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Whether because of a known medical condition, a previous injury, or simply your age, bad knees shouldn’t be a hindrance for you to play the sport you love. In fact, many experts believe that golf can be a great, low-impact exercise option for people who might be dealing with weak or painful knees.
But there is a fine line between getting a healthy dose of knee exercise and abusing your already compromised joints. Before you head out to the course, make sure you’re wearing the right gear to support and protect your knees, and that includes copping a pair of the best golf shoes for bad knees.
If you ever took the time to read about proper golf body mechanics, you should probably have an idea as to how all the different parts of your system work together for the perfect swing. So while a pair of shoes are directly worn on your knees, providing the proper support at the base can significantly improve the function and comfort upwards through the leg.
So what exactly makes a good pair of golf shoes for people with bad knees? Here are some factors worth looking out for.
This will depend on a number of factors, but will mostly be reliant on the construction of the sole. Proper weight distribution across the arches of the feet promises optimal alignment of the knees and legs. So make sure you know if you’ve got normal, high, or fallen arches to match the insoles of your chosen shoes.
There’s a lot more to a comfortable step than just the satisfying feel of plush cushioning under your feet. Comfortable shoes minimize the risk of pain and stiffness, and thus mitigate the potential for compensatory postures and movement. As you step, you’re far less likely to use your knees and legs to modulate pain in the feet, thus protecting your knees from further discomfort.
Most of your swing power rises up through the legs. When your shoes don’t give you stable foundation on the ground below, you’ll end up applying more pressure on your knees to compensate for the lack of stability. Good shoes with soft cleats and aggressive treads can keep you grounded and max out your swing power without stressing out your knees.
According to experts and podiatrists, a shoe that resists the flexion of the toes can apply unnecessary demand on the knees. Before you go ahead and make that purchase, try to read more about the material. Soft, pliable uppers that readily permit flexion can accommodate a more natural step. Shoes made of stiff leather and unforgiving material can further exacerbate your knee problems.
There are certain footwear features that can do much more harm than good, especially if you’ve got a case of bad knees. Avoiding these can help guarantee a proper pair of shoes that won’t weigh down on your sensitive joints.
Overly plush insole material will force you to clench your feet to achieve a sense of stability. In the same way, these insoles can make you lock your knees due to a feeling of lack of balance. While a plush pair of insoles might feel good on the surface, they can cause a lot of harm in terms of posture and long-term pain.
If your foot tends to move around inside the shoe, you’ll experience a similar situation as you would with excessively soft insoles. For shoes that are too narrow, the binding and discomfort will result to compensatory movement and posture which will reap negative effects on your knees as you try to adapt to minimize the pain.
Shoes that combine hard uppers with unforgiving sole construction will alter the natural gait cycle. Instead of a healthy heel-toe transition, you’ll be marching rather than walking. The restricted flexion of the feet puts high stress on the knees, requiring a more severe flexion of the joint to compensate for the lack of movement in the feet.
As the lightest leather golf shoe from the Ecco brand, the S-Lite Golf Shoe touts premium perforated Yak leather that’s designed to bend and move with your feet. This, in combination with the shoes’ DynaKit E-DTS outsole promise uncompromised movement. The outsole’s wide heel base also provides maximum stability on all sorts of terrain to give you better balance and support from the ground up.
These textile shoes from FootJoy incorporate a synthetic sole and a lightweight mesh upper to create an ultra lightweight shoe that adds spring to your step. The shoes were designed with comfort in mind, combining the benefits of breathability, flexibility, and feather light performance to take it easy on your knees and support your swing on all sorts of terrain. And despite their easy, airy construction, the Flex Golf Shoes tout premium durability, surviving heavy abuse through whatever hazards a course has to offer.
Fitted with a gel insert, the TechWare Pro Knee Compression Sleeve provides extra support for bad knees. Its stabilizers keep your joint in proper alignment, and its therapeutic pressure works to relieve pain and keep you going for longer. Made from breathable knitted fabric with soft nylon borders, this knee brace stays in place reliably all throughout the course and promises to minimize sweat production and heat accumulation.
Using anatomical principles, the PowerStep Pinnacle Plus insoles are designed to support your feet in the best way possible. These insoles incorporate everything from built-in metatarsal support to dual layer cushioning. All together, these various elements work together to optimize weight distribution, minimize pressure points, and elevate comfort. And with everything at the ground level stable and supported, you can expect your knees to work in with minimum pressure, too.
Is golf bad for your knees? According to some experts, it might actually do your sensitive joints some good. But don’t go to the course unprepared. If you want to reap the benefits of golf to strengthen and restore your knees, it’s best that you come to the course prepared. Take these tips the next time you go shopping for the best golf shoes for bad knees and level out the playing field by supporting and protecting your knees.
