It's Golf Shoe Cleaning Time

By Al Scillitani

Golf shoes must be thoroughly cleaned in order to prolong the life of the shoes. Dirt build up can not only shorten the life of the shoe, but also affect comfort and play.

Needed items:

• Shoe tree
• Mild soap and water (or your favorite authorized shoe cleaner) - do not use on suede/nubuc
• Two soft terry cloth towels
• A soft bristled tooth brush
• Your favorite colored leather creme/conditioner

The shoe tree is not absolutely necessary, but it makes cleaning your golf shoes so much easier. A shoe tree prevents your golf shoes from bending so you can clean in the crevices.

Wet one of the towels and squeeze dry. Towel should be damp, not saturated wet. Very sparingly, dip towel in mild soap and gently rub across shoe. You can also use a damp soft bristled toothbrush in order to clean the space between the sole and the upper. Some dirt will come off easily, other dirt you may need to rub a little harder or go through process again. Allow shoe to air dry.

Once dry, apply shoe creme to remove unwanted scuffs as well as to condition the shoe. Apply sparingly with applicator that came with creme or damp cotton ball. If shoe is slightly damp, allow to dry.

Use second soft towel to gently rub and buff the golf shoe to its new-like shine.

Complete this cleaning process every time you use your shoes. If you would like your golf shoes to last even longer, most companies recommend having more than one pair. If you have more than one pair of golf shoes and rotate them between rounds, your two pairs of shoes will last longer than twice the life of a single pair. Also, using cedar shoe trees will increase the life of your shoes by absorbing moisture and maintaining the fit and appearance.