny), I love turning to a pair of all day spikeless golf shoes. They’re great for walking the course and even with a more passive outsole, they pass the traction and stability test in the appropriate conditions.

Just like the best spikeless golf shoes compete with spiked options in the traction category, they also compete with all-day golf shoes for best-in-class comfort.

The TRUE OG 3 Pro, again, fits this bill, and you’re starting to see why it’s my favorite golf shoe of 2025.

Break-in periods with golf shoes are a thing of the past. Of the 20-plus pairs of golf shoes I’ve tested in recent years, only one has caused me any kind of pain out of the box. After further dialogue, I learned that was an issue with that specific model, not a simple break-in period.

It’s easy to generalize the durability of each type of shoe based on its category, but I have a better alternative for judging a shoe’s durability. 

Check its waterproof warranty. That tells you exactly how long the manufacturer expects it to hold up under normal use.

ECCO offers the best waterproof warranty I’ve seen, with a 3-year promise behind many of its waterproof golf shoes. Most waterproof golf shoes put a one or two-year warranty behind that promise, and that’s a key variable to consider when comparing two shoes, their prices, and how long you expect them to last.

I like to hit the range at lunchtime or squeeze in some golf before or after work. If you’re in the same boat, you know that changing your shoes before and after those bonus golf sessions is just one more hurdle standing between you and golf. 

That’s when the versatility of a spikeless, all day golf shoe can’t be matched. When I know there’s any golf-related activity in my day, I reach for either the Pluto P1 or TRUE OG Cush. Both of those shoes work for walking the dog, a few hours of work at the local coffee shop, and a bonus practice session at the course.

Some of the more aggressive spikeless golf shoes offer versatility in their own way. They don’t work off the golf course, but they can handle almost any course condition you can imagine. I can think of at least two or three pairs of spikeless shoes that I own that would work for every round of golf I play, from muddy spring rounds to 90-plus degree summer treks, to chilly and wet late-fall loops.

Spiked golf shoes, on the other hand, have a specific purpose, but are the least versatile.

I play roughly 35 rounds per year, and my recommendation to anyone who plays more than 10 or so rounds or plays in wet and dry conditions is to own multiple pairs of golf shoes. Balancing a comfortable spikeless golf shoe for the summer with a heavier-duty spiked option for the shoulder season is ideal.

If you only own one pair of golf shoes, I recommend a waterproof, traditional spikeless option. A shoe like the TRUE OG 3 Pro or Payntr Match Day SC would be an excellent choice to get you through the hot mid-summer rounds and also keep you warm, dry, and grounded during the spring and fall mud-fests.

For the trunk-slammers who are always squeezing in a twilight nine, after-work range session, or rushing to a weeknight league, an all-day spikeless golf shoe is a nice luxury to have on hand.