The Search for Classic Golf Shoes

I am back on my golf kick. While I am by no means a natural athlete I usually pick up sports pretty quickly. At least well enough to not embarrass myself. Golf on the other hand has turned out to be a whole different story, but I am making progress. In fact, I got my fist par last week! Now that I am getting comfortable enough to get out on the course more regularly I need to invest in a pair of golf shoes.

I spent some time last week hunting down a pair of classic golf shoes. It turns out this not an easy task if you want something saddle-like in brown leather. Which of course I did, I even found a pair for or two in the $200 range, but my current golf game is not yet deserving of such nice shoes. Below are my top 3 picks for classic looking golf shoes and my runner-up .

1. Allen Edmonds First Cut Golf Shoes – $295
Allen Edmonds makes some of the best classic dress shoes around so it is no wonder that they do the same when it comes to golf. These classic saddles have a rugged distressed look which is great for the course and are eligible for recrafting adding some lifetime value to the purchase. Allen Edmonds First Cut Golf Shoes2. FootJoy Custom DryJoys Tour – $230
I used FootJoy’s My Joy custom online program to whip up these saddles. There are numerous color options to pick from, but this pair which consists of a waxy bomber brown base with a brown smooth leather saddle are gorgeous. If it were not for the futuristic sole these may have been my #1 pick. FootJoy DryJoy Custom3. FootJoy City – $190
These FJ City’s are reminiscent of a pair of dirty bucks with their tan base and brick red sole making them a natural choice for the trad golfer. Coming in at under $200 dollars they also don’t hit the pockets quite as hard as the first two. FootJoy CityRunner up – Footjoy Superlites 2-13 Closeout – $59.99

Last, but not least is the pair that I purchased. Before you start thinking that I am in bed with the people at Footjoy I am not (FootJoy people, call me!), but they do seem to cater to the traditional crowd more than most. I chose this pair, because the style and price all lined up. I can’t give a detailed review t this time as I am still eagerly waiting for them to arrive. Footjoy SuperlitesI am going to settle for the white & tan saddles at the moment. As I said, my game needs a lot of improvement before I can make justify dropping $200 or more on a pair of golf shoes, but it is good to know that there still are some classic looking golf shoes on the market.

It does seem that there are very few companies targeting the traditional/classic/heritage market. The two biggest players appear to be Footjoy and Allen Edmonds (don’t forget to check the AE shoe bank!). Are there any golf shoes that I overlooked?

oxford cloth button down
Jerrod Swanton is a simple man interested in simple, classic, and traditional style.

11 Comments on "The Search for Classic Golf Shoes"

  1. John M says:

    Oxford, et. al.,
    Golf shoes are no different that other footwear; shoe trees, regular cleaning and care are essential. And, if you play or practice regularly (in strings of successive days, as in Friday-Saturday or Saturday-Sunday, or in any consecutive number of days) you should need two pair. One rests and airs out while the other is in use. Two fine pair, treated well, will last year after year and will reward the considerable investment time and again.

  2. Tweeds says:

    Congrdulations on your golf game. Keep up the good work. I belive you made a greet choice considering the price.

  3. Tweeds says:

    I was in a hurry got lots of typo errors in my comment……sorry for that.

  4. lin says:

    Sounds like you should get 2 pairs!

  5. George says:

    In build quality and comfort, these are probably all top shelf. However, when it comes to shoes, my guts-and-nuts conviction is that if the maker is determined to emblazon a logo or name on their shoe, they’ve alienated me. Ecco is another offender, along with a handful of others. I make allowances for athletic (running) shoes, but otherwise…well, you’ll never see Alden, A&E, or any British or Italian doing this (soles excepted). So, go Nike or be an adult and steer for the A&Es. That’s my two cents; keep the change.

  6. Martin says:

    In my younger years I played golf consistently and have been trying to get back in to it after forgoing my membership during my University years. I recently bought a pair of FootJoy DryJoys Tour, a little ‘modern’ but still better than most.

    I won’t buy anything other than FootJoys for comfort and waterproofing.

    That said I am from Scotland and as far as I know we don’t have access to Allen Edmonds golf shoes.

  7. Fred Johnson says:

    Ox
    You may also want to consider the spikeless variety of shoes. I have some saddle tan footJoys that are wonderfully comfortable. I too wanted the “classic saddle” look a while back and bought some Eltonic white/brown saddles, which I rotate with the footjoys. For range practice its the footjoys.. In my opinion, while AE makes superior shoes they don’t make exclusively golf shoes, so don’t overlook the various golf shoes manufacturers.

  8. oxford cloth button down says:

    Thanks for all the great feedback! John, you make a good point about having two pair of shoes. I may go with what Fred suggests and use a spikeless pair for the range. George I appreciate your two cents, but everyone has assured me that FootJoy are as good if not better than Nikes. They definitely look better logo or no logo. Like you I do make an exception to my logo-less life for athletic gear.

  9. George says:

    Foot Joys it is, then. Well, just adopt a nom de cours consistent with the “FJ”, I guess; Fred Jackson, Floyd Jensen, etc.?

  10. Levis501 says:

    Hi. I happen to come across USA made Bostonian loafer. It is 8.5 D, which is medium width. I recall you purchased this brand, but being frustrated due to the sizing issue. Based on my experience, the sizing gets different depending on what country makes them. What about the USA Bostonian sizing from your previous experience? Does it run big or snug? I need your input, please. Thanks.

  11. oxford cloth button down says:

    Levis501 – I have only handled one pair and I thought that they were almost a half size large.

    George – Good idea. I will work on a nom de cours. It will help keep my poor score under wraps.

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