I've tried Foot Joys (Green Joys, Dry Joys, Athletic Joys, Sandals, etc), Bite, Dexter, Nike, Tommy Bahama, Calaway, Adidas, Rockport, Oakley and Etonic golf shoes. I've tried metal spikes, plastic spikes and spikeless.
For the most part, the athletic ones seem to have been the most comfortable. But the Bites and Adidas traditional golf shoes have been my favorites.
Recently however, I bought the most comfortable golf shoe I have ever owned... Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Crocs Ace Golf Shoe!
OK, OK, I know... they're kinda ugly. They're not traditional. They're made of plastic (actually it's called Croslite). The look like shoes a former 60s radical who lives in a dome on a college campus would wear.
But they're very light in weight. They mold to your feet (and feature interior nubs that massage your feet as you walk - or so the company says). They have surprisingly good traction. The toe box is so large that your feet can expand as the round progresses. And if you wear socks with them (which I do) they're as snug as you need. There aren't shoe laces. Instead you tighten the shoe by adjusting the Velcro-backed heel strap.
Unlike typical Crocs, the Ace Golf Shoe does not have ventilation holes along the sides. That was smart of the R&D people at Crocs because your feet don't get wet on early morning rounds where dew still covers the ground. Sand, too, doesn't find its way into the sole of the shoe if you're unlucky enough to hit into bunkers.
On the off-chance that they do get sandy or grassy, simply pull off the shoes and dump out the unwanted debris. You can also dump them in water for a quick washing and since the material they're made of is anti-microbial, there is no danger of the dreaded shoe-stink.
There are a series of ventilation holes on top that form a triangle shape pointing forward, effectively helping one with alignment.
The Ace Golf Shoe has a somewhat more solid or sturdy sole than typical Crocs. Molded into the harder sole are eight "spikes" (five in the forefront and three on the heel) and numerous mini-spikes. The molded-in spikes are not interchangeable, so when they wear out, they're no longer usable as a golf shoe. But since the sole is non-marking and they're so damn comfortable you can keep wearing them to those outdoor Jimmy Buffet or The Dead concerts.
In the end, it doesn't matter what people think (my sons hate them and don't like me to wear them in public!), it all about comfort and stability. The Crocs Ace provides both and at less than , very easy on the budget.
