REVIEW: VKTRY Golf Insoles — How They Can Help Your Game

Perhaps the most crucial part of playing golf and keeping yourself comfortable and consistent is maintaining your feet. While every pair of golf shoes you will ever own come with insoles, they may not be the most ideal pair for you or the activity you have chosen.

For a long time, I have struggled with foot pain after rounds of golf. I traditionally have worn a variety of golf shoes out on the course, but I have frequently mentioned that my favorite pair will always be FootJoy Traditions. The dressy look and versatility are what I love about them, as well as their ability to keep me stable and provide traction in any setting.

However, I will admit that they do hurt the balls of my feet after a round, especially on the courses I frequently play on, which offer tumultuous terrain.

So I decided to give VKTRY insoles a shot. VKTRY caters its insoles to every sport and activity imaginable, and they are rated for your height and weight as well. They are developed with carbon fiber to capture and return energy into your foot, while also absorbing shock and offering support that your stock insoles just cannot offer.

They are an easy installation and can be simply slid into the golf shoe you are wearing. However, there is one caveat with these: they will not fit in something like the Tradition, which is where my only complaint with these was. I slid them into my FootJoy Traditions and noticed they were incredibly tight and uncomfortable, so I decided to throw them into the HyperFlex Carbon from last year, and they were a perfect match.

While I immediately noticed the introduction of a sharper arch, I also noticed that walking was quite effortless. You seem to spring forward in these when you’re walking and that is a big plus. It feels like golf shoes are now walking shoes, and that’s a super big advantage when you walk rounds.

However, these go past the point of just comfort while walking, and they offer more positives while you’re doing things like taking a swing.

Testing Through Comparison

I have played many rounds on the FootJoy HyperFlex Carbon since they arrived at my house last year. They are a bulkier shoe and they tend to be more of an athletic shape than a majority of golf shoes out there. 

They offer a lot of stability and traction, but they also need something, at least for me, to be slightly more comfortable. Most footwear experts would agree that a pair of good insoles can increase the longevity of any shoe and also create more of a positive experience for you.

I felt that this was the case when the VKTRY insoles were inside of these.

While I already mentioned that I felt effortless while walking, these also helped me to feel more stability and confidence over the ball. I felt that my feet were in a more advantageous position with the VKTRY installed than without. I think comfort is arguably the most important factor in what your feet must feel when out on the course. If your feet are miserable, you are going to be miserable.

While I wouldn’t necessarily say I played better, hit the ball better, or felt any true changes in distance, club head speed, or dispersion with the VKTRY insoles, the true indicator of what I felt was the ultimate selling point was how my feet felt after the round.

I have noted that post-round care and recovery is super crucial. I think it is important to invest in yourself and try to do your best to avoid any sort of unnecessary pains and aches. This all comes down to nutrition, rest, form, and other factors. I’ve done a lot of things to combat the pain I feel after walking nine holes on hilly courses.

My biggest and most easily noticeable change in what the VKTRY insoles offered was the lack of pain I felt in my feet, calves, and lower back after a round. I believe the insoles helped alleviate a lot of this pain because they ate a lot of the energy that usually does not get returned back into my legs. With traditional insoles, this energy usually tends to be forced outward, and your joints end up taking a lot of the hit.

This was not the case here.

My Bottom Line

For $149 a pair, a lot of people will mull over whether these insoles are truly worth it. If you deal with a lot of aches and pains after your round and even the days after you play, you should look at your shoes. Are they dated? Are they worn?

If they are, then consider a new pair, but if you’re in a newer pair of golf shoes or you’re not quite ready to invest in new ones, take a peek at the insoles and see what they offer you. More likely than not, the ones that are in your shoes by default are not going to do you any favors.

At 29 years old, I have played sports year round for my entire life. I was a multi-sport athlete from elementary school until I graduated from college, and training and competing has definitely had its toll on me. My lower back is easily the biggest pain point I have, and I feel it after a round of golf.

However, in the four rounds I tested these VKTRY insoles, I noticed I felt less joint pain in my legs and less aching in my lower back than normal. I credit these insoles with that change because I played roughly five rounds without them in while wearing my Traditions and I felt worse than I did while wearing them.

I would argue that I could easily play 36 holes with these in, while my body tends to start to give out after 27 on most Summer days. I am in decent shape, I hit the gym a few times a week, eat relatively well, and am conscious of my choices. However, the massive changes in elevation and constant hills at my local courses are enough to beat anyone up.

We all could use a little bit of help, and I believe the VKTRY insoles would be a wise choice for anyone who wants to play more often and combat their aches following rounds.