Near sweep for FootJoy this weekend

Shoes worn by winners of major pro tour events, weekend of May 30:

PGA Tour – Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial
Winner – Zach Johnson
Shoes – FootJoy FJ Sport (1st tour win for this model)

European PGA Tour – Madrid Masters
Winner – Luke Donald
Shoes – FootJoy FJ Icon

Champions Tour – Senior PGA Championship
Winner – Tom Lehman
Shoes – adidas TOUR360 4.0

LPGA Tour – HSBC LPGA Brazil Cup
Winner – Meaghan Francella
Shoes – FootJoy

FAQs about today's golf shoes

Everything you always wanted to know about golf footwear, but were afraid to ask...

Q: Aren't golf shoes for old fuddy-duddies?

A: If you consider guys likes Jason Day, Camilo Villegas, Anthony Kim and Rickie Fowler old fuddy-duddies, then yes. True, for them golf shoes are technically work shoes, but there's a dazzling array of fashionable – yes, fashionable – styles to choose from.

You don't have to wear traditional or even semi-conventional golf shoes, either. Popular templates include the athletic shoe, skater-inspired street models, even sandals – spikes and all.

Q: I'm getting back into golf after several years away from the game. My old shoes have metal spikes, which I know are banned by most courses. Can I replace them with plastic cleats, or do I need to buy a whole new pair of shoes?

A: Plastic cleats come in a variety of different thread sizes, so odds are there's one that will fit your outdated soles. You can remove one of your metal spikes and check the size, then find its plastic match. Or, take your shoes to a local golf course or retailer and ask them to help.

Of course, given the advanced age of your steel-studded shoes, investing in a new pair might be a better idea – especially if your old-school kicks have tassels.

Q: Do professionals still prefer metal spikes over plastic?

A: Some do, but most have switched to soft spikes. If there's one thing pros hate more than an early tee time, it's bumpy greens, and metal spikes are notorious for damaging tender surfaces.

A few years back, Vijay Singh and Phil Mickelson had a minor dust-up at the Masters over the issue of metal-inflicted spike marks, which by rule can't be repaired when they're in one's own putting line. Fortunately, no one was kicked.

Q: I'm a lousy golfer and usually play in sneakers – will golf shoes help my game?

A: You betcha.

For all the advice about keeping your head down and your left arm straight, balance and stability are every bit as important. Golf shoes' primary advantage over standard athletic shoes is those spikes, which anchor you to the turf. No more sneaker spinouts for you, mate.

Q: Can I get a decent pair of golf shoes for less than $100?

A: Does Tiger Woods like beautiful... trophies?

Nearly every major manufacturer offers a “value” brand in the $50-80 range. These models have most of the lightweight, foot-cradling, performance-enhancing features of their costlier siblings, without expensive extras like calfskin uppers. Even better, you can often find pairs that retail for $150-plus offered at huge discounts in clearance sales.

Ladies first in golf shoe fashion

Where perception is concerned, men's golf apparel just can't outrun the sins of its past. Plaid pants and hideous, ill-fitting shirts leave an indelible impression. Fact is, men can actually play golf without looking ridiculous these days, right down to their shoes.

But when it comes to sporty, stylish clothing for the course, women are miles ahead. Go figure.

Uber-hip players like Natalie Gulbis wouldn't be caught dead in drab, outdated footwear, and that sense of style filters down to amateurs via companies like adidas, Nike and FootJoy. Ladies golf shoe makers don't do dowdy, stodgy or plain. At least, not if they want to move product.

Bright colors, sleek shapes and daring designs are all the rage among female golfers. It's not all about looks, though. Women's golf shoes are engineered with newfangled performance and comfort features to match the fashion-forward sensibility.

Here are a few of our personal favorites:

Adidas Signature Natalie and Signature Paula

Pinup girl Gulbis and Paula “Pink Panther” Creamer may have fallen short of expectations for their on-course results, but fashion-wise they've made quite an impression. Adidas has smartly capitalized on this star power by giving each golfer her own shoe line.

Gulbis' Signature Natalie (pictured) is a low-profile number with detailed stitching and eye-catching colors. Her logo and rhinestone design accent the heel and tongue. Creamer's Signature Paula shoes incorporate a ribbon graphic, and one model is striped in hot pink. Both Signature lines feature waterproof protection and a form-fitting footbed.

• Also for ladies from adidas: Traxionlite Sport AT, Driver Isabelle 3.0, CC Slingback 2.0, Tech Response 2.0

Nike Air Zoom Vapor II

This ultra-lightweight shoe is the sibling of the men's version. Of course, you won't find many guys trodding the fairways in pink or cool mint kicks. (Well, maybe Ian Poulter.) The Air Zoom Vapor II is notable for its one-piece microfiber upper, which is not only waterproof, light and breathable, but stretch resistant. The contoured, removable sockliner is a bonus.

• Also for ladies from Nike: Air Summer Lite III, Air Brassie II, Nike Ace, Apres 18 Slide (an after-golf flip-flop)

FootJoy Lo Pro Collection

This shoe made our list by virtue of its zebra print model alone. (Wouldn't surprise us if Poulter slipped on a pair of these, either.) The Lo Pro is available in more conservative styles, like white with a cool cloud stroke and black snake print. Full-grain leather uppers and a waterproof warranty aren't too shabby.

• Also for ladies from FootJoy: FJ Summer Series, Dry Joys, Green Joys (including golf sandals)

Big week for adidas on Tour

Golf shoes worn by this week's winners on the major pro circuits:

PGA Tour – HP Byron Nelson Championship
Winner – Jason Day
Shoes – adidas adiPURE
Note: Runner-up Blake Adams also wore adiPURE

European PGA Tour – BMW PGA Championship
Winner – Simon Khan
Shoes – adidas adiPURE

LPGA Tour – Sybase Match Play Championship
Winner – Sun Young Yoo
Shoes – FootJoy DryJoys

Nationwide Tour – Rex Hospital Open
Winner – John Riegger
Shoes – FootJoy

Golf shoes: Necessity or not?

Skeptics say golf shoes are a pointless extra designed not to help you play better, but to make you spend more in the pro shop. A pair of everyday athletic shoes, they argue, can do the job just as well.

There's no question golfers will drop a pretty penny on a pair of high-end golf shoes. Most major brands offer at least one model fetching $200 or more; a super swanky pair, decked out in calfskin and full-grain leather, can cost upward of $450.

What is this, Sex and the City?

Not really. Decent golf shoes can run as low as $60-75, and $150 will net you a sweet pair, indeed.

The pricetag begs a legitimate question, however: Are the advantages touted by golf shoe companies really worth the cash outlay? Or can a golfer get by wearing his favorite pair of sneakers?

Let's settle the argument by pitting golf shoes against standard-issue running, tennis or other athletic shoes, point by point. May the best fit win:

Comfort

Golf shoes have come a long, long way in this department, primarily by integrating athletic-shoe features into their designs. Still, some golf shoes can take a few rounds to break in. Athletic shoes generally have softer uppers and more flexible soles, making them practically invincible in the comfort category.

• Advantage: Athletic shoes

Style & variety

Another area in which golf shoes have made major, um, strides. Time was, golf shoes uniformly followed saddle-oxford convention, complete with hideous tassels. Fortunately, those days are but a bad memory.

Again, many of today's golf shoes mimic athletic-shoe styling, to the point that they're nearly indistinguishable. But golfers can choose from a wide variety of designs, from classic oxfords (sans tassels) to kicks that would make a skateboarder envious. Colors, designs and fabric combinations are equally vast.

Athletic shoes, on the other hand, pretty much look like athletic shoes.

• Advantage: Golf shoes

Traction & stability

Well, this is a no-brainer. Running shoes grip well enough on dry turf, but they're no match for spike-bottomed golf shoes when the grass is wet. Regardless of conditions, golf shoes provide a level of confidence that is paramount in making a good swing.

• Big advantage: Golf shoes

Course friendliness

The invention and popularity of so-called “soft spikes” was a blessing to golf course superintendents everywhere. Plastic cleats, now required at most every course, cause far less damage to greens and clubhouse floors than their metal forerunners.

Nonetheless, athletic shoes' spike-free soles are utterly ouchless to precious turf.

• Advantage: Athletic shoes

Expense

Prices for good golf and athletic shoes are similar. But... Since athletic shoes can be worn off the course, a golfer can in theory skip footwear expenditures altogether by pulling double-duty with his tennis togs.

• Advantage: Athletic shoes (assuming you don't buy a special pair just for golf)

Intangibles

If you want to play like a real golfer, you need to look like a real golfer. And sporting a pair of shoes that belong on the track or court won't help matters.

• Advantage: Golf shoes

Winner by a spike length: Golf shoes

FJ, adidas ruled the week

Here's a quick rundown of the golf shoes worn by winners of major pro events over the weekend:

PGA Tour – Valero Texas Open
Winner – Adam Scott
Shoes – FootJoy FJ Icon (top right)

European PGA Tour – Iberdrola Open
Winner – Peter Hanson
Shoes – adidas TOUR360 4.0 (bottom right)

LPGA Tour – Bell Micro Classic
Winner – Se Ri Pak
Shoes -- adidas

Nationwide Tour -- BMW Charity Pro-Am
Winner – Justin Hicks
Shoes – FootJoy SYNR-G

World's best stroll fairways in comfort

Golf equipment geeks can recite the top players' clubs right down to the wedge lofts, driver length, and shaft torque. But how many are familiar with the golf shoes worn by the world's greatest players?

Here's a look at the golf shoe choices of the world's top 5.

1. Tiger Woods – Nike Air Zoom TW 2010

Nike's TW line stretches from head to toe, culminating in these lightweight leather kicks. The Air Zoom TW earns raves in the comfort category, and the styling is sharp too (although some complain that the shoe is on the narrow side).

2. Phil Mickelson – Callaway HX Tour

The HX Tour incorporates Comfortemp material, a non-woven textile originally developed by NASA in the 1960s. (And you wondered what, exactly, we learn from space travel.) Comfortemp's temperature-regulating properties adjust as necessary to prevailing conditions, hot or cold.

3. Steve Stricker – FootJoy SYNR-G

FootJoy's pride and joy, the SYNR-G is lauded for its superb fit and finish. The shoe's most enticing feature may be its Memory Foam collar and tongue; as anyone who has slept on a Memory Foam bed can attest, it's comfortable stuff.

4. Lee Westwood – FootJoy Icon

FootJoy considers the Icon its flagship shoe, for good reason. It's built from a combo of full-grain and calfskin leathers, with a distinctive asymmetrical pattern that's anything but stodgy. Like the SYNR-G, Icons cradle the feet with Memory Foam and are warranted waterproof for two years.

5. Jim Furyk – adidas Tour360 4.0

The company's iconic stripes aren't for every taste, but the ever-consistent Furyk makes it work. The Tour360 4.0 – meaning it's the fourth version of this line – emphasize balance and footwork. Adidas credits the shoe's “360Wrap” unibody construction for making the 4.0 its most stable product to date.

Puma Cell Fusion Golf Shoe

We think these shoes are ultra-hip, but don't take our word for it. Puma's marketing department ups the cool quotient by stating, “If James Bond played golf, he'd wear this shoe.”

Guess the lads at Puma never saw Goldfinger. But we'll give them a pass on this one, because the Cell Fusion is quite cool indeed.

Puma trumpets its shoes' state-of-the-art SmartQuill spikes and the optimum traction provided by “directional locking technology.” The Cell Fusion golf shoe is available in black-white and white-snorkel blue.

Who wears 'em: PGA Tour rookie/heartthrob Rickie Fowler

New Golf Shoes Provide Slipper-Like Comfort

Golf shoes have come a long way over the years. Some leather golf shoes would be so stiff they could almost rip the flesh from your heel.

Thankfully today's golf shoes are designed to give slipper-like comfort right out of the box. No more blisters and so much more relaxing when walking round the golf course.

The slogan for Callaway, one of the leading manufacturers says "It says "out-of-box comfort" right on their shoe boxes. These days, everything’s about being breathable and as light as possible. With golf shoes, comfort is the buzzword."