If someone had said to me 10 years ago that I’d be trudging around the golf course every winter in a pair of golf boots, I would have laughed. Having grown up climbing mountainous terrain across all parts of the UK on various Duke of Edinburgh Award expeditions, I honestly thought that my days of wearing hiking boots were gone, and yet here they are suddenly a fashionable and functional women’s winter golf essential.
Looking at this from a performance perspective, wearing golf boots in the winter makes perfect sense. They are waterproof and robust, designed to withstand the rigours of soaking wet, muddy fairways and slippery grass surfaces. I guess it was only a matter of time before manufacturers realized that adapting them to suit the golf swing was sensible.
To begin with, the FootJoy Women’s Winter Boots have a generous fit that’s ideal for women with wide feet or problem toes like bunions, as your toes have space to move and don’t feel squashed together or rub against the inside of the boot. Conversely, if you have a narrow shoe fit then you’ll probably need to size down or wear an extra, thicker pair of socks.
(Image credit: Howard Boylan)
The tall back gives the ultimate protection from unwanted splashes of water and mud, and I will definitely wear my leggings or trousers inside the boot to save them from getting covered in mud.
What’s more, I love the fur lining that adds a little bit of fashion flair, while improving the comfort and warmth around the ankle.
Best of all, despite their size, these boots are incredibly lightweight to wear. They are not cumbersome at all, which is far different from my memories of those days of wearing heavy hiking boots.
(Image credit: Howard Boylan)
Unlike many waterproof golf shoes these days, the FootJoy boots have a full set of spikes (Soft Spike Pulsar Cleats). This makes them really grip the turf and you’ll feel extremely stable no matter how soggy the ground conditions are.
The only fault I can pick is in the firmness of the leather material, even three rounds in it is pretty hard against the foot. Personally, I believe a softer, more luxurious leather would have been my comfort preference, but it would have had a huge price tag and, let’s face it, you really just want your feet to stay warm and dry during your winter rounds of golf and these boots certainly do that.
I used to think golf boots were ugly and cumbersome, now I can’t imagine playing winter golf in anything else!
