The driving shoe is a great alternative to your classic casual shoe. They are a dress shoe/sneaker hybrid that is super cool. While these shoes are made for the road, you can wear them anywhere. This is the ultimate list of the best men’s driving shoes that will make your feet look cool no matter what kind of whip you’re driving.
These driving moccasins are from the Texas-based company, Twisted X, which started in 2005 as a maker of western boots. Since then, they have (obviously) evolved to include several other styles of shoe.
The Yellow Lace Driving Mocs are one of the more unique entries in the list. They’re constructed with leather uppers — the color is called “bomber” — and they feature bright yellow contrasting laces, upper stitching, and heel and sole accents. The interior sole features Twisted X’s proprietary “SD Footbed,” which has a breathable mesh lining and is moisture-wicking, antibacterial and machine washable.
As you can see from the sole design, these don’t have the traditional driving shoe nubs, but they are slip- and oil-resistant.
And now we’re gonna detour from fashion to functional. The next two in the list are true driving shoes — or, actually, boots in these cases — that are certified by governing bodies in racing. Call these the real deal. They are, as we mentioned in the intro, part of the category that is for actual racing.
Sparco is the Italian auto parts and accessory company from Volpiano, Turin. Obviously, one of their accessories is driving shoes. These are more like high top athletic shoes (with a Velcro closure at the ankle). They feature a wide toe box and an extra cushioned sole for additional comfort and, according to Sparco, a reduction in shock and vibration on the ball of the foot. Back in the day, David Letterman used to wear wrestling shoes while he was hosting his show.
If you want to cop these and not use them for serious driving, just know that there’s a history of wearing sport-specific shoes for just kickin’ around in (or hostin’ a show in). You’ll note that the outer soles are not nubbed, which is because the materials that comprise ABC pedals don’t require the studs. So drive on speed racer, and look cool doing it.
If a basketball shoe and a boxing shoe had a love child, this is what the baby would look like. The Simpson Racing’s 28100RD The Hightop is a true pair of men’s driving shoes, as evinced by the “SFI approved” designation (SFI is a racing governing body). No nubs here, the Simpsons feature non-slip, super sensitive PU soles with posi-grip traction; a triple layer anterior toe area for added wear protection, and “satin suede” toe, heel and lace guard reinforcements.
Three colorways are available: the red, a deep blue and black — all with that big Simpson logo. They’re simple, good looking and for the serious driver, just like these Oakley Men’s Race Mid Sneakers.
Timberland is, of course, famous for its classic waterproof boot, but the brand has many other styles, including these solid Sandspoint Venetian Driving shoes.
These men’s driving shoes feature a leather and textile upper — the textile portion are the goring panels, which are the stretchy bits of material that make getting in and out of the shoe a lot easier. They’ve got an OrthoLite footbed for enhanced comfort and they feature 50 percent recycled lining, reflective of Timberland’s eco-conscious leanings. The synthetic sole doesn’t have the nubs, rather it features horizontal grooves for traction.
As we have noted previously, car shoes are also commonly called “moccasins” and we believe that the Minnetonkas capture the moc essence better than most. The company started in the 1940s with hand-crafted mocs for $3.80. Now the brand is in 50 countries and, clearly, their shoe tree has expanded to include many styles other than the simple moccasins.
Minnetonka created its first driving shoe in 1986. These driving shoes feature the nubbed soles which, while being functional for the heel-and-toe action, also protect against wear and tear on the heel region. These are very soft cowhide leather and they feature a mock tie front. Shown in brown, they’re available in three colors.
Maybe cop a pair, hop in the car and go visit Minnetonka’s HQ in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Polo calls these a “classic driver” and it’s obvious that they are. These men’s driving shoes feature the small nubs on the sole and a bowling-pin-pattern of nubs on the heel, which is reinforced with a patch of leather and additional stitching. These are all leather moccasin toe loafers with heavy stitching in a contrasting color on the upper.
Shown in black, they’re also available in two other colors. For those of you who are logo-watchers, these shoes do feature the Polo logo — spelled out, not the horse — on a small leather tab toward the heel.
UGG is known for the emphasis on comfort and these men’s driving shoes are no exception, with an insole that features UGG’s “enerG comfort system” with built-in arch support. (The enerG technology uses micropod technology that combines soft foam and poly pods for cushioning, breathability and moisture-wicking, as well as using antimicrobial technology.)
The upper is leather and features a contrasting leather collar, as well as contrasting stitching. The shoes are leather lined and feature a rubber outsole with Treadlite for cushion and traction. They’re shown in “navy” and are available in chestnut.
Typically the driving loafer is worn because of the way the shoe hits the pedal. The way it feels braking and accelerating. The grip from the sole of the shoe hugging the pedals as you weave in and out of traffic. The great thing about these shoes from Marc Joseph New York is that they have all the control and comfort of the classic driving loafer and have the looks and style of a gorgeous dress shoe. The two-tone basket weave of the shoe is super complimentary. The color scheme of the featured image is great. The white works so well with the brown, these kicks are going to be a fan favorite for years to come. They also come in five other colors that all look great and incredibly polished.
We’re kicking off the list with an entry from a classic American shoe company, Eastland. It’s a family-owned outfit that’s been making shoes in Maine since 1955, and they offer a handful of different driving shoe styles. We like the Eastland Men’s Talladega Driving Style Loafer because of its rock-solid look.
As you’ll see throughout the list, driving shoes are, by and large, loafers. Very often, they come in classic penny loafer form or, sometimes, they’re more boat shoe-ish.
Eastland’s driving shoes are beautiful and, for their hand-made, high quality features, they’re very affordable in this car shoe category. You’ll note the absence of those outer sole nubs, but that doesn’t disqualify them as driving shoes. As you’ll see, even the pure driving shoes we feature later in the list are nub-less — largely because of the modern materials the ABC pedals come in nowadays. Shown in “peanut” color, they’re available in three different colors. From the sole on up, these men’s driving shoes will have your engine purring.
A great bargain on a unique pair of men’s driving shoes. The Ceyue Leather Breathable Driving Shoes pretty much announce to any casual observer that they are, in fact, driving shoes: the rubber outsole is molded up the sides of the upper and is visible at the toe. Ceyue says the “combined rubber sole helps walking comfort, slip resistance as well as wear resistance.”
The shoe features contrasting threading (the company calls it “Italian type manual suture”) in a somewhat wavy design. The shoes lace up on the side and the heel is “unconstructed” and “lazy,” according to Ceyue, which makes them easy on, easy off. You can buy these loafers in 16 different colors and they all look really great.
Lacoste is a well-known tennis brand from France that has done a bit of everything in men’s fashion. They make athletic shoes, pants, shorts, shirts, and obviously these ridiculously fabulous driving loafers. These are more of a traditional driving loafer that will fit great and slip on and off with ease. While they are made of leather they won’t make your feet sweaty and they look just as good barefoot as they do with a pair of ankle socks.
If you are digging these kicks in the featured brown you are going to love them in their other two colors too. They are a great match with jeans, khakis, and shorts and have a precision sole that will grip the pedals on your vehicle perfectly. These are driving shoes that were designed to be worn while driving unlike other driving loafers out there that are named that because of the style, not performance. You can also buy these loafers in black as well as dark brown.
Allen Edmonds has been a premium shoemaker since its founding in 1922. They have a line of men’s driving shoes, and these are the latest edition. Obviously, they’re named after the interstate highway that goes from coast to coast.
The shoes are hand made in the Dominican Republic and feature high-grade leather with contrasting stitching that looks fantastic. The leather is burnished, so each pair has a unique look. These aren’t lined, so you might want to get some sock liners to go with because these car shoes — like all the models in the list — would look great sockless. Nubs on the Dario rubber sole in the classic driving shoe style. A beautiful pair of shoes that is also available in navy.
These driving loafers from Emporio Armani are absolutely gorgeous. The navy is a dark navy which highlights the stitching on the tongue which is the Emporio Armani logo. You can also see white lettering on the heel of the shoe which is a perfect complement to the dark crushed navy. The soles of the shoe are rubber for grip and comfort. These are a great looking shoe, lightweight and a perfect pair with jeans, khakis or slacks depending on where you are going and what the event is. You can make these work with a casual outfit all the way to extremely formal.
Functional and great looking, men's driving shoes are a must for the wardrobe. Pull in and check our Top 17 Best Men's Driving Shoes: The Ultimate List.