FootJoy Pro/SL 2026 Golf Shoe Review: A solid shoe that lacks a little spice

Spikeless golf shoes form one of the most dynamic and rapidly evolving categories in the entire golf market. 

While tour pros continue to broadly favour spiked golf shoes at the pro level, spikeless shoes are gaining an increasing foothold at all levels of the game, favoured by amateurs for their enhanced off-course wearability and, thanks to huge leaps forward in the development of traction patterns, even finding their way onto the feet of many elite players.

FootJoy's Pro/SL has long been at the vanguard of this movement, providing golfers with FootJoy's renowned traction and stability in a more athletic, modern look. 

Now, it's had a refresh for 2026, with a brand new traction pattern, the most modern and sporty look yet seen in a FootJoy golf shoe, and a revamped upper. Sahith Theegala, a longtime Pro/SL devotee played a sizeable role in the development of the shoe, testing out prototypes over a period of two years to help FootJoy dial in the blend of stability and traction that a high-end tour pro truly needs. This is the result.

However with the new new Pro/SL entering the market at a time when rivals like Adidas and Under Armour are releasing some seriously exciting (and cheaper) spikeless golf shoes of their own, have FootJoy delivered a shoe that feels exciting enough to part with your £160? We took it out on the course at the beautiful Hillside Golf Club to find out.  

Let us know what you think of the new FootJoy Pro/SL golf shoes in the comments below.

Looks 

FootJoy's golf shoe range has something for just about everyone - hence why they're one of the best-selling brands in the world of golf. Their shoes however, with the obvious exception of the timelessly fashionable Premiere, have always put function ahead of form.

The Pro/SL, the brand's premier spikeless golf shoe model, is no exception to this rule. This is a thoroughly tech-driven shoe, however it has had a fairly sizeable aesthetic makeover for the 2026 season.

The overall profile of the shoe has been lowered and widened somewhat, giving it something of a gym shoe-like look, with a wide base and a roomy toe box and a slightly narrowed heel section that allows for a wider toe spread while locking you in and keeping you feeling firmly planted on the ground. FootJoy offer both medium width and wide options in the Pro/SL, and this is truly one of the best-fitting options out there if you have a low arch or a wide foot. 

The looks, to my eye at least, are inoffensive but not particularly memorable, and ultimately this feels very much like a slightly sportier FootJoy golf shoe. It's nice to see FootJoy taking one of its flagship models in a slightly more athletic, trainer-like direction, but I don't think anyone will be blown away by these on the shelf.

The Pro/SL's also marks FootJoy's departure from the use of leather in its most premium models, the brand opting for an easily cleanable and more breathable Z-TEC material that has been reinforced in certain areas to provide targeted flexibility and stability where you need it throughout the swing. I thought it felt pretty stiff in hand, however it's relatively comfortable to wear and will likely soften up with repeated wears.

Underfoot, FootJoy have made what I feel is a slightly odd decision to place a wedge of StratoFOAM (which makes up the full midsole of the HyperFlex) in the heel, combining firmer EVA foam in the forefoot with an underfoot nylon plate. 

The biggest update to the Pro/SL, however, comes at the very bottom of the shoe in the form of its new spikeless ARCTrax/SL Outsole. Combining harder TPU blades with softer rubber spikes in the front and rear for enhanced wearability on harder surfaces, this is the most aggressive spike less pattern engineered on a FootJoy shoe to date, with strategically-placed blades and traction cones providing just the right level of traction in the areas you need it most.

Performance

FootJoy have got a lot right with the new Pro/SL, and there's no doubt that this is one of the most stable and grippy spikeless golf shoes you can buy. The toe box will be a dream for wider-footed golfers and those who really value the feeling of having room to move in your shoe, while the traction platform and nylon plate underfoot provide a wonderful sense of stability throughout the swing. We played in greasy, windy conditions on one of England's most exposed courses at Hillside, and never found the traction wanting whether playing off the fairway or in muddier rough.

There are, however, a couple of areas where I think the Pro/SL lacks a little pizazz compared to its rivals, most notably to do with ride. The idea with the firmer forefoot platform is to make the Pro/SL super stable and enhance energy transfer throughout the swing, however the difference in cushioning between the heel and forefoot is very pronounced as a result of combining an already firm EVA foam with a nylon plate. 

The Pro/SL wasn't so uncomfortable as to leaving my feet feeling sore after a full 18 of walking, but the forefoot cushioning remains among the firmest I've tested in a high-end golf shoe, which isn't really to my taste. With other brands now using much more dynamic, responsive foams in their spikeless models, I think there was room for FootJoy to employ something similar deliver stability without skimping too much on cushioning – particularly if they're intent on engineering underfoot plates into their shoes.

Should you buy the FootJoy Pro/SL golf shoe?

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FootJoy Pro/SL Golf Shoefrom £154.99 at CLUBHOUSE GOLF

FootJoy's performance golf shoes appeal to a very specific type of golfer, who tend to value the brand's unrivalled tour prestige and reputation for engineering above all else. If you fit into this category, there's plenty about the new Pro/SL that'll likely appeal to you.

The fit and upper of the new Pro/SL are excellent, while the traction and stability provided by the updated outsole and nylon plate is among the best we've tested in a spikeless golf shoe to date. If you value a firmer ride in your golf shoes, as many FootJoy players tend to, you'll like the feel of the new Pro/SL, with the added heel crash pad providing some welcome cushioning. 

For those who want a more trainer-like feel to go with the look, there are options out there that deliver comparable stability and a more responsive feel underfoot – often for less money. The Pro/SL will set you back a not inconsiderable £160, £20 more than the Under Armour Drive Pro Clone and £10 more than adidas's Adizero ZG, both of which we think are more comfortable and better looking.

Overall, then, this is yet another rock solid offering from FootJoy and one of the best-performing golf shoes around if traction and stability are at the top of your shopping list. For the money, however, I just wish it made me more excited to pull it on again.