Best Driving Shoes, Auto Journalist Picks
HomeHome > Blog > Best Driving Shoes, Auto Journalist Picks

Best Driving Shoes, Auto Journalist Picks

Oct 31, 2023

Our car experts choose every product we feature. We may earn money from the links on this page.

The editors of Car and Driver, Road & Track, and Autoweek do a lot of driving, so naturally they have their favorite driving shoes.

This story was updated in March 2023 with fresh products and new information.

When it comes to selecting driving shoes, there is one important question to ask yourself. Autoweek's West Coast editor, Mark Vaughn, put it best: "Do you think the car you're driving is going to catch fire, or is it relatively safe? If you're driving your new stock 911 on a Sunday in the canyons, chances are you will not go up en flambé, so you can get a more comfortable shoe that you could wear outside the car too."

For racing shoes, you want skinny sides, thin soles, and heat-insulated heels—and make sure they're flameproof. For your everyday river roading or canyon carving, you're looking for a comfortable shoe that provides plenty of pedal feedback. Sneakers with minimal stack height are ideal. A padded heel with rubber grips is a huge plus.

We talked to the fleet-footed editors at Car and Driver, Road & Track, and Autoweek about their favorite speed shoes and compiled this list. Snag a pair and soon you'll feel like a pro on the pedals.

RELATED: What Makes a Driving Shoe a Driving Shoe?

Puma's Speedcat is a classic. Racing equipment manufacturer Sparco partnered with Puma to make the original Speedcat. While these have been updated from the originals, they still feature an athletic look, a stout rounded heel, and narrow sides, making them perfect for tighter pedal boxes.

The iconic Gold Cup Boat Shoe isn't designed to be a driving shoe, but it does the trick anyway. With lambskin linings and a cushioned heel, it's built to provide all-day comfort both in the car and out.

For those who may not know, Ralph Lauren, purveyor of fine luxury goods, is also a huge automotive aficionado. So it makes sense that his Polo label would produce a quality driving shoe. They are made from 100 percent leather and feature a rubber sole, which makes them comfortable for driving or walking.

In the words of Autoweek's Mark Vaughn, "The owner of what is now the Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch in Pahrump, Nevada, once recommended that his students drive in Stan Smith Adidas. 'It's all you need,' he said." With firm soles and hard edges, they are made for heel-toeing.

These running shoes are breathable and extremely comfy, making them good candidates for driving shoes. The rubber sole provides nice grip, and the shoe itself hugs your foot like a sock, so your contact with the pedal feels secure. With these, you can tear up a back road and go out for a jog right afterward.

These Alpinestars Tech-1 racing shoes are seriously good. Keeping safety a priority, the Tech-1s comply with FIA 8856-2000 and SFI Spec 3.3 homologation standards. With a focus on comfort, the shoes feature "sock" construction designed to provide, well, a more sock-like fit. Alpinestars went full Colin Chapman mode and made these as light as possible, which is what you want on the track.

These gorgeous shoes rock a classic style. Along with looking good, there's plenty of padding and cushion in the heel and midsole to keep your feet happy during a Sunday drive. With a flexible heel and durability fit for a runner, you'll be pirouetting on the pedals like a pro.

These are a bit unorthodox and may take some getting used to but once you do, they provide a unique experience. They are incredibly light, offer an unheard-of amount of articulation, and are all about feel—perfect for the interface between your feet and the pedals.

These beautiful racing shoes combine style, protection, and performance all in one package. The Daytona IIs meet FIA 8856-2000 and SFI Spec 3.3 standards to make sure your feet stay safe, and the space-age materials used in the construction make sure you're fast. Their premium suede material and shock-absorbing heel make these shoes some of the best you can buy.

The Puma Roma is a classic do-it-all shoe thanks to its comfort and style. The sticky rubber sole and durable leather combine to do wonders on the pedals but won't give you blisters when you walk around the track at lunch. For brownie points, drive an Italian car with these on.

The Adidas Samba is another example of a sporty shoe turned driving shoe. With a grippy rubber sole and thin sides, it makes the transition from soccer field to your car's floor mat. The midsole offers great comfort, and the all-around support of the shoe means you can feel confident in the corners.

Will these ever go out of style? We don't think so. Chucks have been an icon in the shoe world since the 1920s. Originally designed as basketball shoes, Chucks work well in the car too. With a feedback-heavy sole and narrow sides, they function as solid driving shoes. The retro styling makes them even better.

Our Drew Dorian wrote up an excellent piece a while back called "What Makes a Driving Shoe a Driving Shoe?" As Drew pointed out, high-tech, flame-retardant hightops aren't mandatory to make a driving shoe. Most important are comfort, a flat sole, great grip, and feel. For most of us, a shoe that's comfortable for walking around is essential.

A driving shoe should fit snugly and be narrow enough to avoid accidentally coming into contact with the other pedals. Driving shoes should have thin, flexible soles to maximize the driver's feel of the pedals. This enables more exacting control. Driving-shoe uppers should be made from soft leather or fabric to facilitate light weight and easy foot movement.

Technically, driving shoes are leather, suede, or Nubuck moccasins with a grippy, rubber-grommet sole that usually extends all the way up the back of the heel

Comfortable tennis shoes or running shoes are best for most people. They're ideal for applying even pressure on the brake and accelerator pedals and for pivoting your heel from one pedal to another.

Sure, just don't overdo it. Driving shoes may be designed for wearing within a vehicle, but they're incredibly versatile and can be worn in various settings. They look good when worn during a road trip, or with casual outfits, especially in summer, and create a laid-back appearance.

Absolutely. They not only provide substantial foot mobility, but also offer the driver a better feel of the pedals, enabling more precise control.

Hearst Autos combines the talent, resources, and expertise of three of the largest, most influential automotive publications in the world. The Gear Team has tested a wide variety of automotive products, parts, accessories, and gear, such as EV Chargers, Car Vacuums, and Windshield Wipers.

Hearst Autos doesn't need to game SEO algorithms for traffic or promote lousy products to earn a buck. Instead, we're far more concerned with our legacy, our reputation, and the trust that our readers have in Autoweek, Car and Driver, and Road & Track to deliver honest opinions and expert evaluations.

Visit our Tested & Trusted page to see the very best in automotive gear. Read more about our product testing and evaluation process here.

Justin Helton is an avid automobile collector and gearhead from New York City.

Collin Morgan is an Associate Commerce Editor at Hearst Autos, where the former Rust Belt mechanic and gadget enthusiast presents the best gear for your automotive endeavors.

TRD Watches Make an Awesome Gift for Dad

Truck Tonneau Covers for Every Need and Budget

Top-Rated Bike Racks For Your Car or Truck

Best Electric Coolers for 2023, Tested

Memorial Day Deals on Auto Parts, Tires, and More

Keep Your Paint Pristine with a Ceramic Coating

Reach Awkward Bolts With a Bent-Handle Ratchet

Fix It Like a Pro With These Mechanic Tool Sets

Best Power Inverters for 2023, Tested

How to Clay-Bar Your Vehicle Properly

Which Motorcycle Helmet Is the Best You Can Buy?

The Best Travel Gadgets For Your Next Road Trip