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With over half the UK population owning a driver's licence, what we put on our feet when behind the wheel is inherently important. Finding a suitable pair of ladies or men's driving shoes will enhance your driving experience tenfold through increasing your confidence and comfort while out on the road.
With many brands focusing on details like material, grip and heel thickness in a variety of styles, colours and sizes, you are set to find an almost tailormade pair of driving shoes. Amazon, John Lewis and eBay have so much choice that narrowing down the options can seem like an impossible task, but luckily, we've collected the cream of the crop to buy online.
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Driving shoes can be literal lifesavers when you need to react quickly on the road. Finding the right pair that you can put trust in is, therefore, not just advised but downright necessary. From this simple guide, you'll come to understand the focal points of a good pair of driving shoes that'll have you looking good and feeling better.
Whether you're looking for a pair of moccasins, loafers or casual driving shoes, it pays to know what material the shoes are made of. The sole and the shoe are just as important as each other, so we're going to take a look at both in this first section.
With most driving shoes being quite old-fashioned in design (namely, loafers and moccasins) they typically lend themselves to being made of either leather or suede. Coming from the exterior skin of an animal, leather is popular through its smooth and buttery finish while remaining durable over time.
Suede, meanwhile, is made from the underside of the skin which gives it a softer surface. This soft texture can lend itself nicely to people wanting more movement and sensitivity in their driving shoes. However, as it's softer, thinner and lighter, suede is consequently more prone to damage than leather.
You will find more contemporary styles of driving shoe to be taken from trainer designs and constructed from synthetic fabrics, which allow for a more modern take. They are a good call if you're on the younger side and don't want to look like your parents when sporting a pair of driving shoes!
Driving shoes can make you look like a million pounds but if they don't have adequate soles, you could end up paying the price. A pair of driving shoes to be confident in should have soles that give you a responsive touch to the pedals.
A popular material that allows for this sensitivity while also remaining durable is rubber. When looking at rubber soles you want to make sure they're not too hard or thick, instead, look for thin rubber soles that are firm yet formable.
Gum rubber is commonly used for driving shoe soles as it's softer and offers more grip than regular rubber. However, higher-end brands often ditch the gum rubber trend completely, focusing on synthetic soles that have been processed to offer the same moldable-yet-firm platform for driving.
Grip should be an instantly recognisable part of a driving shoe that will separate it from most other shoes. Being an extension of the sole, it really is your last defence in making sure your feet have full control of your vehicle's pedals.
You will find many driving shoes to feature a pebble sole, which translates to little rubber studs protruding from the sole with the aim of enhancing the shoe's grip. For an even better grip, look for designs with rubber pebbles that go all the way up the heel of the shoe.
There are driving shoes without pebble soles too, which rely on other forms of grip to help you stick such as traction-style indents and swirls. While shoes without pebble soles may not be regarded as being quite so grippy, they will certainly blend in better as regular shoes when wearing them out and about.
Another aspect of the soles that plays a big part in their overall effectiveness is the heel's thickness. You want your feet to have full control and sensitivity when braking, changing gears and accelerating, and the right heel will ensure this responsive nature when in the hot seat.
With this in mind, you will find most driving shoes to have a heel thickness of between 0.5 cm and 2 cm. If you prefer to have a little more shoe under your heels, worry not, as brands cater for that too – some can go up to a maximum of 3 cm.
Obviously wearing heels is a big no-no when driving, so as long as you're not attempting this then you should be fine, but overall, thin heels are the recommended and the tried and tested.
While driving shoes are predominantly designed to be worn only when driving, that doesn't mean they can't be comfortable enough for walking or other outings – it's just that their unique soles make them best kept tucked under your car's seat, ready to go for when you need them the most.
This makes being able to slip them on and off quickly an absolute prerequisite. For the most part, you will find driving shoes have a laceless, slip-on design in an ode to the fashionable loafer and moccasin styles. These slip-on shoes are most beneficial with additional slits down the sides and a flap to help you wriggle your feet into them.
If you like the idea of laces, look for shoes with laces that can be quickly snapped shut with a clip instead of needing to tie them up. You want to avoid driving shoes that use regular laces as they'll soon become tiresome when it's time to do them in the poky confines of a car.
Driving shoes work best when you don't notice them. You want their grippy nature to be hidden behind a superbly comfortable fit that's both lightweight and ergonomic. That's why the weight of a pair of driving shoes should always be considered.
Seeing as each brand offers many different sizes for each shoe, finding an exact weight for a lot of styles can be a little tricky. In this instance, look out for warning signs like thick soles and heels, as these will indicate a heavier-than-necessary pair.
If you can, try to avoid any that are over 500 g in weight for the pair. Any more and you will start to notice their presence and potentially lose out on some sensitivity with the pedals. You basically want to be gripping your pedals like a gecko while remaining light on your feet like Ali, making lightweight driving shoes the only way to go.
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Price | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Sperry Men's Hamilton Venetian Loafer | £92.99 High | A Winning High-End Pair With Options for Wide Feet | ||
2 | White Stuff Men's Driving Suede Moccasins Navy | £41.25 Mid | Sleek Pair of Navy Suede Moccasins With Racing Stripe | ||
3 | ASOS DESIGN Driving Shoes in Black Soft Leather | £35.00 Mid | Smart Black Leather Driving Shoes With a Timeless Style | ||
4 | Jamron Men's Suede Penny Loafers for Driving | £28.90 Low Mid | Choose From a Myriad of Colours With These Suede Penny Loafers | ||
5 | Pamray Men's Slip On Trainers | £38.99 Mid | Multipurpose Men's Slip-On Trainers With Thick Soles |
The Sperry leather Venetian loafers are a very-well made pair of driving shoes. The hand-sewn leather design gives them an incredibly strong and durable construction that ensures they'll be your partners in driving crime for years to come. They come in a great range of sizes including wide-fit options, too.
With heels of 1 cm and pebble synthetic soles, these shoes are perfectly suited for spending hours behind the wheel in unrivalled comfort. They're also extremely lightweight at 340 g, ensuring you'll barely notice their presence – except when gripping the pedals is concerned, of course. These are top-shelf driving shoes that the price rightfully reflects.
A certain step up in quality, these navy driving moccasins for men are stylish and sophisticated. White Stuff are a reputable shoe company that are at the forefront of modern shoe design with an ode to the past.
These slip-on loafers are perfect for driving with a good amount of heel at 1.5 cm and plenty of sole grip. The all-suede construction means they are both lightweight and designed to last, while the red racing stripe on the heel gives a true stamp of driving authority and style. An impressive pair for the impressive men.
These soft black leather driving shoes from the ASOS Design range are timelessly styled while having a firm grip on the future. You can imagine both young and old finding refuge in these comfortable loafers, which are designed to be both practical when behind the wheel as well as looking the part when out and about in town.
Though they look very much like regular shoes, they do feature a solid foundation of studded tread across the soles to give you ample grip on the pedals. The slip-on design is rounded off in a fashion-conscious way through a tassel trim and single leather lace, making for a pair to be remembered.
Jamron have given men the opportunity to personalise their driving shoes with every colour of the rainbow and then some. These are an essential driving shoe through and through with a 1 cm heel, a pebble gum rubber sole and a suede loafer design.
Coming in at just under 500 grams, they're a lightweight pair that also pleasantly won't hurt the back pocket. It has to be said, with the 20-strong different colourways to choose from, there really is no excuse as to why these shoes won't slip straight into your driving life with style.
Bridging the gap between regular trainers and driving shoes, this subtle slip-on pair from Pamray are suited to all types of terrain. However, there is a sacrifice – with a thick 3 cm sole, they are on the higher end of what's recommended for driving shoes, and could lose out on some sensitivity with the pedals.
That said, the extra sole does mean they can be used for other activities like walking and running. Coming in at 500 g also ensures they're light for their size, making for a decent option if you're after a pair of multi-purpose driving shoes.
Next up, our women's top five. Our picks come in a great range of smaller sizes as well as many colours and designs, proving that driving shoes don't have to be a boring footwear purchase!
Driving is very much a necessary part of many people's lives. With public transport quite often leaving a lot to be desired, many families and commuters opt for the reliable and comfortable space of their own car. That's why equipping your car with a few creature comforts that are also destined to enhance its safety is clever indeed.
Finding the perfect pair of driving shoes that'll slip straight on and you can put faith in is a great pleasure when behind the wheel. We hope you were able to find a suitable pair from this list that'll give you confidence and comfort when out on the roads.
Author: Connor Macanally
No. 1: Sperry|Men's Hamilton Venetian Loafer
No. 2: White Stuff|Men's Driving Suede Moccasins Navy
No. 3: ASOS DESIGN| Driving Shoes in Black Soft Leather
No. 4: Jamron|Men's Suede Penny Loafers for Driving
No. 5: Pamray|Men's Slip On Trainers
View Full RankingThe descriptions of each product are referenced from content available on manufacturer, brand, and e-commerce sites.
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