driving shoes

[eljefino]

This probably doesn't come as a suprise to most but I've found proper footwear really enhances the driving experience:

Most of my life I've bought those poseur hiking boot/sneaker crossovers. Like the unibody SUV crossovers they say "I like to go in dirt, just not much.

" These have a foam cushion and rubber sole.

Just recently in a split second of maturity I bought "real" shoes with a stiff gum rubber or leather sole and stiff black all leather uppers. Like what the cops wear, military dress uniforms use, etc.

Not only do they look boss with jeans and a t-shirt but these are fantastic driving shoes! The flat soles help with stuff like heel-toe pedalling. I don't do this just for fun, at 183k miles my synchros are shot, but having proper pedal performance is fantastic.

I have to recommend shoe selection as part of a performance driving prepration.

 

[Shannow]

I get far better mileage (particularly when driving a Prius) wearing bare feet.

 

[Squishy]

On road trips I'll go barefoot, but I've worn heavy work boots long enough to be able to interpret what little feedback I get through the inch-thick soles.

I also do heel-toe pedalling in the winter months, although I've never tried it barefoot because of all the slush in my car. Plus since I drive an automatic, I've gotten lazy and just do left-foot braking now.

Edit: to avoid confusion, the heel-toe during winter is to get both wheels spinning in my open diff, not for shifting.

 

[Anduril]

My old shoes were stiff and I never could operate the clutch in my old Accord properly. So I took to wearing an old pair of worn-out shoes and shifted perfectly. Now that I drive an automatic, it doesn't make much of a difference.

 

[javacontour]

What a lot of guys who autocross, but don't need flame retardant shoes buy is wrestling shoes...

 

[moribundman]

I wear Piloti Rallye (mid-cut) for most of my longer drives. Color is slate/black. A place called Griffin Motorwerke over in Berkeley carries them. They work fine for walking and bicyling, too. Expect to shell out $120 and up for a pair of Piloti, depending on the model.

 

[bdcardinal]

i have 3 pairs of Piloti shoes that i wear all the time. i have the DTM, Rallye and Spyder. ill probably get a pair of Puma race shoes to go with teh rest of my Puma safety gear.

 

[Mustang_Cougar]

Adidas Sambas's (indoor soccer shoe)...cheap ($30), light and very comfortable.

 

[rabhonda]

puma grid cat's

 

[andyd]

old, beat out, resewn,ersatz boat shoes.

 

[ALS]

A pair of well worn leather tennis/walking shoes. I tried nylon and canvas and it is just not the same. They have to be light weight leather. I tried bare foot and I just don't like it.

 

[Chimay]

Mori Show us a picture of your driving shoes.. Not new ones.

 

[ThirdeYe]

I use my old beatup 5-year-old Adidas shoes, they work great

never had such a durable pair of shoes.

 

[LouDawg]

I just bought two 2007 cars and built a new house. I can no longer afford shoes.

 

[moribundman]

Quote:

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Mori Show us a picture of your driving shoes.. Not new ones.

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You want me to shoot them with today's newspaper clearly visible in the background?

 

[JohnBrowning]

Wrestleing shoes work great as driveing shoes and so do old school Chuck Taylor's!!!

 

[tom slick]

birkenstocks or my old worn out simple barneys work well as "driving shoes"

 

[huffmuds9320]

Haven't really found any major difference what shoes are worn when driving. Running shoes work good since more grip especially when getting in the car when it wet weather. Don't really like that squeaking sound from the shoes when pressing the pedals.

I wonder if you do a shoe analysis, you can tell if someone drive automatic or manual. If right shoe is more wear on the bottom, probably drives automatic. I use my left foot to hold the brake at stop lights when driving automatics.

 

[moribundman]

Quote:

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Wrestleing shoes work great as driveing shoes and so do old school Chuck Taylor's!!!

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Dunno 'bout the resslin' shoes (boots?), but Chucks do work okay. The only problem is that they have no wrap-around heel and dig into the carpeting. Being made from canvas, Chucks resist burning somewhat (not sure how the sole holds up -- fuses with foot flesh, I reckon).

 

[97f150]

I never gave much thought to driving shoes, I prefer to drive in whatever I am wearing when I have to go somewhere. Mostly Redwings, Crocs or Adidas tennis shoes. I much prefer to drive wearing the Crocs or barefoot.