Racing shoes, motorsport shoes or driving shoes are the

footwear Footwear refers to garments worn on the feet, which typically serve the purpose of protective clothing, protection against adversities of the environment such as wear from rough ground; stability on slippery ground; and temperature. *Shoes and si ...

used for the practice of

motorsport Motorsport or motor sport are sporting events, competitions and related activities that primarily involve the use of Car, automobiles, motorcycles, motorboats and Aircraft, powered aircraft. For each of these vehicle types, the more specific term ...

or day-to-day

driving Driving is the controlled operation and movement of a land vehicle, including cars, motorcycles, trucks, and buses. A driver's permission to drive on public highways is granted based on a set of conditions being met, and drivers are required to ...

. They are generally built to provide comfort and precision for operating

pedals A pedal (from the Latin '' pes'' ''pedis'', "foot") is a lever designed to be operated by foot and may refer to: Computers and other equipment * Footmouse, a foot-operated computer mouse * In medical transcription, a pedal is used to control ...

for an extended period of time, with a narrow, close-fitting construction and thin, flexible soles, as well as to provide protection from fire along with a

racing suit A racing suit or racing overalls, often referred to as a fire suit due to its fire retardant properties, is clothing such as overalls worn in various forms of auto racing by racing drivers, crew members who work on the vehicles during races, t ...

, in the context of motorsport. The standards for shoes worn in

auto racing Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. In North America, the term is commonly used to describe all forms of automobile sport including non ...

, as with other equipment, are regulated by the FIA. The invention of racing shoes is commonly attributed to Italian

shoemaker Shoemaking is the process of making footwear. Originally, shoes were made one at a time by hand, often by groups of shoemakers, or '' cordwainers'' (sometimes misidentified as cobblers, who repair shoes rather than make them). In the 18th cen ...

Francesco "Ciccio" Liberto, in the late 1960s, though another Italian shoemaker, Gianni Mostile, had patented a model of driving moccasins as early as 1963. Prior to that, professional racecar drivers worn ordinary casual shoes for racing, sometimes wrapped in

adhesive tape Adhesive tape is one of many varieties of backing materials coated with an adhesive. Several types of adhesives can be used. Types Pressure-sensitive tape Pressure-sensitive tape, PSA tape, self-stick tape or sticky tape consists of a pre ...

to provide better traction and stability. Racing shoes were popularized among motorsport fans and the general public after the release of the Speed Cat and its successor Future Cat, developed by

Sparco Sparco S.p.A. is an Italian auto part and accessory company headquartered in Volpiano near Turin that specializes in producing items such as seats, steering wheels, harnesses, racewear and helmets. Sparco branded alloy wheels are produced unde ...

and Puma, and their use by use by German

Formula One Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...

champion

Michael Schumacher Michael Schumacher (; born 3 January 1969) is a German former racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to and from to . Schumacher won a record-setting seven Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, tied by Lewis Hamilton in ...

during the early 2000s. It is popular among Formula One drivers, especially Australian ones, to drink from their racing shoes to celebrate victories, a practice referred to as a "shoey."

SFI-Certified Racing Shoes

Professional motorsport

safety Safety is the state of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings The word 'safety' entered the English language in the 1 ...

gear includes SFI certified racing shoes. These shoes are certified by the

SFI foundation SFI Foundation, Inc. (SFI), formerly known as SEMA Foundation, Inc., is a nonprofit organization which administers standard for motorsports equipment, including racing suits, roll cages and other technical components. The organisation was founded ...

, a non-profit organization established to issue and administer standards for the

quality assurance Quality assurance (QA) is the term used in both manufacturing and service industries to describe the systematic efforts taken to assure that the product(s) delivered to customer(s) meet with the contractual and other agreed upon performance, design ...

of specialty

performance A performance is an act or process of staging or presenting a play, concert, or other form of entertainment. It is also defined as the action or process of carrying out or accomplishing an action, task, or function. Performance has evolved glo ...

and racing equipment. Many professional racing organizations mandate using SFI approved gear, including shoes, emphasizing their importance in ensuring regulatory compliance and driver safety on the track. The primary purpose of these shoes is to provide fire resistance, protecting the driver's feet in the event of a fire in the

vehicle A vehicle () is a machine designed for self-propulsion, usually to transport people, cargo, or both. The term "vehicle" typically refers to land vehicles such as human-powered land vehicle, human-powered vehicles (e.g. bicycles, tricycles, velo ...

. Moreover, these shoes are crafted for performance, featuring

lightweight Lightweight is a weight class in combat sports and rowing (sport), rowing. Boxing Professional boxing The lightweight division is over 130 pounds (59 kilograms) and up to 135 pounds (61.2 kilograms) boxing weight classes, weight class in the spor ...

construction and pedal-friendly design to enhance a driver's control and precision.

References

External links

{{Commonscat Auto racing equipment Sports footwear

SFI-Certified Racing Shoes

See also

References

External links