Shoes and gloves all look about the same to the naked eye, right up until you see the price tag.

Both make good gifts for most golfers, but like all golf equipment, the price difference between the low and high ends are dramatic.

For instance, on golfsmith.com, prices for golf gloves range from $6.99 for a single Zevo synthetic glove to $49.99 for a pair of Bionic Technologies Silver Series gloves, designed for players with hand pain.

And golf shoes come in an even greater array of prices.

Golfsmith.com sells a FootJoy Classics Tour Gator shoe for $299.99 and a Dunlop Men’s Weave Saddle shoe for $29.99 — a $270 difference.

So, are more expensive shoes or gloves worth the price?

Well, that all depends on the type of golfer, how often that golfer plays and in what kind of weather, and whether that golfer prefers to walk the course or ride in a golf cart.

“It’s how dedicated you are,” says Pat Huffer, head golf pro at Crooked River Ranch. “If you play once a month, or once every other week, maybe it’s not that big of a deal. If you play golf for a living or you are playing all the time and you are a scratch golfer, you’ll know the difference in equipment and it’s probably worth it to you.”

Golf shoes

Much has changed with golf shoes since major shoemakers such as adidas and Nike entered the market with their decades of research on creating better athletic footwear.

And much like the advance in basketball shoes (Chuck Taylors anybody?), the technology difference in golf shoes has been striking.

“In the old days, they used to have leather soles and they were heavy shoes,” says Bob Garza, head pro at Lost Tracks Golf Club in Bend. “Now they make these rubber soles and polyurethane, that type of stuff. They are using a little more tennis-shoe technology where they’ve got inner pockets in the heels and the forefoot and things like that that make them a lot more comfortable. The shoes nowadays are real nice.”

Like sneakers, advancement has led to many more choices. That leads to confusion for buyers, especially if the buyer is making the purchase as a gift for somebody else.

Even famed club makers such as Callaway are getting into the shoe biz these days, but there are basic elements to buying a good golf shoe.

Fit, style and weatherproofing are three main aspects to picking out a good shoe.

There are two basic styles of golf shoes, those with a traditional golf look (saddle design) and those that look more like a standard sneaker. And now golfers have the option of buying sandals with soft spikes.

Of course, which style is better is a matter of taste.

But Garza says a good shoe will have a one- or two-year waterproofing warranty and is easily returned to the manufacturer if moisture begins to seep in.

Most major makers such as FootJoy, adidas and Nike all have warranties.

Another key consideration Garza says, is that the shoe should have a leather upper, which provides the best support and waterproofing.

Finally, golf shoes should fit tighter around the middle of the foot than regular shoes, offering better support while swinging.

So who makes the best golf shoe?

“You look at the shoes that adidas and Nike make now; those things are like slippers,” Garza says. “They are so form-fitting on your foot now. That’s the stuff the guys on the (PGA) Tour use, and they test everything out on the guys on the tour. Anything that is good that they like or they find that really works, that’s when they introduce to the everyday Joe like me and you.”

A consumer can get the basic good pair of shoes for less than $75. Some shoes offer more bells and whistles, such as the laceless FootJoy Reelfit, which tightens with a knob on the back of the shoe for a more form-fitting wear.

But the FootJoy Reelfit runs $199.99 at Pro Golf of Bend. Less-expensive options such as the adidas Tour Traxion ($79.99 at Pro Golf of Bend), which is one of the top-selling shoes in the industry, have everything a golfer needs.

Huffer says a few extra dollars will go a long way, especially for golfers who tend to do a lot of walking on a golf course.

“The better golfer, the one that really understands the game, understands the importance of a good high-end pair of golf shoes. Plus, (the shoes) will last longer and breathe better and that sort of thing,” Huffer says.

“With higher-end golf shoes, you generally have better support and have a better foot bed for the golf swing. You can go out and buy tennis-shoe-style shoes that are soft and don’t have quite the support. They will be less expensive, generally.”

Golf gloves

On the west wall at Pro Golf of Bend is a dizzying array of styles and brands of golf gloves — and they all look about the same.

But a closer examination shows different prices and purposes for each glove. But do any of them make a difference for the average golfer?

Golf gloves, which should be worn on the left hand for right-handed golfers and on the right hand for lefties, can make good stocking stuffers if chosen correctly.

“When it comes to golf gloves, good players recognize the feel, comfort and wearability of a true cabretta leather glove,” Huffer says. “The higher-end ones tend to be thin, durable and breathe well, and fit your hand the best.”

Cabretta leather offers more feel and generally lasts longer than synthetic gloves, though cabretta gloves are more expensive than their synthetic leather counterparts.

For a beginner golfer, synthetic gloves are probably good enough, Huffer says.

“If you are just trying to buy a glove that you can grip the club with and you don’t care necessarily how soft and pliable it is, then the $6 difference probably does make a difference to you,” Huffer says. “To me, I like the feel of a good quality cabretta leather glove versus synthetic. And I would pay an extra eight to 10 bucks for one.”

Proper gloves can be even more important during winter, especially in Oregon.

In Central Oregon, where golf can be played year-round with the proper equipment, insulated gloves can make a round of golf in the cold of January a little more tolerable.

Nike’s Cold Weather glove, which is sold as a pair for $18.99 at Pro Golf of Bend, doesn’t have the feel of a regular glove but keeps both hands warm in harsh conditions.

Rain-sturdy gloves such as the FootJoy Raingrip cost $23.99, but they provide superior grip in wet conditions for golfers who may be taking their game to the Willamette Valley this winter.

Still, golf gloves give a Christmas shopper more room for error because they are not as crucial as other golf equipment.

In fact, some touring professionals don’t bother wearing gloves at all.

“The main thing is that you enjoy and get out and (play golf),” Huffer says. “You don’t have to be a scratch golfer to go out and play this game. And you can enjoy it with a $10 glove as well as a $21 glove.”

Moreto come

e_SFlbThis is the second story in a five-week series on shopping for golfers.