Got my monthly online flier from Griot's and they are advertising Piloti driving shoes. Very spiffy! But what worth are they? Do driving shoes really help heel and toe that much? Is this a fashiion issue and not a functiion issue? Never had any so I thought I would ask if any of you own "driving shoes." I mean, I can see having nomex shoes for the track, but hey, if Piloti's cut some time off the autox, I'm ok with it.
Retrofit

No they don't help. But, I've worn a pair every day for the last year or two. They're comfortable for me, a little funky, and I dig the elastic laces. I don't think they're any better for driving than a pair of asics or nikes though. Im sure griots is charging way too much for them:)

IMHO, a little of both if I am answering honestly. I actually ran across Piloti shoes at a local store that sells name brands at a discount. I bought them all and actually sold a couple pair on this board. I do not autox, but yes they make a difference from driving in regular tennis shoes. the rubber on the heel comes up 30% up the back of the shoe and you get incredible grip from that. I will tell you that the feature that has most impressed me about the shoes though is the comfort. I find I want to wear them all the time. They look great with jeans, and okay with khaki's and did i mention that they might be the most comfortable shoes I own?

I got some for a friend for a wedding present, I doubt they make you drive any better but I'm pretty sure they add 11.4hp to any car...16 if it's signal orange:)

p.s. ebay has them pretty cheap

They also have softer thinner soles so you get a better pedal feel transmitted through to your foot. Supposedly to quicken reaction times. I don't know if that is the case but there is better feedback to your foot with them. They are more comfortable than regular tennis shoe because they are more flexible. Kind of like wearing slippers to drive.
JIM

plus the sole wraps around the heal to give better grip on the floor. They are not as bulbus as a tennis shoe so you don't have the "oops I hit the wrong pedal" accident. I wear my driving shoes regularly but mine look better than Pilotis. Check Adidas Porsche design driving shoes or Puma Speedcats.

How much different are these than a pair of wrestling shoes and noooo not the kind you see on WWE or whatever they are calling themselves. I had a pair of them when I wrestled back in high school and they were pretty comfortable. Just my .02 cents worth...

Ain't they jus' dem fancy bowlin' shoes??

They are more comfortable to drive in. Being faster comes from between your ears. Unless your other shoes are bid wide and clunky.

My wife got her shoe caught under the clutch pedal going into 2nd gear between the off set gates and the fast sweeper. Scared the bejeebes out of her. I just reached over and knocked in neutral.

Sher got me a pair of piloti s a few years ago, wore them often, and i like the feel of them comuting many hours, but the upper leathers split on both shoes
but i still use them if i am driveing any distance

Here's a shot of my driving shoes ...

As you can see, I'm practicing my left foot acceleration.
Andy

Those are nice Sir Andy,

Love the velocity stack on the side of the heel.

I think the 'safe' answer is that:

a) it depends on what shoes you normally wear to drive in
how your brain likes to handle your pedals

If you normally drive wearing running shoes, which have a wide sole, then you might benefit from a narrower shoe to keep from accidentally hitting pedals, OR to increase your confidence that you won't make those mistakes. But Andy is living proof that some drivers are perfectly comfortable with 'heavy' shoes. My gut feeling is that people like Andy are the minority and that 'most' people would benefit from driving shoes if they're serious about cutting lap times.

I bought some golf shoes online from Zappos.com, they have some pretty good prices sometimes.


BTW, cool driving shoes Andy

now if only we could get some sun on those pasty legs.....,

We found pilotis at Ross, Dress for Less for $19.95 a pair, I wasn't willing to spend $100 on something I thought was ugly, but found some without the bling, bought 4 pairs (at $20, I could use them for yard shoes) I do like them, normally I wear eith Sperrys or Vans