Cleaning White Golf Shoes (5 Tips)

Written by Todd in Golf Club Questions

Have you purchased a pair of white golf shoes lately or are you considering buying white golf shoes?

When you spend the money on a quality pair of golf shoes, most people want them to not only perform well, but to look good for the life of the golf shoes.

While cleaning white golf shoes might need to take place more frequently, at the end of the day the white golf shoes are a quality option.

They provide an athletic, clean look with just about any golf outfit that you select.  Keeping the white golf shoes clean might take a little more time, but not a significant amount of time.

A couple of decades ago the majority of golf shoes came in three different colors.  These included black, brown or saddle shoes.  The saddle shoes were the most traditional golf shoe, but gave an appearance of classy, old person type of look.

Shortly after Tiger Woods returned from several surgeries he started to wear more athletic looking golf shoes and the market changed as Tiger led the way.  Golf shoes in general are now more athletic looking golf shoes that are built for performance and comfort.  When one is walking 18 or 36 holes in a day they want to be comfortable, perform at a high level and of course look good while doing so.

Cleaning White Golf Shoes (5 Tips)

  1. Clean frequently
  2. Use soap and water
  3. Store in a dry location
  4. Check your spikes after every round
  5. Have a back up pair for muddy rounds
The pair on the right did not get cleaned often enough!

Tip #1: Clean Frequently

Our recommendation is to clean after every round of golf.  This prevents dirt from staying in some hard to clean locations and building up over time.  If you can maintain a consistent cleaning schedule and keep those shoes free of dirt build up, they will look great for the life of the golf shoe.

Some golfers might only clean every 2-3 rounds of golf, it will just take longer to get them back to looking how you might desire.  There are others that wait until after 10 rounds and it will take much more time to get them back to looking brand new.

The key, just like in golf, is consistency with your cleaning schedule.  Of course all golfers think and act a bit different from other golfers, and those that are meticulous will look sharp in their white shoes for every round.

I have to admit that after a round or two, sometimes the last thing I feel like doing is cleaning my golf shoes!

Tip #2: Use soap and water

While there are different products on the market for cleaning your white golf shoes, if you are able to stay consistent with your cleaning schedule, then a mild soap and warmer water will do the trick.  Use a soft bristled brush for maximum results and allow the shoes to air dry.  Be careful not to use excess water while cleaning, especially if you are planning on wearing the shoes the next day.

I prefer to keep a small bucket with some soap in my garage, so that when I return home from my round, it takes about 2-5 minutes to keep those white golf shoes looking brand new.  

Tip #3: Store in a dry location

Many golfers have a tendency to keep their golf shoes in the trunk of their vehicle.  The problem that arises is that if you do not allow your shoes to air dry after cleaning or you don’t clean them after a round, an odor can start to form in your shoe from the sweat and body oils that may have gathered, leaving you with bad smelling shoes.

Consider some gentle powder for the inside of your shoes to help dry out and keep the bad odors from forming.  Storing the shoes in a  dry location that allows the shoes to air dry is important to the overall look and smell of your golf shoe!

Leaving shoes in your trunk on a 90 degree day with high humidity is a great recipe for some bad smelling shoes!  Instead, take the extra couple of minutes and care for your shoes in a proper manner!

Tip #4: Check your spikes after every round

One of the common issues with golf shoes is that the spikes get loose and fall out.  Over time, make sure you are checking your spikes, cleaning out any debris and working to keep the bottom of your shoes clean.  This will help with your performance on the golf course and the look of your shoes at all times.

Most golf courses have the fancy brush-like, ground level devices to run your shoes to help get the excess grass and dirt build up that may have occurred on the bottom of and lower sides of your golf shoes.  Take advantage of these devices and use them after every round of golf!

Tip #5: Have a back up pair for muddy rounds

I would recommend keeping your older pair of golf shoes around for those really sloppy, early rounds of golf that many golfers in harsh winter climates might face early in their golf season.  Having this back up pair, will keep your main pair of white golf shoes cleaner and allow you to ensure you get maximum life out of your shoes.

Most golfers will want to buy shoes every 1-2 years and this is a great way to use your older golf shoes that may be laying around.  Of course, you should clean these after every round to extend the life and ensure maximum performance!

Golfers now have more option than just saddle shoes! Good thing!

BONUS Tip: Replace Your Shoe Laces

Oftentimes, one of the most difficult parts of keeping your golf shoes clean looking are the golf shoe laces.  These can stain over time while the other parts of hte golf shoes are easier to keep looking fresh.  The simple solution is to replace these golf shoes at key times as they start to look dirty or off color!

Closing Thoughts: My Secret To Golf Improvement

Let’s face it, in order to get really good at golf, we must practice frequently.  About three years ago, I made the leap and invested in a golf simulator build for my garage.  

I went with a SkyTrak Launch Monitor and the TGC software and can now play over 100,000 courses including Augusta, Pebble Beach, Bethpage Black, Whistling Straits. St. Andrews and many other of the top 100 courses in the world.

This golf simulator setup, which is more affordable that you might imagine, has been a game changer.  I can now play golf everyday of the year regardless of rain, snow, cold weather or time of day.  I can practice or play rounds of golf.  I can stand in the 11th fairway at Augusta and with the auto-rewind feature I am able to practice my approach shots from various differences.

It is worth checking out through Rain or Shine Golf as they offer some incredible packages along with financing offers that are difficult to beat.

Some direct links to Rain or Shine Golf for pricing and financing:

Take Action – What You Can Do Today to Get Better

What does this mean for you?  I believe in the following recipe to get better:

1 – Improve your motion in the golf swing by identifying a golf instructor.  Here are some options:

Here is a list of golf instructors that we have reviewed:

2 – Train to swing faster and improve your swing speed.  Here are some options:

Looking to gain more Speed and Distance in your swing. Two Options:

3 – Understand course strategy and work to break through your next barrier.  Here is a series on breaking through:

We have provided guides on how to break 100, 90, 80 and 70. Check out more below, if interested.

4 – Practice Frequently

Did you know that I build a golf simulator in my garage and have played over 500 rounds of golf on my SkyTrak system?  It has been a game changer and one worth checking out. Here are some of my other posts on golf simulators frequently asked questions:

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