Driving barefoot / without shoes....

sabsubs · 19th December 2009, 19:45

Count me as well. I learnt driving bare foot and believe it or not I drove my bro's car bare foot for almost 10 years. When I purchased my own car and started taking it to office, I had difficult time driving the car with shoes on but got used to it now.

However I would prefer driving bare foot as it gives me more control and more smoother drive than having the footwear on.

I thought that I would be a rare case driving bare foot, but good to see people around me driving bare foot. But bare foot driving is prevalent among professional drivers.

lohithrao · 21st December 2009, 14:15

Well, i have couple of shoes which i use for driving, i cant use any shoes for driving.so how i have couple pair of driving and couple of riding shoes

i normally use a shoes which has a flat/thin sole.

I learnt driving in bare foot but i made sure that i wore a shoe as i got used to driving....

sudharma · 21st December 2009, 14:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by lohithrao

Well, i have couple of shoes which i use for driving, i cant use any shoes for driving.so how i have couple pair of driving and couple of riding shoes

I normally use a shoes which has a flat/thin sole.

I learnt driving in bare foot but i made sure that i wore a shoe as i got used to driving....

I learned driving bare foot. had been driving for 46 years now. I drive bare foot if I am using Chappals or similar footware which are loose. I also drive with shoes which are comfortable and soft. But I like to get the feel the pedals. You always know exactly where your foot is. It all amounts to each individuals way of driving.

DKG · 21st December 2009, 14:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rtech

Bare foot driving? What next, driving naked to feel closer to the car

!

Well if you are "listening in" Rtech someone did drive a Ford GT40 naked and mentioned it was a most amazing experience

Quote:

Originally Posted by khan_sultan

Anyone who is comfortable driving both with shoes/slippers on and barefoot?

I enjoy both Shahnawaz. Infact when I had the Ferrari with me I actually drove it barefoot once only to enjoy it even more. Its even more raw, especially blipping that throttle with your toe !!

unni.ak · 21st December 2009, 15:02

One more to the bare-foot count! I feel odd driving with footwear on. A lot of people have commented that its a weird habit and that I should practice driving with shoes on.

SamtheLeo · 21st December 2009, 15:04

I can drive both ways , it may little comfortable to drive barefoot but a lot of oldies suggest you tend to have pain & shaky ness if you drive a lot without shoes. A lot means 4-5 days a week. So i do driver barefoot but keep it reserved only for hot long night drives where we dont have to stop

DKG · 21st December 2009, 15:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by unni.ak

A lot of people have commented that its a weird habit

Not too long ago in India the cheapest footwear was bulky sandals crafted out of heavy crude rubber. Most truck and taxi drivers wore those. Naturally when at the drivers seat they found it more efficient to dispense with the crude footwear contraptions and drive bare foot.

A lot of people find this habit odd as they associate the practice with taxi/truck drivers.

Now as most people have access to decent footwear the practice will die out in time.

Many women usually opt for it because their high heeled sandals can't be used comfortably while driving.

clevermax · 21st December 2009, 15:33

Driving barefoot gives me the feeling that I don't have much control over the pedals. I always drive with shoes / sandals on.

Moreover, I've got a very hard clutch in my Petrol ride, and if I drive barefoot, I'll have a tough time. Never drove barefoot except for those 10 days in driving school.

I changed my wife's habit of driving barefoot too. IMO, barefoot drivers are incomplete drivers!!

The worst part of barefoot drivings is, it is embarrassing!! Imagine a situation where you and your colleagues / friends get into your car and they all have to wait until you remove your shoes and start the car. The same goes with the delay in getting out of the car after putting the shoes/sandals on.

EDIT: The feeling of loss of precision when one drives with shoes IS just a feeling. You can get the same amount of control that you would get while operating the pedals barefoot - if you practice it.

pramodkumar · 21st December 2009, 16:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by clevermax

The worst part of barefoot drivings is, it is embarrassing!! Imagine a situation where you and your colleagues / friends get into your car and they all have to wait until you remove your shoes and start the car. The same goes with the delay in getting out of the car after putting the shoes/sandals on.

+1 to that imagine if your feet stink

. I tried driving bare feet while driving from hyderabad to trivandrum mainly because my feet were acheing due to 108 Pradakshinas at chilkuru balaji temple at hyderabad.

Pramod

mail4loys · 21st December 2009, 16:13

During long drives i prefer driving in bare foot and while driving to office i wear shoes. some how i feel confortable driving bare foot, one reason is the floor mats that i have in my car.

amikacin · 23rd December 2009, 21:54

My initial driving lessons were on my Granpa's M&M jeep in the Thar deserts when we used to visit our fields and these usually demanded to have some footwear for comfort. However, when I started driving our family M800, dad insisted on driving barefoot. I was told to use only the great toe for accelarator.

I must say that driving barefoot does increase your coordination especially when you are still learning and driving a small petrol car. It also prevents over accelaration since you get a direct feel vis-a-vis the pressure applied and the accelaration.

I continued driving barefoot for more than six years and gradually shifted to shoes with soles and now am comfortable with any type of foot wear.

However any day, I would rather prefer driving barefoot if possible practically. I would always recommend driving barefoot to all the beginners, rest is everybody's personal choice.

Regards.

honeybee · 25th December 2009, 12:46

I learnt driving barefoot (though nobody told me I had to, it just came out of observing drivers around me). The only drivers I saw driving with footware on were the BEST drivers.

In a heavy vehicle, the angle of the pedals to the floor is much smaller than in a typical car. And so in a heavy vehicle you are actually stepping on the pedal and depressing it downward. In a car, you would be depressing the pedal more to the front side than down. Because of the steeper angle between the pedal and the floor, when you rest your foot against the pedal there is a high chance of your feet slipping out of your footware, made worse by sweat. It also introduced some pain in my ankles, as I was forced to operate all three pedals continuously in stop and go traffic on inclines and declines. (This is all my personal opinion, which could be true!) Also the quick response of the pedals in the modern cars makes it necessary that you get accustomed to driving barefoot as well as with footware.

A few years back I found it a problem to drive barefoot, as I had to drive to work everyday and I was using shoes with laces. So I decided to learn driving with my footware on. And in a few days I got used to it too.

A word or two of caution:

1. When you are driving with your footware on, you may need to adjust your driving position slightly, as the leg travel will reduce (though it's very small, it can be a big irritant at times).

2. I have found that when driving with footware on, sometimes the footware either slips from the pedal or sticks to the pedal a bit too much and I can't deliberately slip my leg up or down the pedal. This is a big irritant in stop and go traffic, especially on inclines.

3. Preferably use tight-fitting shoes. Avoid using chappals or sandals that are a size too big, as they will introduce further slippage from the pedals. Without your feet in them, the footware on the pedals is pretty much useless, as you can see.

4. A big problem of driving barefoot is the footware generally does not fit well into the space between the seat and the pedals. The footware manages to interfere with a free travel of your feet within the available space. Else the footware gets so stacked up that when you need it, you have to use your hands to pull it out and wear.

5. If you are in the habit of using different footware for different occasions, for e.g. Kolhapuri chappals for some casual occasions, formal shoes for office, sports shoes for a visit to the club or thick-soled shoes for some trekking etc., I suggest you consciously pay attention to the pedal actions and movements when driving. Each footware will have its own thickness, slipping tendency, grip with the pedals.

nairrk · 25th December 2009, 13:39

It is the habit how you got into.
You learned to drive in bare foot, then you may not be comfortable in shoes as you feel that you are not getting proper pedal touch.
I have been driving for more than 17/18 years -eventhough I prefer drive with shoes or chappal (leather and not the hawai type), but I can do even bare foot. Never felt any problem whatsoever !

Punzabi · 29th December 2009, 09:00

I had been driving with my footwear on til recently when I lost my slippers to sea while mocking around at beach and had to drive back home barefoot. I felt really weird driving barefoot but I do admit I felt good control over the car. I could feel the suspension vibrating and it gave me a feeling as I am driving real fast (and faster than rest of the traffic) even though I was driving at 60km/h

triedeverything · 29th December 2009, 09:47

I've tried both. I find driving with footwear less painful. I don't know about the rest, but I don't use the middle of my feet on any of the pedals. The result is that while driving bare foot, inevitably the toe bends while applying the clutch, brake or accelerator. Since footwear reduces this flexibility and gives complete support to the entire foot, chances of the toe bending is minimized. At the end of the day, to each one his own - use what works best for you.

19th December 2009, 19:45	#61
sabsubs BHPian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 324 Thanked: 322 Times	Count me as well. I learnt driving bare foot and believe it or not I drove my bro's car bare foot for almost 10 years. When I purchased my own car and started taking it to office, I had difficult time driving the car with shoes on but got used to it now. However I would prefer driving bare foot as it gives me more control and more smoother drive than having the footwear on. I thought that I would be a rare case driving bare foot, but good to see people around me driving bare foot. But bare foot driving is prevalent among professional drivers.
	() Thanks

21st December 2009, 14:15	#62
lohithrao Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Kudla/Mangaluru Posts: 3,204 Thanked: 225 Times View My Garage	Well, i have couple of shoes which i use for driving, i cant use any shoes for driving.so how i have couple pair of driving and couple of riding shoes i normally use a shoes which has a flat/thin sole. I learnt driving in bare foot but i made sure that i wore a shoe as i got used to driving....
	() Thanks

21st December 2009, 15:02	#65
unni.ak BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 777 Thanked: 84 Times View My Garage	One more to the bare-foot count! I feel odd driving with footwear on. A lot of people have commented that its a weird habit and that I should practice driving with shoes on.
	() Thanks

21st December 2009, 15:04	#66
SamtheLeo BHPian Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Melbourne Posts: 451 Thanked: 26 Times	I can drive both ways , it may little comfortable to drive barefoot but a lot of oldies suggest you tend to have pain & shaky ness if you drive a lot without shoes. A lot means 4-5 days a week. So i do driver barefoot but keep it reserved only for hot long night drives where we dont have to stop Last edited by bblost : 21st December 2009 at 15:32. Reason: did the change in this post. deleted the other one. :)
	() Thanks

21st December 2009, 15:33	#68
clevermax Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Tvm/Amsterdam Posts: 2,086 Thanked: 2,639 Times View My Garage	Driving barefoot gives me the feeling that I don't have much control over the pedals. I always drive with shoes / sandals on. Moreover, I've got a very hard clutch in my Petrol ride, and if I drive barefoot, I'll have a tough time. Never drove barefoot except for those 10 days in driving school. I changed my wife's habit of driving barefoot too. IMO, barefoot drivers are incomplete drivers!! The worst part of barefoot drivings is, it is embarrassing!! Imagine a situation where you and your colleagues / friends get into your car and they all have to wait until you remove your shoes and start the car. The same goes with the delay in getting out of the car after putting the shoes/sandals on. EDIT: The feeling of loss of precision when one drives with shoes IS just a feeling. You can get the same amount of control that you would get while operating the pedals barefoot - if you practice it. Last edited by clevermax : 21st December 2009 at 15:46.
	() Thanks

21st December 2009, 16:13	#70
mail4loys BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 378 Thanked: 8 Times View My Garage	During long drives i prefer driving in bare foot and while driving to office i wear shoes. some how i feel confortable driving bare foot, one reason is the floor mats that i have in my car.
	() Thanks

23rd December 2009, 21:54	#71
amikacin BHPian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Delhi Posts: 90 Thanked: 43 Times	My initial driving lessons were on my Granpa's M&M jeep in the Thar deserts when we used to visit our fields and these usually demanded to have some footwear for comfort. However, when I started driving our family M800, dad insisted on driving barefoot. I was told to use only the great toe for accelarator. I must say that driving barefoot does increase your coordination especially when you are still learning and driving a small petrol car. It also prevents over accelaration since you get a direct feel vis-a-vis the pressure applied and the accelaration. I continued driving barefoot for more than six years and gradually shifted to shoes with soles and now am comfortable with any type of foot wear. However any day, I would rather prefer driving barefoot if possible practically. I would always recommend driving barefoot to all the beginners, rest is everybody's personal choice. Regards.
	() Thanks

25th December 2009, 12:46	#72
honeybee Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Dombivli Posts: 3,056 Thanked: 2,139 Times View My Garage	I learnt driving barefoot (though nobody told me I had to, it just came out of observing drivers around me). The only drivers I saw driving with footware on were the BEST drivers. In a heavy vehicle, the angle of the pedals to the floor is much smaller than in a typical car. And so in a heavy vehicle you are actually stepping on the pedal and depressing it downward. In a car, you would be depressing the pedal more to the front side than down. Because of the steeper angle between the pedal and the floor, when you rest your foot against the pedal there is a high chance of your feet slipping out of your footware, made worse by sweat. It also introduced some pain in my ankles, as I was forced to operate all three pedals continuously in stop and go traffic on inclines and declines. (This is all my personal opinion, which could be true!) Also the quick response of the pedals in the modern cars makes it necessary that you get accustomed to driving barefoot as well as with footware. A few years back I found it a problem to drive barefoot, as I had to drive to work everyday and I was using shoes with laces. So I decided to learn driving with my footware on. And in a few days I got used to it too. A word or two of caution: 1. When you are driving with your footware on, you may need to adjust your driving position slightly, as the leg travel will reduce (though it's very small, it can be a big irritant at times). 2. I have found that when driving with footware on, sometimes the footware either slips from the pedal or sticks to the pedal a bit too much and I can't deliberately slip my leg up or down the pedal. This is a big irritant in stop and go traffic, especially on inclines. 3. Preferably use tight-fitting shoes. Avoid using chappals or sandals that are a size too big, as they will introduce further slippage from the pedals. Without your feet in them, the footware on the pedals is pretty much useless, as you can see. 4. A big problem of driving barefoot is the footware generally does not fit well into the space between the seat and the pedals. The footware manages to interfere with a free travel of your feet within the available space. Else the footware gets so stacked up that when you need it, you have to use your hands to pull it out and wear. 5. If you are in the habit of using different footware for different occasions, for e.g. Kolhapuri chappals for some casual occasions, formal shoes for office, sports shoes for a visit to the club or thick-soled shoes for some trekking etc., I suggest you consciously pay attention to the pedal actions and movements when driving. Each footware will have its own thickness, slipping tendency, grip with the pedals.
	() Thanks

25th December 2009, 13:39	#73
nairrk Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Kannur Posts: 2,441 Thanked: 674 Times View My Garage	It is the habit how you got into. You learned to drive in bare foot, then you may not be comfortable in shoes as you feel that you are not getting proper pedal touch. I have been driving for more than 17/18 years -eventhough I prefer drive with shoes or chappal (leather and not the hawai type), but I can do even bare foot. Never felt any problem whatsoever !
	() Thanks

29th December 2009, 09:00	#74
Punzabi BHPian Join Date: May 2009 Location: PB-08/Adelaide Posts: 143 Thanked: 42 Times	I had been driving with my footwear on til recently when I lost my slippers to sea while mocking around at beach and had to drive back home barefoot. I felt really weird driving barefoot but I do admit I felt good control over the car. I could feel the suspension vibrating and it gave me a feeling as I am driving real fast (and faster than rest of the traffic) even though I was driving at 60km/h
	() Thanks

29th December 2009, 09:47	#75
triedeverything BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 500 Thanked: 213 Times View My Garage	I've tried both. I find driving with footwear less painful. I don't know about the rest, but I don't use the middle of my feet on any of the pedals. The result is that while driving bare foot, inevitably the toe bends while applying the clutch, brake or accelerator. Since footwear reduces this flexibility and gives complete support to the entire foot, chances of the toe bending is minimized. At the end of the day, to each one his own - use what works best for you.
	() Thanks