ECCO BIOM C5 Golf Shoes review: Trademark Scandi engineering with a few drawbacks

It's no secret that ECCO make some of the best golf shoes on the planet. The Danish brand topped our own 2025 shoe test with its stylish and supremely comfortable BIOM H5, and continues to make shoes that combine cutting-edge tech with distinctly Scandi silhouettes.

ECCO has also taken a leap forward in building its presence on tour in recent years. Aaron Rai joined its roster at the end of last year, while naturally some of Denmark's most accomplished golfers take to the course each week in ECCO shoes – Thomas Bjørn and Thorbjørn Olesen among them.

The brand enjoys an enviable reputation on the continent of Europe in particular, where ECCO apparel and gear is a common sight – particularly among the travelling Scandinavian set. And with ECCO's presence growing both in the UK and over in the states, it looks set to have a big year with the launch of its latest flagship model, the BIOM C5.

The C5 is ECCO's top-end spikeless golf shoe, having already debuted on the feet of ambassadors like Aaron Rai and Thorbjørn Olesen on tour this year. And following on from the successful H5, it has a lot to live up to. So how does it perform, and given its top-end £200 price tag, does it justify the outlay? Lets find out.

Looks and features

The Biom C5 looks and feels like a natural evolution of the H5 shoe debuted in 2025, fusing premium materials with natural weatherproofing in a silhouette that's sleek, athletic and slightly trainer-like. The looks aren't really to my personal taste, particularly with the new gradient design ECCO have introduced on the leather part of the upper (my wife likened it to 5 o-clock shadow, which I can't unsee), but the shoe is modern and athletic enough that we think it'll appeal to a ton of players.

The Biom C5 follows the upper formula of the H5 pretty closely, combining a Performance Leather layer over an interior mesh lining that's exposed on the tongue and around the ankle, making for an almost sock-like step in. Waterproofing the entire package is a layer of GORE-TEX, while an internal ECCO exhaust grid, which sits in the middle of the midsole, is designed to channel air underneath the foot to cool it down.

Returning is the brand's distinctive textured midsole, with an almost rocky pattern inspired by the rugged topography of the Scottish highlands. This sits above a ECCO E-TTS outsole, which is distinctly aggressive and provides heaps of multi-directional traction.

Performance

Let's start with the good: the BIOM C5s are, in typical ECCO fashion, a testament to excellent footwear engineering. They feel exceptionally well-made, and ECCO's reputation for durability precedes it. These are shoes that will repay their investment in terms of repeat wearability, with a durable upper and outstanding build quality.

The platform ECCO have engineered underfoot is also top-class. The midsole foam looks as if it would be quite soft and plush, however it's actually on the firmer side, with just the right amount of bounce to keep you feeling comfortable without ever losing its sense of control. I'd be lying if I said I felt a huge difference in temperature from the exhaust grid, but there's enough foam surrounding it to stop it from having any impact on the shoe's comfort.

All of this sits above a truly excellent spikeless outsole, which looks unique and is aggressive enough to really lock you in even when playing in bad weather. 

In terms of performance and control when swinging the golf club, the ECCOs are hard to fault, and it's no wonder they've proven so popular on the continent and with a growing contingent of tour pros.

There are, however, some issues that left the ECCOs feeling a little wanting compared to its premium competitors. 

The step-in feel of the upper in particular is what left me feeling the most underwhelmed. The ECCOs have very little inside by way of padding on the tongue or collar, with just a small section of padding locking down the heel. 

This decision has been made to stop the shoes from getting too heavy, but as a result there's very little separating your feet from the sandwich of GORE-TEX, engineered mesh and leather, and this is something you can feel on foot. It's great for keeping the shoes feeling light and airy on feet, and I'd wager these are probably the most breathable leather golf shoes money can buy, but they're far from plush as a result.

This may be preferential for you if you prefer a low-profile feel on foot, but it's not quite to my taste. The combination of mesh and GORE-TEX feels a little rigid over the foot, and as such the Biom C5 just felt a little too bare inside to really make me feel like I was sampling a luxury product. They're comfortable, but a £200 pair of shoes should make you excited to pull them on. Do these hit that mark? I'm not so sure.

As with the H5, we also suspect that the engineered mesh inner section, which is exposed for breathability's sake, might pose some problems when it comes to keeping the shoes clean in the long-term.

The other main bugbear with the ECCOs – and this was something echoed by other reviewers I've spoken to testing them, is the quite frankly odd sizing. The ECCOs run quite large, something not helped by ECCO's decision to make shoes with the same US and UK sizes, meaning a UK 9-9.5 is also labeled as a US 9-9.5. 

I hover between a UK8 and a UK8.5 depending on the brand of shoes I'm testing, so naturally asked for ECCO's US9-9.5 (labeled by ECCO as an EU43) thinking it would be a fit. On receiving the shoes, however, I found that these ran at least half a size long and a full size too big on my slightly smaller right foot.

As such, I'd highly recommend trying these on in person, or at least getting your EU size, before pulling the trigger on your purchase.

Should you buy the ECCO BIOM C5 golf shoes?

I'm a little bit torn on ECCO's latest flagship shoe. There's no doubt that they'll prove popular with those who are already big fans of the brand. They're well-engineered and well-made, and have a sleek, modern design that's as typically Scandi as we've come to expect from the brand. 

They're exceptionally breathable, while the the midsole and traction pattern are also excellent, providing a stable and comfortable platform upon which to play golf.

As I've already attested to, however, my main issue is whether the ECCOs really deliver the plush feel you'd expect for the price you're paying. These retail for £200, and a whopping £220 for the BOA-equipped version, which isn't extraordinarily expensive given the likes of FootJoy, G/FORE and PAYNTR all make shoes for similar prices.

However all of these competitors, be it the excellent all-round comfort of the PAYNTR Speed Classic or the plush cushioning of the G/FORE MG4/O2+, all offer a certain feeling of luxury that I didn't quite get here. 

However if you value a lighter profile, breathable shoe with tons of stability underfoot, these might be the perfect fit for you.