For many golfers, buying a new pair of golf shoes remains a simple process. Scroll the internet, find a style you like, select your trainer size and head to the first tee.
But what if that approach is actually harming your game?
Golf is a game renowned for its innovative approach to custom fit clubs. Few golfers would think twice about testing a driver before buying it. Is it time we all take the same steps to deciding what we put on our feet?
According to Christopher Murtaugh, the Head of Footwear Optimisation at Under Armour, many golfers unknowingly compromising both performance and comfort by wearing poorly fitted shoes.
Speaking to us about the role footwear plays in on-course performance, Murtaugh touched on the idea that fitted shoes are generally undervalued by the majority of club golfers.
“How important is the difficult question, I guess, because at the end of the day, you’re using a club, you’re hitting a ball, etc, but I think more than how important it is, it’s very often overlooked,” he said.
The benefits, he explains, go beyond just keeping your feet dry and comfortable during a round. Properly fitted shoes can a positive impact on their technical abilities, such as helping golfers maintain stability throughout the swing, while also reducing the physical strain.
Murtaugh pointed out that: “I think it’s something that can improve performance quite a lot, not just in terms of their golf, but also physically.
“I think injury prevention. I think generally people with the right fitting shoe, with the right insole, with the right size will typically be less tired, less fatigued, more stable, and generally feel better about their golf.”
Public perception is often the overruling factor in these things. It’s common practice for runners to undergo a fitting for their footwear. Golf, however, seems to be slower in embracing such approaches to performance.
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With golfers spending upwards of four or five hours on their feet covering miles of sometimes challenging terrain over a single round, the case for specialist footwear is just as strong. Hence Murtagh’s belief that it’s a mistake to treat golf shoes like an off the shelf purchase.
“People don’t go through the process,” he added. “They pick a shoe off the shelf, often incorrectly fitting, the wrong sole, no insulting, and actually that can be very detrimental to their game.”
Under Armour Clone shoe and how they help with performance
At the beginning of 2026 our resident golf professional Jack Backhouse reviewed the Under Armour Drive Pro Clone Golf Shoe.
He concluded that it is a genuinely innovative golf shoe that delivers outstanding comfort, stability and traction. Its auxetic upper (thicker when stretched and thinner when compressed) adapts to the shape of your foot during play before returning to its original form, offering a near custom-fit feel straight out of the box. Combined with excellent grip in wet conditions and a noticeably improved aesthetic, this is one of the most impressive performance golf shoes currently available.
All in all, a shoe with fantastic grip, stability and out the box comfort.
Read the full review here.
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