Driving Shoes: A Primer
Introduction
Hey gents, today we’ve got a guide to an oddly specific but popular and often incorrectly worn piece of Footwear:
Driving Shoes.
I recently went to New York and met up with my friend Nick over at Stridewise to talk menswear. We covered several topics, as you’ll see on both his platforms and mine over the next month or so.
His area of expertise, as you may know if you’ve been following him for awhile, is boots, but he asked me to offer my expertise on driving shoes, which I was happy to do since we share a common sartorial pet peeve:
Shoes that are out of dress code.
In my opinion, the Driving Shoe is the guilty party in this regard more often than any other shoe.
Why? In a nutshell, because it’s too casual.
More specifically, it’s not versatile enough.
A lot of dress shoes (oxfords, double monks, wholecuts, brogues) and boots are easy to pair with an outfit cos they often look equally good with a suit as with jeans and a blazer.
Driving shoes, on the other hand, are only a casual shoe.
Once again, they are only a casual shoe.
They are not a business casual shoe and they are certainly not a formal shoe (read: do NOT wear them with a suit!).
Just the same, drivers are deservedly popular and useful in your wardrobe in the right context.
Shall we define some terms and list some good brands, then expand a bit on when it is ok to wear drivers?
Let’s get into it, gentlemen.
So, what’s a driving shoe?
A driving shoe is, in a nutshell, a flexible, snug-fitting but comfortable slip-on with the distinguishing trademark of small rubber treads all over the sole. They are not loafers (which have a stacked leather heel), they are not house slippers (which don’t have rubber treads) and they are not walking shoes since they wear out so fast.
Like a great many well-known menswear items, driving shoes have specific functional origins. They were originally designed for and worn by racecar drivers to allow maximum traction when gripping the pedal.
Their soles were studded with rubber nubs and kept thin to allow the driver’s foot to comfortably feel and stick to the pedal as much as possible.
As a result, there’s very little barrier between the sole and the upper, which means that driving shoes are almost never resoleable.
The traditional materials from which Drivers are made are suede or leather, with small rubber nubs all over their soles to assure traction. They can be (and often are) made of really high-quality leather or suede but since they aren’t built to last, this isn’t often the best choice, at least not for those of you on a budget.
Materials vary when it comes to the insoles of Driving shoes. Usually it’s just a thin layer of synthetic foam. I don’t usually care for the “comfort” models cos they’re too bulky: remember, the whole point of a driving shoe is to have as little material as possible between your foot and the pedals.
Shall we get into some brands then?
Best Driving Shoe Brands
Isn’t that a thing of beauty?
First, a word of warning. If you’re not sure where (or if: see below) they go in your wardrobe, don’t spend too much money on your first pair. Maybe $100 at the most. But you have several options at that price point, notably Cole Haan and Minnetonka.
Tod’s drivers (pictured above) remain the gold standard, as with several other shoes they make, but they aren’t your best choice if you’re on a budget or still trying to figure out whether Drivers are an important part of your normal dress code.
If they are (in other words, if your go-to outfits are smart casual and you aren’t short on cash), you might consider investing in drivers from a few of these brands:
If you’re partial to suede, check out Aurelien, whose suede collection of Driving shoes offers more color choices than any other brand listed here.
M. Gemi is an italian brand well-known for its craftsmanship. Again, they aren’t cheap but they’re really beautiful and the craftsmanship is of a level not easily found outside of Italy.
Jack Erwin is also a long-time favorite of mine, as is Paul Evans. Can't beat either for the sheer beauty of their shoes, and their drivers are no exception.
May I cover a few lesser-known brands as well?
Bobbies, a regrettably unknown French brand, touches that excellent and rare sweet spot: their drivers aren’t too expensive but they use REALLY nice suede.
Bringing us to the end of the list is the little-known Turkish brand Sabah (Turkish for “morning”, FYI). Modeled after traditional Turkish shoes, the drivers made by Sabah are unique among the brands listed here in that they are resoleable, as evidenced by their stitching and thin but sturdy sole.
They’re also more durable than many of the driving shoes listed here but they still have a decent amount of rubbery grip.
Moving on to wearing them correctly…
Driving Shoes As Part Of Your Dress Code/OOTD
Click the image for Fashion Beans’ take on styling Drivers. I agree with most of it.
Driving shoes are very similar to boat shoes in terms of how often they’re worn incorrectly.
I mentioned this at the beginning, but I think it bears repeating.
Drivers are casual shoes.
They are not business casual shoes.
They are not dress shoes.
They are not dress shoes even when their uppers are made of top-grain leather, as they often are by the brands I mentioned above.
They are, however, a great casual summer shoe, and an excellent substitute for a sandal. This means, among other things, that you can pair them with the same pieces you’d wear with sandals:
Linen or khaki trousers, jeans, chino shorts (various colors).
Polo shirts, plain t-shirts (NOT undershirts: those are underwear and shouldn’t be visible!), casual button-downs, band collar shirts.
Avoid pairing them with ties, wool trousers, dress shirts, vests, or suits.
Pair them only with casual accessories (leather or silver jewelry, casual watches and belts).
Driving shoes have a very specific role in a man’s wardrobe, gentlemen. They may not be worth investing in if you wear suits six days a week, have long walking commutes or live in Iceland.
They may not be part of your personal aesthetic, and that’s fine too.
But they can serve you well provided that you stay within that narrow summer-casual niche.
Conclusion
There you have it, gents. My take on Drivers and how to wear them.
I hope you’ve found my explanations and tips on driving shoes helpful.
It’s always great meeting up with colleagues in the menswear community who are as classy and erudite as Nick. It was especially nice doing so after a lonely year of lockdowns and virtual social events.
Who knows? Maybe you can celebrate your renewed social life this summer by investing in some smart footwear.
If you need help doing so, be sure to check out Nick's youtube channel, as well as his blog and his Instagram.
Until next time gents, this is The Kavalier.