Driving in different shoes/sneakers

[FDSpirit]

I don't know. Maybe it's just me. I put on a different pair of sneakers I own today, and it felt weird as hell driving in them. I've always had this issue since I started driving. No idea why. Might be an OCD thing. Like I can't drive right. Anyone else have a similar thing happen to them?

[Caramel]

shoes just have different weight, and sole thickness, and how much grip it has on the pedal. all these are just small factors that take a little getting used to each time you switch shoes. No big problem, unless you're wearing big rainboots. I think it happens to everyone.

[FDSpirit]

Yep. I'm pretty sure that's what's making me feel odd in different sneaks. My adidas(dd shoes) have the perfect weight to them. I can feel the pedal and the sole isn't huge. I've driven in boots once and I'll never do it again .

[Tups]

Oh, I remember the time when I got my first leave from the army. Dad came to pick me up from the bus station with the Escort, and of course I wanted to drive home because it was my car. I was wearing combat boots with hard soles...

Even small differences in shoes can become big ones when driving. It takes some time to get used to new footwear.

[wannabe]

i normally don't have issues w/ shoes and driving....unless its 3 inch heels...then i kick them off and drive barefoot. of course, i keep my tennis shoes in the trunk, which helps too

[theholycow]

I used to notice the difference between bare feet, sandals, and sneakers; now, not so much. I bet I'd feel the difference with workboots though.

[4onthefloor]

I was driving to my grad last year and I was wearing a suit with dress shoes. I thought "oh man I'll never be able to drive in these clown shoes".........but to my amazement the thin soles felt so much better. That was the smoothest drive I think I've ever had.

[RITmusic2k]

I'm usually wearing flip flops when I drive, and when I have to put on sneakers or boots my throttle and brake get kinda jumpy for a minute. Clutch behavior is the same no matter what I'm wearing, because it's pretty much "stab hard 'till you hit floorboard".

[FDSpirit]

Yeah, the clutch isn't really the problem, if any problem at all. Its the damn gas pedal. Once I drive around a day or two in another pair, it usually works out.

[AHTOXA]

I actually switch between 2-3 pairs of shoes throughout the week. I wear dress shoes to work, casual sneakers and another pair of "beater" shoes. Old comfy sneakers. I don't really have an issue switching in between them all. When I was starting to drive it was a much bigger issue.

[Rope-Pusher]

i normally don't have issues w/ shoes and driving....unless its 3 inch heels...then i kick them off and drive barefoot. of course, i keep my tennis shoes in the trunk, which helps too

I bet you got all those points on your license driving while wearing wooden shoes.

[AHTOXA]

Speaking of wooden shoes. I wear these on my mountain bike with the clipless pedal setup. At the front I also have two metal cleats (like soccer shoes) screwed in for traction. The shoe does not flex what so ever. I drove my car in those just fine. Did feel like wearing wooden shoes, however. If you can drive in those, you can drive with any shoe on.

[IMBoring25]

My everyday shoes are sneakers, but I've driven an '02 Town Car and my pickup in my motorcycle boots. The (MTX) pickup actually seemed easier than the (ATX) Town Car, but it's not something I look forward to doing again.

[DeHackEd]

A few years ago I drove (short distances) in steel-toe&plate work boots. Didn't like it and would just put on some thin-souled runners for driving.

And recently I've taken to driving with no shoe on my left foot for all the clutch work (sock only). I feel I have much better control if I can feel the pedal directly. Gas pedal seems to work better with the shoe, and if I need to slam the brake I'd prefer the toughed right foot. Interesting (im)balance there.

[theholycow]

I wear these on my mountain bike with the clipless pedal setup. At the front I also have two metal cleats (like soccer shoes) screwed in for traction.

I've never tried to drive anything in clipless shoes. No picture can adequately express the way it feels to even walk in cleated clipless shoes.

Doubly so for road shoes with triple-sized unrecessed cleats. I feel like a duck in those. Not just like I'm walking like a duck...I feel like I've grown a beak and wings and a maze-shaped dick, and will be going "quack".

Also, I don't know what soccer shoes cleats look like, but the cleat on a clipless shoe is a single big chunk of metal screwed to the sole at the ball of the foot, for anyone who doesn't know.

Common shoes with standard SPD cleats and tread for recessing the cleats:


Road shoes with no tread, no recessing, and big road cleats BUT with friendly rubber thingies on the cleats: