Driving Shoes Recommendations

[rubberduck]

Looking for recommendations on some good driving shoes for track use. Also something comfortable to walk around in. Cost is not a factor.

 

[M2Cto4BW]

Feet shape varies obviously, so some brands might work & some not. For US-based options, they are good everyday shoes for me too:

Puma Speedcat
Puma Esito Vulc Sala (which I think might be discontinued actually)

Merrell Vapor Glove, but they can be tough to find here.

 

[Matt27]

I have some Pilotis that I wear casually pretty often - nice leather, great driving shoe. I like the Avenue (link below) but they have a bunch of styles.

Avenue - Cognac

Recently upgraded to feature our new sole. Handcrafted in Portugal from smooth burnished leather, the Avenue driving shoe offers the perfect balance of dressy and casual style. Featuring ONSTEAM® anti-microbial lining, this luxurious sneaker includes a cork or compressed recycled foam and EVA...

piloti.com

 

[SIX 40]

I have a pair of Pilotis too but they’re way too narrow for my foot. I’ll wear them for driving but definitely not for walking.

 

[soulsea]

This is what I use for racing: TECNICA EVO Boot – Closeout Style IC/803 - Apex Performance
I think there's a newer version out.

For random track days a pair of lightweight stretch sneakers is more than sufficient and more comfy to walk around in, but actual fire rated racing shoes are always going to be a better idea.

 

[Jameson's Viggen]

I have a few pairs of Pilotis. Sadly, my favorite pair was randomly eaten by my dog out of spite. I had taken his nuts, so I guess it was rightful payback.

 

[poor-sha]

I haven’t found a shoe that I like on track and is comfortable for a lot of walking. For track use I like the Puma Redon move martial arts shoe. It’s Velcro closure so it’s super easy to get on and off between sessions. Then something like a Sketchers slip on to walk around.

I’ve bought and own a lot of different track shoes but that setup is my go to for a track day.

 

[Mbar]

I learned the hard way that everybody has a different foot. Most driving shoes are very narrow. I have a very wide toe box.
The good thing is that the Black Wing pedals are not too close together, so narrow shoe isn’t a must.
I’m using these days a Puma shoe. I’ve ordered is half a size bigger and that helps me with the toe box issue. Piloti makes nice shoes but they are way too narrow for me. My favorite shoe ( which is falling apart) is Oakley FIA certified race shoe. Sadly it’s discontinued.

 

[rubberduck]

I have a few pairs of Pilotis. Sadly, my favorite pair was randomly eaten by my dog out of spite. I had taken his nuts, so I guess it was rightful payback.

Have you tried the Piloti Prototipo RS? My feet are toward the wide spectrum and nothing worse than a tight fitting shoe.

 

[Exia]

Honestly I prefer my normal running shoes. The shoe I'm the most comfortable in is the shoe I want to drive (manual) in. Especially when it comes to feel of the clutch and throttle.

I have a pair of Piloti's (Corvette Racing) but I'm just used to my normal runners that I prefer them.

 

[Jameson's Viggen]

Have you tried the Piloti Prototipo RS? My feet are toward the wide spectrum and nothing worse than a tight fitting shoe.

Around 40 I found I couldn't rock Nikes anymore because my feet were too wide

I haven't tried the RS.

 

[Dirkbg]

I have a pair of Pilotis too but they’re way too narrow for my foot. I’ll wear them for driving but definitely not for walking.

I bought a pair of Piloti Shift shoes and they fit great and are good for walking too. I wear 4E width so bought 1/2 size up and they worked fine.

 

[Daijoubu]

Onitsuka Tiger Serrano. They are super comfortable and very minimal which is good for driving.

 

[rubberduck]

Thanks for all the replies. Think I’m leaning toward the Piloti Shift shoes. The Puma Speedcats look good, but out of stock in my size.

 

[rubberduck]

Update. Got my Piloti shift shoes in blue and wore them for about 3 hours with some driving and walking. Feel like they are pretty comfortable. The real test will be wearing them for a whole day.

 

[pkincy]

If you want Nomex go ahead and get proper racing shoes but they are expensive. And you will need nomex if you are running in any sanctioned road racing series, but if you just do an odd track day, wrestling shoes have the same construction but are not fire resistant and are about one third the cost.

 

[rubberduck]

On Sunday I wore the Piloti Shift shoes all day and 6 miles of walking and I have to say they were extremely comfortable the entire time. I also recently bought a pair of Piloti Drift shoes and first impressions are that they are not a comfortable as the Shift shoes, but need some more time with them on walks and driving.

 

[Throat Yogurt]

On Sunday I wore the Piloti Shift shoes all day and 6 miles of walking and I have to say they were extremely comfortable the entire time. I also recently bought a pair of Piloti Drift shoes and first impressions are that they are not a comfortable as the Shift shoes, but need some more time with them on walks and driving.

I also bought a pair of Piloti Drift a few months ago and they didn't feel all that great when I first wore them. However, there must be a break-in period because they have gradually gotten better and better with consecutive wearings. Still, they are not as comfortable as my 15-year-old Prototipos.

 

[rubberduck]

The soles on the Drifts are not very thick. When walking on rocks I can really feel everything coming through. Walking on pavement they are fine. I think they work best for people that can walk barefoot for long periods of time. I have heard that walking barefoot is something we should do more of for feet heath. For people that are used to thick sole running shoes they would likely feel uncomfortable.

 

[ClassaxV]

Wow, I'm ashamed to say I just throw on a pair of Adidas Stans Smiths, or Sambas or Superstars depending on what else I have going on for the rest of the day. I guess the wide feet and no Nikes is really a thing because I can't were them either.