In reply to codrus (Forum Supporter) :
SomeBODY once told me...
In reply to codrus (Forum Supporter) :
SomeBODY once told me...
L5wolvesf said:I did off road races, in a VW bug (small foot well), in moccasins which I believe are also fire resistant-ish.
They won’t burn but instead will shrink so much they’ll break all the bones in your feet.
Adidas Sambas get my vote.
i absolutely love NewBalance Minimus 10v1's for driving and as an all-purpose knockaround shoe. comfy with or without socks. i like the heel cup, the forefoot is wide for heel/toe, and they're really flexible. downside is price and they don't last too long due to the thin materials.
i've been through 2 pairs now and keep a worn out pair around strictly as drivers.
You might look at the Merrell Jungle Moc. Fairly thin soles but decent support. Narrow and no heel to speak of.
This is in your Birkin S3? I have an S3 also, so I see where you're coming from. Normally I'd be all about Converse All Stars, but I find the lip where the sole gets vulcanized to the upper catches on the metal edges of the pedals. Like say, on the edge of the brake pedal coming off the clutch. I actually have those Hunziker shoes in the Lotus colorway and they're decent. The soles IMO are thicker than they need to be for a true driving shoe, so pedal feel isn't as good as it could be. A lot of the consumer Puma shoes with Ferrari and BMW branding has the same issue. Vaguely race shoe silhouette with more of a normal sneaker sole/insole. I've been driving my Birkin in Onitsuka Tigers. They don't seem especially narrow, but I don't get hung up on pedals, the soles are thin with lots of feel, etc. I just realized Onitsuka does a few Tiger models, going to have to check when I get home. I think they're either Mexico 66 or Californa 78. Look at wrestling shoes too if you don't want a race shoe.
I have these and they look bulky but they are really not. Very similar to my race shoes, and super comfortable.
Skechers "Floater"
https://image.skechers.com/img/productimages/xlarge/51328_OLBK_E.jpg
M2Pilot said:No experience with them but I've heard that wrestling shoes would work for you
IMO this is the answer when you don't need fireproof driving shoes. Inexpensive, thin sole, no wider than your foot, decent grip.
I like my vibram five finger shoes. Minimalist af
In reply to Carbon (Forum Supporter) :
I have tried those but prefer a similar shoe with a regular toe box. I have some new balance minimal shoes from many years ago that are great. No idea the model though.
ScottyB said:i absolutely love NewBalance Minimus 10v1's for driving and as an all-purpose knockaround shoe. comfy with or without socks. i like the heel cup, the forefoot is wide for heel/toe, and they're really flexible. downside is price and they don't last too long due to the thin materials.
i've been through 2 pairs now and keep a worn out pair around strictly as drivers.
I think I'm on my fourth pair of these and I am absolutely fanatical about them. Super comfy and long-lasting. I wear them everyday. I've even worn them with dark dress slacks and a jacket, because I can.
I do find the NB Miminus runs narrow, but that is perfect for me, since I have a long, narrow foot. I tried a pair of the Merrells, and they were way wide and felt like boats. I sent them back.
I really can't say enough good things about these, and I sing their praises every chance I get.
I recently bought a pair of Alpine Swiss Liam sneakers that turned out to be surprisingly good driving shoes. They have thin, narrow soles made of soft rubber and very little arch support - not great for running, but perfect for driving, and being cheap Chinese shoes, they weigh next to nothing. They're only $30 so if you don't like them, at least you didn't spend much:
Ugh. What a couple of days. I pulled an all nighter. Still, sorry for creating a thread and disappearing. I've read everything.
A couple of things.
I don't think I need to have flameproofing in my shoes. I'm mostly just going to hop in my Birkin and drive around town. Autocross is possible. The car is meant to be daily-lite. I might have to pick up dog pills, grab a pizza, get a haircut, or go to the dentist. I have no track plans.
For shoes, I'm hoping for walkable and not crazy looking, but first is that they work in the pedal box.
I'm not against doing a shoe swap for destinations where I'll be on my feet a while.
I saw a number of suggestions for driving shoes. Are those suggested driving shoes going to be better than my Pumas? Here's a photo of the shoes I expected would work, but did not - my size 13 Pumas.
I should also say that I've had these WHITNs show up. They're sold as minimalist. Without the insole, they're both much thinner and more flexible than the Pumas. I'm reminded of one counter-feature of minimalist shoes: the wide toebox, meant to really let your tootsies spread out.
I love the look of the Onitsuka's. I might get these regardless of whether they help with pedals.
I hear you on the issues of the FiveFingers. I still might go there if nothing else works, but I'm going to keep trying things.
Also, good to hear some other minimalist shoe suggestions. The Merrells are on my list. The NB Minimus too, particularly with the narrow toebox.
I have some Vans, and I've had some Chuck-offs in the past. I think they're pretty good for a more traditional pedal arrangement. There's no friction on trying them, but I really need pedal feel. I did see the link to the video where you can gut them and make minimalist shoes. I'm not opposed!
Vajingo said:https://shophunziker.com/collections/casual-driving-shoes?ref=StoreYa&utm_source=stry&utm_medium=trafb&utm_campaign=storeya2&utm_term=kwd-299310662598
these. Warning they run a little big. I recommend a half size smaller than normal. Thin sole, flexible, look good. Wear well. I can still wear them out on course at AX, although they are a tad uncomfortable to walk in for long periods. I have debated bribing a set of walking shoes with me to ax and then swap to the race shoes when I'm ready in grid.
i got the lotus version livery. Had them for three years now.
Those look great. Those brown ones in the back are the kind of thing I'd own regardless of my driving needs.
adam525i said:I'd go to an outdoors/running store and take a look around and see what they have and what fits well. Getting a thin sole shoe isn't going to help if it is a half size small or big on you, fit will be crucial. I used to wear Merrel Trail Gloves but one thing I found with them is that the sole is very soft/grippy, that sounds good until you are trying to pivot your foot while threshold braking to do a heel-toe downshift and it is planted.
Proper racing shoes are probably the best way to go, they are hot on the feet but the soles are thin, the rubber has the right amount of grip and the rest of the shoe is tight to the foot. They should fit in your foot well just as well as any of the above options and are useful beyond just an autocross or track day where you actually need some SFI safety equipment. I have a pair of low end Sparco's that are nice but there are a bunch of nice entry level options.
This is a good take. I've had some mixed results. The chain stores tend not carry minimalist shoes most of the time. I tried a really nice running shoe store, but they didn't want to talk to me without booking an evaluation. In my use case, I obviously don't need to have my supination evaluated. Will keep looking.
sleepyhead the buffalo said:I've done FiveFingers on track. Actually used them on OneLap in 2011.
Don't do it. Your toes can get hung up on the pedal... and heel/toeing isn't as "strong" as it is in a "uni-toe" shoe.I've got some Shoes from Xero (Hana's? those were the only "shoes they made back in '17.) and Lems. They're a lot thinner than most, but not "super thin" like you're thinking, and they're ~$80. Plus, they've got a wide toebox... which is good for me... but might be a waste if you haven't been walking around barefoot/fivefingered for a while. The Xero Aptos, at $60 is "budgeter", and 5.5mm after pulling the liner... might be a possibility.
I dunno if you can get away with it w.r.t. SCCA's rules. But, you might check "fitkicks":
https://fitkicks.com/collections/fitkicks-for-men
those are super-thin, almost slippers.another budget option is pulling the padding out of a pair of vans:
I forgot I'd actually briefly had Fitkicks a while back and returned them! They're a maybe - they're cheap, and they're flexible, but there's not much there in the uppers. I also happen to have an aging pair of Vans sitting around.
Wrestling shoes.......................
updating with additional selections that i've tried, Jackshibo water shoes are actually so thin and direct in feedback that I actually DON'T like them, but at under $15 for a pair, they're worth trying and useful to have around the house.
Higher end options are Minnetonka softsole driving loafer and the Vermont House Shoes Loafer from Queen City Dry goods. Queen City offers the VHSL with a sewn on sole, which is super thin and if it wears through, they offer replacement sole service. (they're also the most comfortable shoes I've ever owned, though mine of soleless).
I've got a Xero Men's Prio and TSLA trail running shoes that I wear. And I got a pair of Lems dress shoes. Those were after a few years of Pumas. I've been sold on the minimalist but not individual toe shoes. I still wear socks with them. I love the wide toe boxes on them, and don't intend to get anything with a "normal" toe box ever again. The next pair of work boots will have a thick sole probably, but will definitely have a wide toe box. I could do without the heel, or have a "heel" by cutting a wedge out of the flat sole.
From thickest to thinnest: Lems, Xero, TSLA. I wear the Lems when I need to dress up and they look like dressy shoes, but feel like comfier versions of the Xero shoes. The Xeros seem to be the best compromise of thinness and looking like a normal shoe. The TSLA is basically a rubberized wrap around your foot.
I'm at the point where I'm comfortable in any of them, but I wore thinner Pumas for about a year and a half and transitioned into the very thin stuff.
My NB Minimus have gone extinct. Wah!
Xero is about the only mfr. still making "barefoot" shoes, but I find the heels too thin/flexible so not enough protection from rocks. Frankly all of the minimalist shoes I've tried lately are just expensive water shoes.
1988RedT2 said:Frankly all of the minimalist shoes I've tried lately are just expensive water shoes.
one of the things I "miss" these days is having a pair of minimalist shoes with a "water resistant" upper, instead of the current emphasis on "breathability", which means my feet/socks get soaked if I walk through the lawn at dawn... or anywhere when it's raining.
anyone seen something with an upper that can be beeswax coated for repellancy?
Ultimately, I bought Fivefingers and they worked fine for the limited amount of driving about I've done. I received two pairs of Onitsuka Mexico 66 slip-ons as a gift, and they're second best and much better looking.
Slightly off-topic, the Fivefingers are amazing at the beach. In the water, out the water, plodding through thick sand, all good. Unlike sandals and flip-flops, they don't turn into a boat paddle in the water or a shovel in the sand.
In reply to Mike (Forum Supporter) :
I've honestly considered the FiveFingers, but I can't get past how they look. Well, that's not entirely true. I could rock them, but my wife and son have forbidden me to do so. 
I am going to echo some other suggestions and vote for wrestling shoes. They have thin, flexible soles and are available in large sizes.
I wear size 15 shoes and SFI shoes pretty much don't exist. Even websites that say they have them generally don't have them in stock. The entire puma and sparco lines of SFI rated and general driving shoes are not options for me.
I think these would be far too wide for serious driving, but Belleville makes a minimalist 8" tall boot ("Mini-Mil", black= TR102, coyote= TR105). I could try to sell 'em as an "all-terrain version of a wrestling shoe with a wide toe box". More accurately it's a jungle boot with a thin and flexible Vibram sole. The fit is kind of weird, length-wise they run about 1/2 size short but the upper has a huge amount of 'volume' even with very thick socks. Great for lawn mowing, garage, general wear; my feet start to feel beat up after hiking if there are too many rocks; unsuitable for construction b/c you can't kick heavy things into place.
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