Many golfers prefer leather shoes for durability, water resistance, comfort and a classic look. However, these premium shoes require proper care to maintain their quality. If you want to extend the life of your leather golf shoes and get a few extra years out of them, this guide will cover everything you need to know. We’ve got you covered, from pre-round prep to post-round cleaning and storage tips. While avoiding the obvious like jumping in puddles helps, there are additional maintenance steps you can take to keep your leather shoes looking and performing their best.
Pre-round care for golf shoes
Your leather golf shoes probably came with a shoe polish in the box.
Use it!
The shoe horn prevents damage to the heel, which helps ensure a proper fit and can even help prevent blisters. Before you put your shoes on, take a look at the spikes (if you have spiked shoes) and make sure they don’t need replacing.
Finally, consider rotating your leather golf shoes. If you wear golf shoes every day, try to alternate between two or three pairs. Constant wearing of one pair of shoes is not recommended, especially in wet conditions.
Cleaning and care after the round
The preliminary care of leather shoes is simple. Post-round care is a bit more involved. Start by cleansing, then drying and then conditioning. Granted, you won’t condition after every round of golf you play, but try to do it often in order to extend the life of your golf shoes.
Clean leather upper
After each round, remove any dirt or grass by wiping the shoes with a damp cloth. A microfiber cleaning cloth works well. Stay away from a brush of any kind to make sure you don’t damage the shoe.
For white leather shoes, you can use a white-specific shoe cleaner to remove scratches and condition the leather.
Dry your shoes
If the shoes are wet, add crumpled newspaper for about 8-10 hours to absorb the moisture.
You should also use cedar wood when waiting for your shoes to dry and never put them in direct sunlight as the leather can crack.
Here is a complete guide on what to do when leather golf shoes get wet.
Skin conditioning
Apply a leather conditioner in your leather golf shoes regularly. The conditioner helps keep the shoes supple and will work to prevent cracking.
If you play golf in different conditions, air conditioning is even more important. Always condition your shoes after you have cleaned them and they are completely dry.
Tips for storing leather golf shoes
Now that your shoes are clean and ready to be stored, you should invest in cedar shoe trees. These shoe trees help keep shoes in shape, absorb moisture and remove odors.
The trunk of your car is not the best place to store your leather shoes. In fact, it’s one of the worst. High temperatures can damage the leather and shorten their lifespan.
Choose a cool, dry place to store them, or place them inside a breathable shoe bag for easy transport to your next round of golf. The shoe bag protects against dirt and moisture, but allows air circulation.
Additional tips for caring for leather shoes
If you have leather shoes, be sure to avoid excessive water exposure when possible.
Leather can handle some moisture. However, when it is constantly exposed or exposed for long periods, you may have difficulty returning the shoes to their original condition. There are waterproofing sprays you can use on golf shoes, but most leather, when properly cared for, should naturally repel some of the water you encounter on the course.
When you do a deep clean, remove the laces and liners. Sometimes, dirt can get stuck around the laces and washing them by hand will help. You may also want to replace the laces from time to time.
Having a leather shoe cleaning kit with the right cleaning cloth, a mild cleaner, and a conditioner is a worthwhile investment when owning leather golf shoes.
Are leather golf shoes worth the extra maintenance?
It is true that leather golf shoes require more care and attention than synthetic shoes. However, it won’t require that much of your time, and you should be able to keep your leather shoes for years to come.
Most golfers find that the style and durability of leather surpasses that of their synthetic shoes.
It makes sense to alternate between a pair of leather shoes and a pair of synthetic shoes.
If you’re not sure which golf shoes are best for you, take a look at us 2024 with better spikes AND The best without spikes golf shoe guide
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