BOA vs Laced Golf Shoes: Is the Dial Worth Paying For?

The dial is convenience, not magic. A BOA system tensions a steel lace evenly across your foot with a click wheel you can operate one handed, mid round, in the rain, wearing winter gloves. Laces do the same job for £20 to £40 less and give you far more shoes to choose from. If the convenience appeals, the adidas S2G SL BOAadidas S2G SL BOA£77.99Buy on Amazon is the affordable way in. If you would rather put the money into the shoe itself, the FootJoy Tour RivalFootJoy Tour Rival£100.00Buy on Amazon is the laced pick.

At a glance: BOA vs laced golf shoes

How does a BOA system actually differ from laces?

A BOA setup replaces the fabric laces with a thin stainless steel lace routed through low friction guides, tensioned by a ratcheting dial on the heel or tongue. Turn the dial and the whole lace tightens in small, even clicks; pop the dial and everything releases at once. The practical differences follow from that: tension spreads evenly rather than bunching where you pulled, adjustment takes two seconds with one hand, and nothing comes undone mid swing. Laced shoes counter with simplicity, a lower price and the ability to tie different parts of the foot at different tensions, which suits awkward insteps.

When should you choose BOA?

Choose BOA if you play through the UK winter, fiddle with your fit during rounds, or simply hate bending over wet shoes. Feet swell as you walk, and clicking a dial two notches looser on the 12th tee is the kind of small comfort that keeps your mind on the golf. Gloved hands, cold fingers and soaked laces are exactly the conditions the system was built for. The hardware is proven far beyond golf, and BOA backs its dials and laces for the lifetime of the shoe, so the premium is buying convenience, not fragility.

When should you choose laces?

Choose laces if you want maximum shoe for your money or a specific model that simply does not come with a dial. The £20 to £40 saving buys better leather or waterproofing at the same total price, replacement laces cost a pound in any pro shop, and there is nothing wrong with a fit you tie once and forget. Golfers with unusual feet often prefer laces too, because you can leave the forefoot relaxed and lock the ankle down in a way a single dial cannot quite replicate.

Our picks

adidas S2G SL BOA 24

The affordable BOA. A spikeless, versatile shoe with the dial system at a price not far above laced rivals.

ECCO Biom H5 BOA Waterproof

The premium BOA pick. ECCO leather, proper waterproofing and the dial, a shoe built for serious year round UK golf.

FootJoy Tour Rival

The laced benchmark. FootJoy build quality and a secure traditional fit, with the saving over BOA left in your pocket.

adidas Traxion Response

The value laced pick. Dependable grip and comfort at a price that makes the BOA premium look optional.

FootJoy's Pro SL BOA sits at the premium end if you want the dial on golf's most popular tour shoe. For the wider market, see our best golf shoes guide or browse the shoes collection.

Frequently asked questions

What happens if a BOA dial breaks?

BOA guarantees its dials and laces for the lifetime of the product, and replacement kits are available, so a failure does not write off the shoe. Failures are rare in practice: the steel lace and dial mechanism is the same system used on snowboard boots and cycling shoes.

Are BOA golf shoes tighter than laced shoes?

They can be more evenly tight. The dial tensions a single steel lace across the whole foot in small clicks, so pressure spreads uniformly instead of concentrating where you pulled hardest. If your laced shoes always feel tight in one spot and loose in another, BOA usually fixes it.

Why do BOA golf shoes cost more?

The dial hardware is licensed from BOA and adds manufacturing cost, so the same shoe typically costs £20 to £40 more in BOA form. Whether that is worth it comes down to how much you value one handed micro adjustment, especially in winter gloves or wet weather.

Can you adjust BOA shoes mid round?

Yes, and it is the system's best trick. Feet swell over four hours of walking, and with BOA you click looser or tighter through the round in seconds without bending down, taking gloves off or retying wet laces. With laces most golfers just put up with it.

Do laced golf shoes have any real advantages?

Three. They are cheaper, every model on the market comes laced so choice is wider, and a broken lace costs a pound to fix anywhere. Some golfers also prefer the ability to tension different zones of the foot differently, which a single dial system does less precisely.

Are BOA shoes worth it for winter golf?

This is where they shine. Cold fingers, wet leather laces and thick winter gloves make traditional laces genuinely annoying, while a dial works one handed in any weather. If you play through the UK winter, the BOA premium buys real convenience rather than novelty.

BOA wins on convenience and even tension, laces win on price and choice, and neither will change your ball striking. Sorting the grip question matters more: our spiked vs spikeless comparison covers which outsole actually suits your golf.