How to choose the best shoes or trainers for driving

While modern cars don’t exactly need you to dress up for a drive out into the country as they might have done a hundred or more years ago, a good pair of shoes can make a surprising difference to your ability to control a car, and even the enjoyment you get from it.

Some shoes are definitely better than others though, so here we explore what you should be looking for in a driving shoe – no matter how seriously you take driving – and what to avoid, from the perspective of both comfort and safety. We’ve also suggested a few options for purpose-designed driving shoes, and some of the more casual options that are still great for driving in.

What makes a good driving shoe?

When choosing any kind of clothing to drive in, your primary goal should be something that allows you full control of the car. Just as you wouldn’t deliberately block your vision or wear mittens that don’t allow you to hold the steering wheel correctly, you wouldn’t want to wear shoes that don’t let you press the pedals properly.

A good driving shoe, then, is one that lets you operate the pedals as the car maker intended, while being comfortable enough to potentially spend hours behind the wheel. A little bit of style doesn’t hurt either, given that you’re likely to need to get out and walk around now and then too…

What features should you look for in a driving shoe?

Comfort, correct fitment, minimal weight, a relatively thin sole, and a comparatively narrow width are all qualities that tend to manifest in the best shoes for driving.

Some of those characteristics seem pretty obvious: you’ll probably want most of your shoes to be comfortable, although the criteria do change slightly when driving. For instance, you’ll probably spend a fair bit of time while driving with the weight of your feet, and much of your legs, resting on your heels, so a design that spreads this weight rather than focusing it on one point can significantly improve comfort over longer trips.

A rounded heel also helps because you’ll be able to more easily roll your feet side to side, and backwards and forwards to operate the pedals. Correct fitment – snug, but not constricting – will also add to your comfort and ensure your shoe moves exactly in relation to your feet for accurate pedal control.

Low weight seems like a strange quality to seek, but it means less inertia for your feet, further improving comfort and control. Meanwhile, a thin sole will allow you to get feedback from the pedals (not just how much pressure you’re applying, but even where on the pedal you’re pressing, which is difficult to judge in clodhoppers) and a narrower shoe will give you more clearance between the pedals.

That said, sometimes you don’t want a shoe that’s too narrow – a little bit of width can be handy for techniques such as heel-and-toe for instance, especially if a car’s pedals are spread a little too far apart, while some vehicles are designed with the use of less appropriate footwear in mind. Land Rover, for instance, knows that some of its cars’ owners may sometimes be wearing wellies, and designs its pedal boxes appropriately.

What should you avoid?

You can break the “shoes to avoid while driving” concept down into quite simple terms: essentially, any footwear that won’t allow you correct operation of, and full control of, the pedals.

That means you should steer clear of any shoes that are large enough for you to accidentally hit more than one pedal at a time. This will depend somewhat on the car you’re driving and the size of its footwells, but it might rule out an otherwise sensible choice like trainers in some cars, because wider soles can risk hitting the throttle while you’re pressing down on the brake pedal. If you’ve ever driven a Caterham, you’ll be familiar with the need for narrow shoes, for instance.

Flip-flops and other loose-fitting shoes are also unwise, because they can move independently of your feet, making your inputs less precise – and because they can fairly easily come adrift of your feet, there’s a risk that they might get caught behind pedals, which can be dangerous.

And while plenty of people can drive absolutely fine in high-heeled shoes, or shoes with particularly thick soles, they’re far from ideal. The former change the angle of your foot relative to the pedals, which can be uncomfortable and reduce your control (plus, the heel will eventually start wearing a hole in your floor mats or carpet), while the latter significantly reduces the feel of the pedals – the equivalent of operating the steering wheel with very thick gloves.

Purpose-designed driving shoes

With the above in mind, it’s no surprise that several companies make shoes specifically geared towards driving.

A popular category of driving shoes are those derived from the purpose-designed boots used by racing drivers. While boots used in motorsport are typically approved by a governing body like the FIA and feature additional characteristics such as flame retardancy, racing shoes tend to have most of the desirable features mentioned above, such as narrow width, a relatively thin sole, and a close-fitting shape.

The likes of Sparco and Alpinestars, both of which make motorsport shoes, also offer ‘lifestyle’ ranges with designs similar to their FIA-approved footwear. Similarly, sportswear brand Puma (whose Speedcats start at around £90) and dedicated driving shoe brand Piloti (from just over £100) both offer ranges not unlike those used in motorsport – they’re just visually closer to casual shoes, so you don’t look so much like you’ve got lost at the shops on your way back from the paddock.

Other great driving shoes

You don’t need something purpose-designed for driving, however. Most driving enthusiasts will have their own preference, and some common themes tend to emerge. Canvas basketball-style trainers from the likes of Converse (whose iconic Chuck Taylors cost upwards of £50), and skating shoes like those from Vans, DC and New Balance (£50-£60 and up for all three) are regular footwell fare, and less conspicuous (and a little less try-hard, some might say) than the purpose-designed stuff when out and about.

Boating shoes and (if you’re familiar with that old video of Ayrton Senna driving a Honda NSX around Suzuka) even loafers can be good choices, having many of the characteristics that make a good driving shoe. However, if you are looking at Senna-style loafers, try not to go too big on the heel.

Ultimately though, it comes back to wearing something that you find comfortable, and that allows you full control of the pedals. Beyond that, the style doesn’t really matter.

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