The post-pandemic surge in the golfing sector appears to have staying power — and that’s good news for sales of golf shoes.
Data from the Sports and Fitness Industry Association shows that golf shoe wholesale sales in 2025 reached $416.3 million, up 10.6 percent year-over-year. In fact, golf shoe sales — with the exception of 2022 — have grown consistently on an annual basis since 2020 when the total hit $283 million, according to data from SFIA. In 2021, total sales were $333.5 million, fell to $320.8 million, but then began an upswing to $346.5 million in 2023 and $376.5 million in 2024.
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Jenny Karn, SFIA’s senior director, noted that golf shoe sales at wholesale plus an 8.2 percent pickup in golf ball sales are clear indicators of sustained consumer engagement in the sport.
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“What’s particularly encouraging is that this growth aligns with broader industry trends. Participation across sports and fitness has reached record levels, with more than 250 million Americans active in 2025, marking seven consecutive years of growth. That rising tide of activity continues to benefit established sports like golf,” she said. “Looking ahead, we see continued runway for the golf sector. The sport benefits from a unique combination of social play and lifetime participation appeal.”
Retailers are looking at how they can help everyone from budding golfers to those more experienced to do better at how they play the sport. The right footwear serves as the basic foundation.
Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc. owns specialty chain Golf Galaxy. During Dick’s fourth-quarter earnings conference call on March 12, executive vice president and chief financial officer Navdeep Gupta said the company plans to grow the footprint of its Golf Galaxy business, opening “approximately 15 Golf Galaxy Performance Center locations” in 2026.
“Golf footwear is in a really interesting and exciting place today. Footwear is a fashion statement for many golfers, but it’s also a critical piece of their equipment and performance, so the blend of style and technology is opening up space for new brands to make some noise,” said Michael Stack, senior vice president of Golf Galaxy and Footwear.
According to Stack, “G/Fore has been a brand that has become a leader of performance and bold design, and Jordan Brand has been a strong performer for us. More recently, Payntr has emerged as a tech-first brand that is making some waves in the tastemaker and fashion space. What’s exciting is that traditional players in the space like FootJoy, Nike, and others are also bringing renewed energy to their assortments.”
Stack said many golfers don’t understand the role footwear can play in their performance and, ultimately, enjoyment of the game. He cited to research from FootJoy that suggests roughly 70 percent of golfers are wearing the wrong shoe size.
“That’s a significant opportunity to improve comfort, stability and overall performance. When athletes come into our stores, we’re focused on fitting them not just for the right clubs and ball, but for the right footwear as well. We believe it’s one of the most important pieces of equipment a golfer uses, because it’s involved in every single shot,” Stack said.
The major players are the behemoths such as Adidas, FootJoy and Callaway, which still have a huge presence in the golf footwear market. Reebok, Nike, Air Jordan have also invested in the sport.
UBS analyst Arpine Kocharyan said in a research note last week on Callaway Golf Co. that the company is “well-positioned to benefit from further bifurcation in consumer spending” between higher versus lower end as the firm’s consumer’s average household income is $200,000-plus.
“The Baby Boomer demographic growing is a positive for Callaway given more discretionary spend and time to golf. The sport is seeing further engagement from women and younger players,” the analyst wrote.
Jefferies analyst Randal J. Konik described the energy at the PGA Show in January as confirmation that “golf is in a true golden age.” He told investors to stay bullish on the golf category.
Konik said participation is expanding across every demographic.
The analyst said total U.S. on-course golfers reached 29.1 million in 2025, up 4 percent year-over-year. The number of women golfers rose 4 percent year-over-year, with juniors up 9 percent and seniors up 8 percent over the same timeframe. And with Baby Boomers entering retirement at scale, the Jefferies analyst said more than 1.6 million senior golfers have been added over the past three years. Moreover, U.S. rounds played hit a record 549 million in 2025, or up 1 percent year-over-year, representing the fourth record in five years as well as a structural step-up in engagement levels.
Konik said the 2026 product cycles across multiple golfing categories from both Callaway and Acushnet Holdings Corp., which owns the FootJoy brand, position the two firms for accelerating growth.
With the 2026 Masters Tournament fast approaching, golf shops are revving up for a spike in revenue as interest in the sport climbs. This year’s 90th edition, and the first of the four men’s major golf tournaments, will be played April 9 to 12 at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga.
Nicole Mullins, who is one of the owners of the Bonaventure Discount Golf store at 603 Frontage Road NW in Augusta, Ga., said on Thursday that the store is already “extremely busy.” While the retailer sells a wide variety of golf shoe brands, she said the “FootJoy is the brand that is top of the top.”
Apparel brands have also been quick to jump on the Masters bandwagon.
In addition to Peter Millar, which is the official licensee of the Augusta National Golf Club, other brands are also creating special merchandise for the event. That includes TravisMathew, Puma, Callaway, TaylorMade, Rhoback and Sunday Swagger.
Johnnie-O has created the Azalea Collection of men’s and women’s apparel and accessories — a collection three times the size of the one it created for the tournament last April. And Good Good Golf has launched the Sunday Green Collection, a nod to the color of the jacket the winner will wear.
And this year’s gnome, one of the tournament’s most sought-after collectibles, will sport a green and white striped shirt, blue vest — with the Masters logo, of course — a green hat and white shoes with a green stripe. The gnome, who is holding a Masters cup, will come with a working green and white umbrella.
For fans not lucky enough to score a ticket to Augusta, the PGA Tour Superstore has curated a list of tips to create what it is calling “the ultimate Masters viewing party.”
That includes green, yellow and white décor, a variety of food and drink recipes that go beyond the signature Pimento Cheese sandwich, such as the Azalea Cocktail and Georgia Peach ice cream Sandwiches, and Southern golf chic spectator gear from J.Lindeberg, Puma, Johnnie-O and Vineyard Vines.
— With contributions from Jean E. Palmieri