A leather golf shoe is one of the few pieces of golf equipment that gets better with age, but only if it is looked after. The routine takes five minutes after a round and ten minutes a month, and it is the difference between a pair that lasts two seasons and one that lasts ten. Here is the full routine, in order.
After every round: five minutes
Brush off mud and grass while they are soft. Dried mud draws moisture out of leather and leaves a tide mark. A stiff brush and a damp cloth are enough.
Wipe the sole and check the spikes. On spiked shoes, clear the receptacles of grass and sand; on spikeless, brush the lugs.
Dry them slowly. Loosen the laces, pull the tongue forward, put shoe trees in (cedar if you have them, newspaper if not) and leave them at room temperature. Never on a radiator, never in a hot car. Heat cracks leather and weakens the bond between sole and upper.
Every few rounds: condition the leather
Once the shoes are clean and dry, work a small amount of leather cream into the upper with a soft cloth, let it sink in, and buff. Use a neutral cream on white and two-tone shoes, a matching cream on brown and black. This keeps the leather supple and the water-repellent finish working; Lambda leather is treated during tanning to repel water, and cream maintains that finish rather than replacing it.
White shoes
White asks for a little more: wipe grass stains the same day with a damp cloth and a drop of mild soap, dry, then a white cream or a neutral cream buffed well. Avoid household bleach and “magic” sponges, which strip the finish.
Spikes
Check soft spikes once a month in season. Replace any that are worn flat, cracked or missing; a full set is inexpensive and Lambda spiked shoes such as the Roma ship with a set of spikes and a wrench. Worn spikes make you slip, and slipping stresses the upper.
Storage
Shoe trees in, laces loosened, somewhere dry with air around them. Not in the golf bag, not in a sealed box while damp. If you store shoes for the winter, clean and condition them first.
What not to do
Do not machine-wash leather golf shoes. Do not use heat to dry them. Do not use solvents or household cleaners on the upper. Do not leave wet shoes in the car. Each of those is a common way a good pair ends its life early.
Waterproofing
Every Lambda shoe has a waterproof breathable membrane between the upper and the lining, guaranteed for one year of normal use, and leather treated to repel water. You do not need to re-waterproof them with sprays; keeping the leather clean and conditioned is what maintains the barrier. If a shoe ever lets water in within the guarantee period, contact us.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I condition golf shoes? Every four to six rounds, or monthly in season.
Can I use regular shoe polish? Cream rather than wax polish: cream nourishes the leather, wax only seals the surface.
My shoes got soaked. What now? Stuff with newspaper, dry slowly at room temperature for 24 to 48 hours, then condition. Do not rush it with heat.
For new shoes, see how to break them in without blisters, and if it is time for a new pair, start with Classic Golf Shoes: handmade in Portugal, free shipping to the USA, UK, Europe and Canada, 30-day returns.