Golf shoes are equipment. Here's what you need to know to make the most out of your next purchase

Question: I’ve always just bought golf shoes at a department store but am starting to re-think that strategy now that I’ve gotten better. Any advice?

Answer: Well, selfishly, we’d point you towards our shoe guide which you should take a look at. Before you do that, however, here are some things to consider to make the most out of your footwear purchase.

To begin with, treat golf shoes as equipment, not fashion. Having the right footwear isn’t a panacea for your game, but it helps. Plus being in ill-fit shoes can be a detriment. Consider golfers take some 9,000 steps when walking 18 holes and there’s no disputing a properly fit pair of shoes will help you perform better athletically. Plus, odds are you might be in a poor fit. A number of years ago FootJoy conducted a study of more than 4,000 golfers that revealed some 70 percent were ill-fit for their shoes. A look at your old shoes can provide some clues for you to be on the lookout for. Just as clubfitting is important in finding the right clubs, shoe fitting is vital to finding the right shoes.

The insides of a worn pair of shoes gives clues about pressure points for things such as calluses, bunions and other areas where the foot might be rubbing excessively against the shoe. If the shoe has deep impressions, you may wish to consider a new pair with an extra cushiony insole.

If your old shoes have cleats, take a gander at them as well. If your cleats have severe wear or erosion along the inside of the heel you should be wearing shoes with additional arch support. Conversely, excessive wear on the outside of the heel indicates a more flexible shoe would make sense.

Also consider weight. Although the old leather-welt shoes of 25 years ago are pretty much extinct and most shoes are relatively light, understand every ounce counts. If a golfer's stride is one-yard long, that's 1,760 steps in a mile. Multiply that by the five or so miles a player walks during a round and it's approximately 9,000 steps taken. If you save one ounce for each step, that's a savings of 9,000 ounces or 562.5 pounds of leg fatigue during the course of a round. Come the final few holes, that makes a difference.

Of course, all this doesn’t matter a lick if you don’t find the proper fit. Make sure you measure your feet (yes, both of them) with the Brannock Device. Why both? Because a number of people have two different-sized feet. When measuring you should be standing and wearing socks similar to those you will be playing in as sock thickness can often account for a one-half size difference. You want to measure for foot length and ball width. When measuring for length, make certain the second toe isn’t longer than the big toe. If it is, you’ll want to go up one-half size. For width, measure at the ball of the foot as it is the forefoot’s widest area. Finally, measure at the end of the day or after a round when your feet are most swollen. This will help prevent a fit that’s too snug.

One more thing: Once you’ve done the above and settled on a new shoe, consider buying two or three pair and rotating them if you play with any regularity. It will keep your shoes in better shape and your feet—and perhaps even your scorecard—will thank you, too.