New Balance 480 SL Golf Shoe Review: A court-inspired shoe that balls hard

Key features:

• Design inspired by New Balance's classic basketball sneaker
• CUSH+ Insole dials up the comfort without the need for a chunky midsole
• Spikeless outsole for grip and feedback on the greens
• Soft, waterproof synthetic leather upper

Golf shoes sharing their design and DNA with classic sneakers are all the range at the moment. Since Nike launched spikeless golf shoes based on models like the Air Max 1 and Air Jordan 1, most major brands with any form of sneaker heritage have followed suit.

As such, sneaker-inspired golf shoes are almost a category unto themselves in the modern game. Indeed, already this week we've taken a look at the Reebok Club C Golf, while brands like Adidas and PUMA also have their own options on the market. Today, however, it's the turn of New Balance, and more specifically, the 480 SL Golf.

The 480 is a silhouette steeped in heritage for New Balance. Introduced in the early '80s, it was the American company's first shoe designed exclusively for basketball, and in the decades since has taken on a status as something of a cult classic for the brand, finally warranting a full relaunch as a lifestyle sneaker in 2021. 

Now a golf-oriented redesign has arrived on the market, giving fashion-conscious golfers yet another option to add to their rotation.

But just how does the 480's course-ready version perform? As part of our best golf shoes showdown, Equipment Editor Tom Usher hit the course to find out.

Watch our full 2025 golf shoe test below:

Technology and features

Much like the Reebok Club C we reviewed earlier in the week, this is very much a sneaker made into a golf shoe, and not the other way around. Suffice it to say, then, that the tech on offer is fairly minimal.

New Balance have made a few subtle quality of life improvements to ready the 480 SL for a long life of the course. The leather upper has been replaced with a waterproof synthetic PU for easy cleaning, while the outsole has been engineered with a pattern of fine traction ridges, mapped out to correspond to the natural pressure points you lean on the most while swinging the club. 

An extra-thick Cush+ insole has been placed in the shoe to make it easier on your feet over the course of a full round.

Looks and feel

As far as sneaker-derived golf shoes go, this is about as true to the original as any we've tested in the last few years—save for perhaps the Air Jordan 1 G. Even on the street, you'd be hard pressed to tell it apart from the lifestyle version, with the very minimal rubber lugs on the sole the slight giveaway.

A number of clean, classic colourways are also on offer, from the White/Navy/Gum we tested to brighter options inspired by varsity sports.

Once you step in, it becomes clear that New Balance have gone to great lengths to maximise comfort without overhauling the base DNA of the shoe. It has no foam or midsole technology, but the thick insole drawn from New Balance's walking shoes, combined with the 480's wide, flat platform, make it a dream to wear.

Performance

Aesthetics aside, as an all-round package of comfort, durability and on-course performance, the New Balance 480 SL Golf might be the most impressive sneaker-style golf shoe on the market right now.

The outsole provides outstanding grip considering how unaggressively it's engineered. The fine ridges that connect you with the ground dig into the turf exceptionally well, while also providing the mobility some golfers like on more powerful swings.

The thicker insole, meanwhile, allows New Balance to keep the shoe's platform wide and shallow, not only providing a stable base on a wide variety of shots and good feedback on the greens, but also providing a level comfort that'll last well past the 18th.

Should you purchase the New Balance 480 SL Golf Shoes?

If your sense of on-course style makes adopting a pair of trainer-style golf shoes essential, the New Balance 480 SL Golf might be the most complete package you can buy.

The amount of grip on offer rivals other '80s-style shoes like the Club C and Air Jordan 1 G, however the comfort and durability the 480 SL boasts arguably trumps them both. The aesthetic package, meanwhile, is one that'll take you as smoothly from the course to the street as any other shoe on the market.

At £125, the 480 SL represents a slight premium over other sneaker-style golf shoes, but it's often available on sale and—in our opinion—is a worthy investment.