Best Golf Shoes for Arthritic Feet
Arthritis in your feet can turn 18 holes of golf into a torturous experience.
Even if you have a sit on cart at your disposal playing golf with foot pain is an awful experience, it’s impossible to get through a game of golf without spending a substantial amount of time on your feet, and not only being on your feet but making continual golf swings.
In this article we are going to look at the types or arthritis that effect the feet, and provide three golf shoes that we feel will help you carry on playing golf, while helping alleviate the pain in your feet.
Discomfort while you are only standing on the teeing area or walking on to the green, are bad enough, but the worst of it is how foot pain can completely ruin your golf swing, if you are swinging, it is not an easy motion to complete with feet that hurt and can really stop you enjoying your game.
If you suffer from arthritis in your feet, there are a number of ways you can approach this ailment, and help to lessen the severity, and reducing the pain in your feet.
It could help if you changed your diet, or started taking some medication for the ailment.
However there is more help out there for us who suffer with this condition.
For some degree of instant relief, you should start by checking your current golf shoes.
You should check to see if they are adding to the pain, and really consider how they perform for you?
There are golf shoes on the market that have been designed to be more forgiving such as the Adidas CodeChaos above, having a more forgiving and comfortable golf shoe, can reduce the pain in your feet while playing golf.
Thankfully, there are numerous golf shoes designed specifically to help alleviate the pain in your feet, so with the correct footwear these golf shoes should be able to help you play your best game of golf.
How do you know which ones are best for you? That depends in part on the type of arthritis you have.
Forms of Foot Arthritis
Arthritis is actually a catch-all term for various forms of joint inflammation and joint disease.
Each variant can be caused, and treated, in different ways, though the symptoms of joint pain and stiffness are common across the board.
The main forms of arthritis in the feet are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, post-traumatic arthritis, and, of particular concern to golfers, Hallux Limitus and Hallux Rigidus. Let’s explore how they differ, and the characteristics of the you should wear which will be best for each type of arthritis.
Top Three Picks (Read Our Reviews Below)
Osteoarthritis
If you have arthritis and are middle-aged or older, this is probably the type of arthritis you could be suffering with.
Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage in a joint is worn away over time. The ailment worsens over time until there is bone grinding on bone.
When bone on bone is grinding that can be very painful, but the human body has a reaction to this and its response is to thicken the bone in that area, where the grinding of the bones occurs.
The resulting reaction of the body is a growth called bone spurs which can be very painful.
Having golf shoes that are very stable are a must for arthritis and an ideal choice for those suffering from these types of arthritic conditions.
Shoes that are better for this condition of Osteoarthritis require a typically more trainer or sneaker type shoe.
These help by having extra cushioning at the heel and mid-sole.
These golf shoes will alter your stance and help you by placing less weight on the balls of your feet, which will help you by preventing the foot from rolling inward and causing pain.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
An auto-immune disease, rheumatoid arthritis is when the body’s own immune system begins to attack the joints.
It tends to occur at multiple points, mirroring itself on either side of the body, and can result in serious damage to the ligaments, tendons, cartilage, and even the bone itself.
Over time, it can have the effect of painfully altering the structure of your foot, starting in the small joints and progressing on from there.
Because this disease can change the shape of your feet, whether from joint swelling or more serious deformity, you want a golf shoe with a wider toe area or ‘toe box’, that can be adjusted to suit your needs.
Shoes with elastic laces or the Boa type fastening device on golf shoes. You can also have other easily adjustable fasteners which will allow you to increase or decrease the tightness of the golf shoe as the need arises.
Post-Traumatic Arthritis
As the name suggests, this form of arthritis develops after injury.
For example, if you dislocate your toe, or fracture the bone at the joint, the cartilage may be damaged.
Even once healed, the joint surfaces may no longer interact as smoothly, causing the cartilage to wear away at an accelerated rate.
Ultimately, post-traumatic arthritis ends up the same as osteoarthritis, and so the same sort of golf shoes would be appropriate.
Hallux Limitus and Hallux Rigidus
Hallux Limitus, literally means “big toe stiffness“, this problem develops when the toe in question is repeatedly overextended.
It is common among golfers, due to the movement of the foot and the transfer of weight that occurs during the follow-through of the golf swing.
The big toe’s range of motion becomes limited, and painful.
Hallux rigidus is the name of the more severe condition that results from leaving hallux limitus untreated while continuing to play golf which can carry on aggravating the large toe.
Because this condition can cause a bunion like protrusion on the top of the toe, you definitely need shoes with a wide toe box to accommodate the sore toe.
Another recommendation would be a Rocker sole, these can help the problem, as they reduce the incidence of the big toe extending, preventing the condition from worsening.
The Best Golf Shoes for Arthritic Feet
Knowing the main issues of looking into arthritic feet problems, and the key features to look for.
We can now take a well-informed look at the various golf shoes on the market, and determine the best of the best for those suffering from these types of arthritic conditions.
While there are aspects of design that are more applicable to some forms of the condition than others, some things are universally very helpful.
- No Spikes. While golf shoes often come with spiked soles, this is not recommended for anyone suffering from a painful foot condition. The spikes can catch in the turf, jarring your foot against the interior of the shoe. If you have bone spurs, or are experiencing swelling, this sort of hard contact can cause severe pain. You can also check out our article on Best Five Men’s spike-less Footjoy Golf Shoes of 2020.
- Soft outer material. You want to choose outer material that is yielding and pliable, like mesh or soft leather. Hard bodied shoes, like boots, will be unnecessarily painful and restrictive for these types of arthritic conditions.
- Soft or removable insoles. For maximum impact reduction and comfort, get the most cushioning you can find from your golf shoes. Having removable insoles are the best bet, because you can then buy orthopedic brands, and replace them when they begin to wear out, which will offer a level of comfort and help relieve the condition arthritic feet:
The following three golf shoes are the best choices for the best golf shoes suited for
Skechers Men's Go Drive 2 Relaxed Fit Golf-Shoes
These shoes from Skechers are an ideal choice.
The relaxed fit is advertised as being particularly roomy in the toe area, and the interior is well padded for comfort.
The unique Goga Mat insole reduces impact stress and provides ample cushioning while being light and breathable.
They have no spikes and are made of flexible faux leather.
The only thing they don’t have is a rocker style curved outsole. Even so, they check most of the feature boxes and come well reviewed at a reasonable price.
Adidas Codechaos Golf Shoe
The Adidas insoles also have their own unique technology, this time called Boost.
Not only is it comfortable and supportive, but it returns more energy from your steps.
While the previous shoe seemed to put a premium on soft comfort, the Codechaos goes farther in the direction of stability, featuring an extended heel.
The pronounced upward curve of the toe creates a rocker-like effect, reducing big toe strain, making them perfect for dealing with Hallux Limitus and rigidus.
The Adidas Codechaos is our featured pick.
Callaway Men's Solana XT Golf Shoes
Finally, an entry from the golfing equipment powerhouse Callaway. The Solana XTs are a nice shoe to wear for these conditions.
Not only do they have a 5mm thick PLUSfoam insole, they feature a 3D stability cage throughout the flexible mesh upper.
With the curved, spike-less outsole and roomy fit, they meet every requirement while being stylish to boot.
These shoes are the cheapest of the three, so grab yourself and bargain.
Each of these shoes meets the criteria in terms of design, and any one of them might do the trick for you.
However, keep in mind that the variance in fit from brand to brand might make any or all of these a bad choice in your specific situation.
Fortunately, you are now armed with the knowledge of exactly what to look for when searching for a golf shoe that is good for arthritic feet. Take this new knowledge, and find the shoes that are best for you.
