How often do you change the spikes on your golf shoe? If you answered “huh?”, we’re here to help. With the increase in popularity of spikeless golf shoes, too many golfers forget that most spiked golf shoes have the option for replacing cleats when they wear down. We caught up with Mark MacNeill, product manager at Softspikes and Champ, for a refresher on the need-to-knows around swapping golf spikes.
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How to know whether your shoes have replacable spikes or not

The first thing you’ll want to do is check the bottom of your spiked golf shoe to see what kind of cleats you are working with. Most cleats will have a brand name and wrench holes—the most obvious indicator that your spikes are replaceable.

Replacing the spikes is essentially resurfacing the bottom of your golf shoe. If you are playing in normal conditions and the upper of the shoe is made with quality materials, swapping out the spikes is an affordable alternative to replacing the shoe.

“When the tires wear down on your car, you don’t buy a new car, you change the tires,” MacNeill said. “It’s a similar concept with spikes.”

How often should you be changing your spikes?

The general rule of thumb is to change your spikes every 15-20 rounds, or about twice a season for the average golfer. MacNeill stresses that this cadence will vary depending on the conditions and the type of golfer you are.

“Someone playing in southern California or Arizona on hardpan conditions with no moisture or walking on a lot of cart paths will run through spikes a lot quicker,” MacNeill said. “And on the flip side, a golfer who is more prone to take a cart will see more life on their spikes.”

Which cleats fit your golf shoes?

Softspikes Fast Twist Golf Spikes features a Fast-Twist Insert System to fit most recently-released golf shoes including Nike, Callaway, Puma, ASICS, Johnston & Murphy, True Linkswear and UnderArmour. They'll also fit most FootJoys, excluding the Classic/Dry Premieres and Ecco golf shoes with 12-14 cleats.

For adidas golf shoes, the brand has its own Thintech clamshell cleats that work with golf shoes equipped with Thintech construction—like the newest ZG23 men's and women's golf shoes.

Sometimes one or two tweaks will make a huge difference

MacNeill also stressed that you don’t necessarily have to change all the spikes at once. Most right-handed golfers will have more wear on the back right heel than the top left toe, for example, so you can swap out the most worn spikes on an as-need basis for a quick boost of traction. Spikes or no spikes, it’s a good idea to flip over your shoe every few rounds to make sure the traction elements are in good condition.

“If you are serious about your golf game, you want to take out the variables,” MacNeill said. “Golfers will dial in one degree on their driver but ignore traction, If you are serious about getting better, why not start with your feet?”