Golf footwear: the past, the present and the future

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to: (i) overview the history of golf shoe design, (ii) identify the biomechanical methods used to assess shoe design concepts, (iii) review golf shoe research and to (iv) address research limitations that require further study. With an estimated 4.4 million golfers in Europe and 27 million golfers in the USA, it is surprising that little research has been conducted into the golf shoe and its interaction with the golfer. Pioneering research by Williams and Cavanagh (Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 15, 247–255, 1983) provided an understanding of the demands placed on the golf shoe during the golf swing and identified shear and vertical forces to be important factors influencing stability, force production, and resistance to slipping during the swing. Subsequent mechanical and biomechanical performance testing has identified shoe differences, and potential limitations of current golf shoe designs. Although shoe manufactures have changed the look of golf shoes over recent years, it can be argued that the basic sole shape and spike configuration remains comparable to the golf shoe designs of over 90 years ago. The asymmetric demands placed upon the golfer's front and back shoes during the swing provide manufacturers with a complex design problem, which is exacerbated by the undulating topography of courses and the requirement of the golfer to walk long distances during a round. At present there is no scientific evidence to suggest that any golf shoe design improves shot distance, accuracy or even facilitates the natural movements of the golf swing. As our understanding of the optimal design for enhancing golfing performance is limited, and given the manufacture of golf footwear represents a multi-million dollar industry, the scope for applied research in this field is considerable.