After many good years of service, my G-Force driving shoes came apart.
Wondering what brands I should look at and who is a good retailer (returns?), not trying to spend a lot as all I need them for is Hill Climbs/ TT events, so I do not spend a lot of time in the car.
I like these.
https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Impact-SFI-5-Mid-Top-Racing-Shoes,31403.html?sku=449470-BLK-9
and these.
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/vms-30300090/overview/
Thanks, Paul
I use Adidas wrestling shoes...extremely lightweight with great pedal feel. Not flame resistant like a real racing shoe would be though, if that is a criteria you need.
I'm using the lightest, thin soled canvas shoes I could find in clearance. I don't know what I'll do when they wear out. I try to only wear them for driving, not for walking the course or corner working.
I only Autocross, so fire resistance isn't required. My problems are my wide feet eliminate most shoes.
I use an old, busted pair of cheap Hilfiger tennis shoes but I've been meaning to do like Vracer111 and pick up some wrestling shoes for track days. You get a really light shoe and a grippy sole, so long as you don't need fire resistance. They also look similar to the real deal, at a glance, maybe if you squint a bit if that's your thing.
Wrestling shoes. Sounds like a good idea.
Indoor soccer shoes (think Addias Samba Classic)--I like having a squared-off sole, (yet thin-ish). Race shoes and wrestling shoes have a rounded sole-to-top area, and I don't feel like I get consistent coverage on the throttle pedal when blipping downshifts. I brake with the ball of my foot and roll it over to the gas pedal...so not a true heel-toe, but the intent and result is the same.
DC Pro Spec... but they stopped making them. I covet my last pair of the many I've owned.
Definitely not piloti. Way too stiff and bulky. I had zero pedal feel when I tried them.
My current go to is a pair of nike 2.0 canvas skateboard shoes. They are pretty low profile with flat, thin soles, and squared off heels.
Depends on your budget and intended use.
I've got a pair of Stand21 driving shoes that I've had since he mid-2000s. Love those.
For road driving I like my Minnetonka driving moccassins.
freetors said:Definitely not piloti. Way too stiff and bulky. I had zero pedal feel when I tried them.
My current go to is a pair of nike 2.0 canvas skateboard shoes. They are pretty low profile with flat, thin soles, and squared off heels.
Last I checked Piloti was out of business, and Canadian Tire had bought the brand name and was looking at bringing them back. My first set of shoes was a pair of Piloti Prototipos, felt pretty similar to the Puma Speedcat SDs I have now but a little more stiff. Piloti was the only manufacturer that made driving shoes that you wouldn't notice were a driving shoe at first glance.
Skate shoes in general are about as far as you can get from a driving shoe without wearing boots - they tend to have wide and very thick soles and are on the stiff side. I like skate shoes for everyday use because they're built like a brick E36 M3house compared to most everything else these days, so they last.
So, If you need some fire resistance, the two you linked look like good deals on paper. I've heard good things about Sparco's cheaper options and OMPs are very popular as well.
Edit: Looks like Piloti is selling shoes again, some with their old low-key look, but the prices have gone through the roof:
I've been using the Simpson AD900BK and like them. I purchased them through Summit and the first pair I ordered was way to large and had 0 problems returning them.
Great discussion. Anyone have any recommendations for wide sizes?
GameboyRMH said:freetors said:Definitely not piloti. Way too stiff and bulky. I had zero pedal feel when I tried them.
My current go to is a pair of nike 2.0 canvas skateboard shoes. They are pretty low profile with flat, thin soles, and squared off heels.
Last I checked Piloti was out of business, and Canadian Tire had bought the brand name and was looking at bringing them back. My first set of shoes was a pair of Piloti Prototipos, felt pretty similar to the Puma Speedcat SDs I have now but a little more stiff. Piloti was the only manufacturer that made driving shoes that you wouldn't notice were a driving shoe at first glance.
Skate shoes in general are about as far as you can get from a driving shoe without wearing boots - they tend to have wide and very thick soles and are on the stiff side. I like skate shoes for everyday use because they're built like a brick E36 M3house compared to most everything else these days, so they last.
So, If you need some fire resistance, the two you linked look like good deals on paper. I've heard good things about Sparco's cheaper options and OMPs are very popular as well.
Edit: Looks like Piloti is selling shoes again, some with their old low-key look, but the prices have gone through the roof:
Geez. You can buy handmade, custom sneakers for those prices.
I wear Tom's, but I don't recommend them. I wear them mostly out of necessity, as I require a size 14, but the soles can bend inwards should your heel get too much grip on the rubber pad of the driving mats. Had this happen a few times driving the Boxster, and that's an unpleasant sensation when you're trying to downshift and your shoe is just bowing inward.
In reply to GameboyRMH :
The Nike skate shoes are not like those super puffy Osiris etc skateboard shoes. They're actually pretty low profile.
https://shophunziker.com/collections/casual-driving-shoes
dude. I have a set of these in lotus green. Incredible. They run big, so buy a half size smaller. I can wear them everyday, and to autocross. I love these shoes.
If you're doing hill climb and time trials, you will need SFI fireproof correct? Wrestling shoes and Sambas are great, but not for the OP.
I have the cheapest Simpson SFI shoes, and I really like them. Feel good on my feet all day, good pedal feel, have held up well for three seasons now. Also cheap- like $99.
For SFI stuff, I recently replaced all my personal safety gear with Racequip stuff. The shoes are amazing. First race shoe I didn't want to immediately remove as soon as a track session was over. You can actually walk in them without killing your feet.
For autocross, I like Crocs (yes, really) sneakers. They're super light, have thin soles, but not so thin as to be uncomfortable, and the edges are round enough that you can do some good pedal work.
https://www.crocs.com/p/mens-literide-lace-ups/205162.html?cgid=sneakers&cid=066#start=21
Some of the thinner-soled Merrells also make great autocross shoes. Thin enough for working the pedals, but supportive enough to shag cones in.
For SFI stuff, I recently replaced my worn out shoes with a pair of Sparco Race IIs and am pleased with them.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HF3NBQW/
For non-SFI driving shoes I like chucks.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NI979B8/
As with so many other arenas, the answer for me is Vans. I wear the Old Skool Pros (which have a bit more padding than the non-Pros, and are way more comfortable for general wear).
I miss the Adidas driving sneakers. But they had a terrible slide into non-existence. First they looked like actual driving shoes (mimicking actual racing shoes; quilted suede, overall shape), but then they started adding faux-CF inserts and eventually "vents", like people weren't going to get that they were shoes for cars unless they started tacking cheap Fast and Furious bling to them like they were cars.
I've had two pairs of Alpinestars and they fit well, feel good, and hold up. But, looking at the prior responses I suppose they're too non-grassroots. I don't mind spending a bit more, since it's not like I'm gonna grow out of them or wear them out. $100 over 10 years of use of comfortable, nomex, and pretty good-looking shoes is $5/year more than $50 over 10 years for cheap ones.
codrus said:For non-SFI driving shoes I like chucks.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NI979B8/
^^This^^
I've been wearing a knock off puma chuck for a year and I love them.
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