At £200 for the laced version, £220 with a BOA dial and £250 for the new Premium (or $250, $270 and around $300 in the US), the ECCO BIOM C5 family sits firmly at the top end of the spikeless market. ECCO promises comfort, proper waterproofing and enough grip to swing hard without cleats. The real question for anyone about to spend that kind of money is simpler: what do you actually get for it, and is the Premium worth the extra £50?
Rather than add yet another first-person review, we have read the main English-language tests side by side: Golfalot, Today’s Golfer, Plugged In Golf and GolfMagic. They agree on more than they disagree. But the points where they do disagree, and the things none of them can tell you yet, are exactly what matter when you are standing in a shop with a pair in each hand.
1. One platform, three versions
The BIOM C5 comes in three main forms: a laced model, a BOA model and the BIOM C5 Premium, launched in September 2026. All three are built on ECCO’s BIOM Natural Motion platform and, according to Golfalot, the Premium uses the same outsole as the standard C5.
That last point matters. The Premium is not the only C5 with a BOA dial. What it adds is an aluminium BOA dial, what ECCO calls “precision side stabilisers”, a higher grade of ECCO Performance Leather and more refined detailing. In other words, the upgrade is mainly about materials, finish and fit, not about a different shoe underneath.
| Version | UK RRP | US price |
|---|---|---|
| BIOM C5 (laced) | £200 | $250 |
| BIOM C5 BOA | £220 | $270 |
| BIOM C5 Premium | £250 | around $300 |
The Premium costs 25% more than the laced C5 in the UK, and £30 more than the standard BOA model. At that level, you are entitled to expect a benefit you can actually identify.
2. What ECCO is promising
The C5 combines four familiar ECCO technologies. BIOM Natural Motion is an anatomical last designed to keep the foot close to the ground and moving naturally. FLUIDFORM is ECCO’s direct-injection process, which bonds the sole to the upper without traditional stitching or glue. GORE-TEX Surround provides waterproofing with breathability around the whole foot, including underneath. The new E-TTS outsole spreads multi-directional traction elements across the sole.
The outsole is the main change from the BIOM C4, which used ECCO’s three-zone MTN GRIP pattern. The goal hasn’t changed: a shoe you can walk 18 holes in comfortably without worrying about your footing at the top of the backswing.
That positions the C5 clearly. It is not a stiff, tour-only performance shoe. It is an all-round, all-weather walking shoe built for golf, and that is the standard it should be judged against.
3. Where the reviews agree
Comfort. This is the point of strongest consensus. Matt Meeker at Plugged In Golf found no seams or rub points and plenty of room in the toe box. Lewis Daff at Today’s Golfer, who has worn the C5 for around three months, rates it at least as comfortable as the C4. Dan Box at Golfalot found the Premium comfortable straight out of the box, with no break-in period.
Waterproofing. Plugged In Golf held the shoes under a running tap and played in drizzle without any water getting in. Today’s Golfer tested through the tail end of a British winter and reports dry feet throughout. Neither is a lab test, but both go beyond the marketing copy.
Early durability. After three months of mixed conditions, Today’s Golfer reports no loss of grip and no visible wear. That is encouraging, but it is three months, not three seasons.
Looks divide opinion. Golfalot thinks the Premium may be the best-looking golf shoe ECCO has made. Today’s Golfer prefers the more classic C4 and is not a fan of the knitted sock collar. GolfMagic found the C5 well built and exceptionally stable, but slightly spartan in feel. This is personal taste, but at this price it is a fair criterion.
4. Where they disagree: grip versus cleats
This is the interesting part, because it goes to the heart of the buying decision.
Dan Box says the Premium’s lugs work as well as a spiked shoe. Matt Meeker says the opposite about the standard C5: the traction is really good, but not on a par with cleated shoes. Lewis Daff sits in between. He rates the grip highly in mud, bunkers and on dry turf, but reports the occasional slip on early-morning tee boxes, where freshly cut wet grass was sitting on firm ground.
There is no real contradiction here once you allow for different testers, different conditions and, in Golfalot’s case, a different model. The sensible reading is this: the C5 has one of the better spikeless outsoles available, and it will be enough for most golfers on most days. But no review establishes that it replaces a cleated shoe on every surface, and one specific condition, wet grass over hard ground, showed its limits.
5. Grip and lockdown are not the same thing
Manufacturers talk about “stability” as if it were one quality. It is really two.
Grip is about the outsole and the ground. On firm, dry turf, a good spikeless pattern can hold just as well as cleats. On wet slopes, lush grass or soft ground, cleats can still have an edge because they penetrate the surface.
Lockdown is about your foot inside the shoe: heel hold, volume and how evenly the closure spreads pressure. A shoe can grip the ground perfectly while your foot slides around inside it. Equally, the best BOA dial in the world won’t stop an outsole slipping on a surface that offers it nothing to hold on to.
This is why the Premium is not an answer to a grip problem. Its side stabilisers and metal dial may improve the feeling of lockdown, but it shares the same outsole as the standard C5. If you regularly slip on soggy winter courses, a cleated shoe is a better fix than spending more on a C5.
6. Who the C5 suits
The C5 makes most sense for golfers who walk, play regularly and want a single pair that works for most of the year. Comfort is its best-documented strength, followed by waterproofing and build quality. For someone playing two or three times a week, those things matter far more than a performance claim you will never feel.
It also suits golfers who like a more athletic, trainer-like look. If you prefer a classic golf-shoe silhouette, the C4 or something more traditional may suit you better, and no review can settle that for you.
7. The alternatives worth comparing
ECCO BIOM C4. The previous generation launched at £210 in 2022 and is still widely available. It remains a waterproof, comfortable hybrid. It only makes sense over a C5 if a genuine discount opens up a real gap; if the saving is small, buy the newer shoe.
C5 BOA versus laced. The BOA model costs £20 more in the UK ($20 in the US). You are paying for convenience and quick in-round adjustment, not for better traction. A well-fitted laced shoe can lock the foot down just as effectively.
C5 Premium. At £250, you need to genuinely value the leather, the finish and the metal dial. The reviews do not show a performance gain big enough to make it a must-have; Golfalot itself says there won’t be a huge difference in performance compared with the standard model.
ECCO BIOM Tour. If grip on wet courses is your priority, ECCO’s cleated BIOM Tour is the more logical choice within the brand. It is the shoe Aaron Rai wore during his 2026 major-winning season, while the C5 Premium was never designed as a tour shoe.
FootJoy Pro/SL (2026). The most direct rival. It has been rebuilt for 2026 on FootJoy’s new Vantage Last with a new ARCTrax/SL outsole, and it is reported to be around 30% lighter than its predecessor. At £160 laced or £185 with BOA in the UK, and around $185 laced in the US, it is noticeably cheaper than the C5.
adidas Tour360 25 Spikeless. With a UK RRP of £150 and a US list price of around $190, it combines BOOST and Lightstrike cushioning with adidas’ Torsion Bridge for stability. It is a credible, cheaper alternative, and well worth trying on.
| Shoe | UK price | US price | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECCO BIOM C4 | £210 at launch | varies | Only a bargain with a real discount |
| ECCO BIOM C5 (laced) | £200 | $250 | The sensible choice in the range |
| ECCO BIOM C5 BOA | £220 | $270 | Same outsole, quicker adjustment |
| ECCO BIOM C5 Premium | £250 | around $300 | Finish and fit details, not more grip |
| FootJoy Pro/SL 2026 (laced) | £160 | around $185 | Direct rival, clearly cheaper |
| FootJoy Pro/SL 2026 BOA | £185 | varies | BOA alternative |
| adidas Tour360 25 Spikeless | £150 | around $190 | Cheapest of the serious contenders |
Prices are list prices or typical retail prices as of October 2026. Discounts, sizes and colourways can change what you actually pay.
In the UK and US, the C5 is clearly the more expensive option compared with its main rivals. The laced C5 costs £40 more than the FootJoy Pro/SL and £50 more than the adidas Tour360 25. So the case for buying it has to rest on two things: the ECCO fit suiting your foot, and what you get back over the life of the shoe.
8. The warranty: an underrated argument
This is where ECCO can claw back some of that price gap, at least in the US.
ECCO’s US warranty guarantees GORE-TEX footwear to be waterproof for three years from the date of purchase, and US retailers list a three-year waterproof warranty on the BIOM C5. By comparison, FootJoy offers two years of waterproof cover on the Pro/SL 2026 in the US, and adidas offers one year on the Tour360 25, plus a 90-day comfort guarantee.
For a shoe you intend to wear through several wet seasons, three years of waterproof cover is a concrete benefit, and it partly offsets the higher price.
UK buyers should check the terms carefully. We could not confirm the same three-year cover on ECCO’s UK site, and some UK retailers quote shorter waterproof guarantees on other ECCO models, as well as on the FootJoy Pro/SL. Ask the retailer what applies before you buy, buy from an authorised stockist and keep the receipt.
9. What to check before you buy
Sizing. ECCO sizes in EU units, so the most reliable starting point is the EU size of a shoe that already fits you well. Plugged In Golf found the C5 ran very slightly large. GolfMagic goes further: ECCO uses the same numbers for US and UK sizes, so a UK 9–9.5 is also labelled US 9–9.5. In practice, UK golfers in particular can end up in a shoe that is bigger than they expect. Try before you buy if you possibly can.
Heel hold. Walk around, then make a few rotations similar to your swing. A little space in front of the toes is normal. A heel that lifts, or a foot that shifts sideways, is not.
Pressure on top of the foot. Good lockdown holds the foot without squeezing it, especially when you settle into your address position.
Wide feet. The C5’s insole is removable, which frees up extra volume. That changes the cushioning and the feel, though, so try both configurations rather than assuming it solves the problem.
Narrow feet. Dan Box, who has narrow feet, was pleasantly surprised by how well the Premium’s BOA locked him in. That’s a useful data point, but a dial can’t fully fix a last that is simply too roomy for you.
Socks and timing. Try shoes on late in the day, when your feet are at their largest, and with the socks you actually play in, especially if you wear thicker ones in winter. A premium golf shoe should be comfortable from the first step. Don’t count on a few rounds to “break in” real discomfort.
Long-term wear. On a spikeless shoe, the traction elements are part of the outsole. When they wear down, they can’t be replaced individually the way screw-in cleats can. Three months of positive results is a good start, but not proof of a three-season lifespan.
What we know, and what nobody can tell you yet
| What the reviews establish | What remains open |
|---|---|
| All testers rate the comfort highly | How the shoe holds up after several seasons |
| Waterproofing held up in real use | Long-term waterproofing after heavy wear |
| The E-TTS outsole grips well in most conditions | Whether it matches cleats on every surface |
| The Premium has better materials and fit details | A measurable on-course advantage over the standard C5 |
| The removable insole adds volume | How well the last suits every foot shape |
Our verdict
The BIOM C5 is a genuinely good golf shoe. Its comfort is confirmed by every major review, the waterproofing has held up in real conditions and the new outsole grips convincingly for a spikeless design. For golfers who walk and play year-round, it does exactly what it is meant to do.
It is not cheap, though. In the UK and US it costs noticeably more than the FootJoy Pro/SL and the adidas Tour360 25, both serious shoes in their own right. That premium is justified if the ECCO fit suits your foot and, in the US especially, if you value a three-year waterproof warranty. If a rival fits you better, there is no reason to pay more for the ECCO name.
Within the range, the laced C5 at £200 is the rational choice. The BOA model is worth the extra £20 if you like the dial. The Premium, at £250, is a different proposition: its leather, finish and metal dial may well appeal, but the reviews give no evidence of a performance gain that justifies the extra on the course.
The C5 Premium isn’t a bad shoe. It is simply an upgrade in refinement rather than a proven upgrade in performance.
Sources
Reviews
- Golfalot, Dan Box, 15 September 2026 — Ecco BIOM C5 Premium Golf Shoe Review
- Today’s Golfer, Lewis Daff, updated 24 April 2026 — Ecco BIOM C5 review
- Plugged In Golf, Matt Meeker, 29 May 2026 — ECCO Biom C5 Golf Shoes
- GolfMagic — ECCO BIOM C5 Golf Shoes review
- Plugged In Golf — 2026 FootJoy Pro/SL Golf Shoe Review
Specifications, prices and warranties
- Golf Retailing — ECCO Golf introduces BIOM C5 (UK pricing)
- New England Golf — ECCO Golf introduces BIOM C5 (US pricing)
- Golfalot / Golf Today — BIOM C5 Premium launch (UK pricing)
- Golf Business News — BIOM C5 Premium specifications
- ECCO US — Warranty information
- Golfalot — FootJoy Pro/SL 2026 launch (UK pricing)
- Carl’s Golfland — ECCO BIOM C5 and adidas Tour360 25 product pages
- Click Golf — adidas Tour360 25 Spikeless (UK RRP)
Prices checked in October 2026. Prices and availability may vary by retailer, size and colourway.