Finding the right driving shoes isn’t all about looking good (although there are some pretty stylish pairs about if you know where to look) . . . it’s actually more about comfort and safety.
If you drive while wearing the wrong sorts of shoes it can have all kinds of implications on your driving, your safety and the safety of others.
Rather alarmingly, a large percentage of people have admitted to driving in shoes which were unsuitable. In some cases this may have caused them to drive in a dangerous fashion, in others it may have even been the cause of accidents.
Your feet are very important and extremely busy while driving. They are constantly pressing and releasing the pedals which can all start to take its toll on the ankles and feet. If you are wearing the right sort of shoes your feet will be comfortable which will help you to feel more relaxed which in turn improves the control you have over the car. It also means that you can react faster to changing situations in the road conditions or the traffic around you . . . wearing the right sort of driving shoes can actually help you to become a smoother driver.
The key features of good driving shoes are the heels and the soles.
Soles – if your shoes have thick soles it prevents you from feeling the pedal properly which can make it difficult to know how much pressure you are exerting onto it. This can make braking and accelerating very jumpy and jerky, be uncomfortable for passengers, cause undue wear and tear onto your car and be potentially dangerous if you have to react quickly. Your driving shoes should have soles which are no more than 1 cm thick although even thinner than that is better. Try driving in a pair of shoes with a very thin sole and you’ll soon feel the difference.
You’ve also got to avoid shoes with extra wide soles. This could cause you to accidentally press both pedals at the same time which can cause all sorts of problems.
Now let’s focus on the heels. High heels are a definite “”no-no””. In order to achieve the right sort of pedal action, the heel of the foot needs to be firmly placed on the floor. When you wear high heels this elevates the heel with distorts your ability to know exactly how much pressure should be applied. High heels are bad but platforms and wedges are even worse – they’ve got double the trouble with thick soles and high heels as well.
Flip Flops are also a really bad idea when it comes to driving. They can fall off so easily that they can become lodged between the floor and the pedal which is very distracting for the driver and can lead to accidents.
So what are the alternatives?
Moccasin type driving shoes might not exactly match your outfit but there are some super stylish ones available too. They’ve got super flexible, thin soles and are extremely comfortable with little or no heel at all . . . the perfect combination.
It’s a good idea to carry a pair of driving shoes along with you at all times, then it really doesn’t matter what you are wearing. It’s really easy to slip out of your “fashion” shoes and into your comfortable driving shoes as you get in and out of the car and can make a big difference to your safety and comfort.
At fiat orange county they’ve got a great selection of pre-used and new cars for sale, just waiting for you to take a test drive. Check them out at http://www.ocfiat.com and don’t forget your driving shoes.