Skeptics say golf shoes are a pointless extra designed not to help you play better, but to make you spend more in the pro shop. A pair of everyday athletic shoes, they argue, can do the job just as well.

There’s no question golfers will drop a pretty penny on a pair of high-end shoes. Most major brands offer at least one model fetching $200 or more; a super swanky pair, decked out in calfskin and full-grain leather, can cost upward of $450.

What is this, Sex and the City?

Not really. Decent shoes can run as low as $60-75, and $150 will net you a sweet pair, indeed.

The price tag begs a legitimate question, however: Are the advantages touted by golf shoe companies really worth the cash outlay? Or can a golfer get by wearing his favorite pair of sneakers?

Let’s settle the argument by pitting golf shoes against standard-issue running, tennis or other athletic shoes, point by point. May the best fit win:

Comfort

Golf shoes have come a long, long way in this department, primarily by integrating athletic-shoe features into their designs. Still, some shoes can take a few rounds to break in. Athletic shoes generally have softer uppers and more flexible soles, making them practically invincible in the comfort category.

Style & variety

Another area in which golf shoes have made major, um, strides. Time was, shoes uniformly followed saddle-oxford convention, complete with hideous tassels. Fortunately, those days are but a bad memory.

Again, many of today’s golf shoes mimic athletic-shoe styling, to the point that they’re nearly indistinguishable. But golfers can choose from a wide variety of designs, from classic oxfords (sans tassels) to kicks that would make a skateboarder envious. Colors, designs and fabric combinations are equally vast.

Athletic shoes, on the other hand, pretty much look like athletic shoes.

Traction & stability

Well, this is a no-brainer. Running shoes grip well enough on dry turf, but they’re no match for spike-bottomed shoes when the grass is wet. Regardless of conditions, shoes provide a level of confidence that is paramount in making a good swing.

Course friendliness

The invention and popularity of so-called “soft spikes” was a blessing to golf course superintendents everywhere. Plastic cleats, now required at most every course, cause far less damage to greens and clubhouse floors than their metal forerunners.

Nonetheless, athletic shoes’ spike-free soles are utterly ouchless to precious turf.

Expense

Prices for good golf and athletic shoes are similar. But… Since athletic shoes can be worn off the course, a golfer can in theory skip footwear expenditures altogether by pulling double-duty with his tennis togs.

Intangibles

If you want to play like a real golfer, you need to look like a real golfer. And sporting a pair of shoes that belong on the track or court won’t help matters.