Under Armour Drive Pro Clone Golf Shoe Review: A sky-high benchmark for footwear in 2026

I have to confess that I've always felt a little bit indifferent to Under Armour compared to the other sportswear giants that have staked their claim in the game of golf.

I understand that this puts me very firmly in the minority. The brand undoubtedly makes good gear, often at a far more reasonable price compared to the Nikes and adidases of this world. And the proof is in their sales. Under Armour was the UK's number one golf apparel brand this year and its second best-selling shoe manufacturer.

Even so, I've always personally felt that their desirability factor has led a little bit to be desired. I can't exactly put my finger on it, but the aura, for me at least, just hasn't ever quite been there. The brand's former flagship shoe, the Drive Pro, is perhaps symbolic of this: a shoe that performed extremely well but simply looked, well, a bit ugly.

As such, I was ready and hoping to be wowed when Under Armour told me that they had eyes on a new shoe launch they felt would be a real needle-mover. It's called the Drive Pro Clone, and it represents not just the culmination of a decade of shoe development, but the start of a new chapter for a brand ready to make noise in the game once more. 

It also just so happens to be the best golf shoe we've tested so far in 2026, and the best Under Armour golf shoe the brand has ever made. Read on to find out why.

Let us know what you think of the new Under Armour Clone golf shoes in the comments below.

Looks and features

Let's start with the obvious. The Drive Pro Clone looks radically different to the original Drive Pro, with a completely retooled upper and a streamlined midsole that combine to create a sleek, athletic silhouette. 

The upper is where the biggest change has been made, with Under Armour introducing an entirely new material that has never seen use in a golf shoe before. It's essentially a synthetic waterproof weave, however it's what's known as an auxetic material, meaning that the parts of the upper that would normally tighten when the material is stretched actually expand instead. As a result, the upper hugs your foot and moves to support it far more naturally, providing comfort and lockdown at the same time.

This new upper forms the first layer of what Under Armour calls its swing support system: effectively a combination of technologies that work together to provide one of the most supportive platforms in golf, while increasing the force the golfer is able to put through the ground, in turn aiding club and ball speed. 

Underneath the upper lies an compressive band that hugs the midfoot for added lateral support, while under foot sits a combination of Under Armour's runner-derived HOVR foams, strategically placed to provide added support and explosiveness in the areas where you put the most pressure throughout the swing, and comfort while walking. Completing the package is a choice of spiked or spikeless outsoles, the former using SoftSpikes' S3 spikes – a special model of cleats developed specifically with and for Under Armour.

Performance

It's not an exagerration to say that all of this combines to create one of the most compelling footwear packages in all of golf from a pure performance perspective. I'm yet to test a golf shoe that feels as supportive as this does while feeling quite as dynamic and light, with a wonderful foot hugging feel that truly feels as if the shoe is tailor-made to you. 

The fit is perhaps slightly on the narrower side as Under Armour places quite a high emphasis on really locking your foot into place, so those with particularly wide feet might wish to see if Under Armour release a wider version as they did with the Drive Pro.

The traction on both the spiked and spikeless models, meanwhile, is excellent. Elite players will naturally opt for the spiked version every time, however we think there's a real merit to opting for the spikeless version in the case of the Drive Pro Clone – both due to their grip, off-course versatility and the fact that we found the Clone's S3 spikes a little harsh on soft greens.

The foam underfoot providing just the right level of comfort. The foam Under Armour have chosen doesn't feel as soft or springy as some of the runner-derived foams other brands have taken to using, but it's just comfortable enough to get you around the course on a walking round while retaining the stability and feedback under foot that better players crave. 

Under Armour have put a lot of emphasis on the fact that the clone could well be a catalyst for unlocking added speed in your swing, and while we're yet to test those claims properly in a simulator, we're confident in saying the Drive Pro Clone provides the perfect platform for you to swing your hardest with complete confidence.

Should you buy the Under Amour Clone golf shoes?

Under Armour have pulled off quite the feat with the Drive Pro Clone golf shoes, delivering a package that truly reaches the very upper echelons of golf shoe performance while revising the visual package to be far more appealing to the style-conscious golfer of 2026. 

The Clone still very much looks like a purpose-built golf shoe, but now stands among the best-looking high-performance golf shoes on the market. Regardless of personal taste, its performance speaks for itself, and already it's an established winner on tour, with Patrick Reed and Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen claiming DP World Tour victories with the Drive Pro Clone on foot.

Will the Drive Pro Clone's release move the needle much in lending Under Armour the off-course street cred of a Nike or an adidas? Probably not (especially given the brand's unfortunate loss of NBA star and golf ambassador Steph Curry), but nonetheless blends elite performance with a sleek look as well as any shoe we've tested in the last few years. 

As such, if performance and comfort in a modern-looking package is what you seek in a shoe above all else, these are a must-test for 2026.