Skechers gets a bad wrap when it comes to style, but the Skechers GO GOLF Prestige SL has to be an exception. If you’re familiar with golf footwear, you may immediately make aesthetic comparisons to the FootJoy Premiere. And if a shoe’s style can be mentioned in the same sentence as FootJoy, you’ve probably got something good going on.
Matt Fitzpatrick is the most prominent golfer signed to Skechers on the men’s side with Brooke Henderson heading things up for the ladies. They have 15 wins between them – an impressive 13 for Brooke and 2 for Matt. If you follow professional golf, you know their names!
But before testing the GO GOLF Prestige SL, I didn’t have much personal experience wearing Skechers. While the GO GOLF Prestige SL still hasn’t jumped to the tippy top of my rankings, it did perform well enough for me to have confidence on the course.
And if you’re a big fan of slip-on shoes, you’ll love the GO GOLF Prestige SL even more because this shoe utilizes Skechers’ Hands Free Slip-ins technology, giving you the ability to step in and out of the Prestige SL with less effort.
Let’s dive in!
Skechers GO GOLF Prestige SL
Price: $150
Sizing: True-to-size
Fit
Skechers offers a medium and an extra wide fit on its site.
The fit in the standard (medium) width was spacious and had a little bit more room than I’m used to with most golf shoes. There was some heel slippage as a result, but it was extremely minor and got better the more I wore them and allowed the shoes to conform to my feet more concretely over time.
Although the GO GOLF Prestige SL is meant to be a shoe that you can slip off and on, it also has laces that can adapt the fit to your needs.
If you’ve got truly wide feet, I’d still suggest you order the extra wide option. If you’ve got average-width feet, expect an initially wider fit that takes some time to adapt to your feet.
Overall, no complaints in the fit department.
Traction
The GO GOLF Prestige SL is spikeless and features traction that is just…fine.
The traction pattern is a simple mix of rubberized diamond shapes on the bottom of the shoe. While it held up okay in dry conditions, I felt the material couldn’t hold its own when it was wet and especially noticed a reduction in traction in the bunker.
In all honesty, if you’re prioritizing traction, there are much better spikeless options. I can only recommend the traction of the GO GOLF Prestige SL in dry climates.
Cushion
Atop the ECO FLIGHT midsole foam is a Skechers Arch Fit insole which is essentially a removable insole that’s meant to create a more comfortable walking experience via arch support.
The cushioning wasn’t too firm, but wasn’t too soft and felt like it allowed my feet to feel more comfortable and natural in the shoe. I’m not a huge fan of extremely firm cushioning but I also don’t appreciate something softer than a pillow.
Whether you prefer firm or soft cushion, you’ll love the cushioning that the GO GOLF Prestige SL has to offer.
For me, the cushion was the perfect in between and felt great on my feet.
I found that my first couple weeks testing the GO GOLF Prestige SL contained a LOT of calf soreness. I didn’t notice much soreness anywhere else, but my calves felt unusually sore.
After testing, I’ve come to the conclusion that the cushion was not the culprit… The arch support was. (You’ll find out more in the support section.)
Give yourself a couple weeks and multiple rounds to break in the GO GOLF Prestige SL.
After I broke them in for a couple weeks, the cushion felt much better.
Support
The GO GOLF Prestige SL contains a couple of specific features worth noting here, both of which we mentioned above.
The first is the Skechers Arch Fit technology. The second is the Skechers Hands Free Slip-Ins design and “exclusive” Heel Pillow meant to hold your foot in place.
I would love to rave about how it felt on the golf course, but I can’t help but wonder if the calf soreness stemmed from the arch support. For me, it’s the most logical explanation.
My feet prefer some arch support, but not TOO much. The GO GOLF Prestige SL contained too much arch support for my personal preference.
I’m not saying that every foot shape will have this experience, but I did.
It got better over time just like the cushioning.
If you’re someone that is constantly searching for intense arch support, the GO GOLF Prestige SL is for you.
Price
$150 can land you a pair of the Skechers GO GOLF Prestige SL.
But is $150 worth it?
In my professional opinion, yes… But there’s one caveat.
The caveat is the fact that you can buy the adidas Codechaos 25 for $10 more. The increased traction is worth the extra $10.
If you like the way that the Prestige SL looks and live in a dry climate, the $150 is worth it.
If you’re in a wetter climate and prioritizing every category we test, opt for a different spikeless option. Every category was slightly above average but not by much.
There are too many golf shoes on the market that win in every category to settle for the Skechers GO GOLF Prestige SL.
If slip-in technology and clean aesthetics are your top priorities, you can justify the price. If not, you’ll find many competing shoes that are more affordable AND better performing.
Skechers GO GOLF Prestige SL Summary
Not all spikeless shoes are created equal, but I’m happy to put the Skechers GO GOLF Prestige SL on the right side of the scale.
This is a solid golf shoe that features cushion, support, and traction adequate (though not elite) for many groups of golfers.
The most important thing to note is that my experience got better with time. At first, I felt some slight soreness in my feet that extended up my legs to my knees. Within a week of wearing the Prestige SL, however, this went away, and my experience was all that and a bag of chips.
The cushion and support also started off below average but prevailed over time and created a great on-foot experience.
The traction could’ve been better when it was wet, but it was fine in dry conditions. The biggest draw for me was the simplistic and traditional style. It truly screams “affordable FootJoy.”
Who doesn’t want more affordable FootJoy?
To sum it all up, the Skechers GO GOLF Prestige SL is an option suited for all golfers, but specifically those living in dry climates and searching for solid cushion.
How the Author Golfs
Tyler Allred (19 handicap): Golfs 2-3 times a week spending the bulk of his time playing actual rounds. Mostly pushes himself to improve every part of his game, but also enjoys a casual round of golf every now and then.
Disclosure
While Skechers did send a pair of the GO SOLF Prestige SL to facilitate this review, the company had no involvement in this review, didn’t receive an advance look at it, and has not attempted to influence it.
