Shoes

The right golf shoe will save you strokes.
An army marches on its stomach so the saying goes. A golfer marches on his feet. You only have one pair of feet and they have to last a lifetime so look after them. A carefully chosen pair of golf shoes are a very wise investment on a par with a well chosen club.
A game of golf will involve walking around three and half miles and probably more once you take into account the trek from tee to green and the odd foray into the long stuff for a miss hit so it makes sense to select a shoe which will support your feet and cushion them on your round. Believe me you do not want to be nursing a sore heel or turned ankle for the last six holes, not only is it desperately uncomfortable but more importantly you will mess up your score card.
A good golf shoe will support your foot as you walk and also give you a firm foundation for your swing. A sliding foot whilst in the middle of your down swing is less than desirable and certainly can cause an injury, not only to your foot but to your knees, your groin or your back, which is a sore spot for a lot of golfers anyway
How to select a golf shoe
Shoes are made from a lot of different materials nowadays from textiles such as the trainer style to good old leather. The internals of the shoe are important too and this part known as the sock can play a large part in the overall comfort factor. Materials which incorporate breathability help to keep your foot cool in summer and warm in winter by wicking away the moisture that your foot produces
The shoe should fit without pinching straight away , don't think that you will "wear it in" you may do but if it is uncomfortable to start it is not the right shoe for your foot. It should support your instep and be firm in the sole whilst the heel must fit your heel and not be slack allowing your foot to slide around, this will be uncomfortable and indeed may lead to blisters. The front of the shoe is also very important, it should follow the contour of your foot .There should be room to wiggle your toes without feeling that your toe is pushed up to the top of the shoe.
The best tip a scout master gave me many years ago was wear two pairs of socks. They should preferably be natural fiber cotton or wool although modern micro fiber materials are available now and the can incorporate an anti fungal and anti-odor element. The layers will help keep your foot cool and dry and will prevent most blisters.
Now we know what to look for in the shoe we should consider the externals. A golf shoe will have studs, metal or plastic which are removable and replaceable. In winter or even in summer after a lot of rain metal studs or spikes will give you the most grip whether when walking or when playing, as said before a slip at either time can cause you a lot of grief. Do you want to risk it?.In summer and indeed on a few courses ,especially those in the drier areas, and for me that means Spain and Portugal "soft" spikes ,i.e. the plastic ,flatter variety are the only ones allowed due to the lower risk of damage to the greens. Give the green keepers a thought ,without them you would be teeing off in a field