how to break in new racing shoes?
#1
Drifting
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how to break in new racing shoes?
I got new racing shoes because it's required for the driving school I am going to attend in February. they are the generic G Force hi top shoes. They are very stiff and I don't want to wear them out just wearing them around to the store or around the yard. I don't really get the chance to be home where I can break them in just wearing them around the house. I remember as a kid breaking in baseball gloves by putting oil on them and running over them with the car and leaving them under the tire overnight.
does anyone have any tips on how to break the shoes in without wearing them out? The high top it's just too restrictive to properly heel toe.
does anyone have any tips on how to break the shoes in without wearing them out? The high top it's just too restrictive to properly heel toe.
#2
Drifting
I got new racing shoes because it's required for the driving school I am going to attend in February. they are the generic G Force hi top shoes. They are very stiff and I don't want to wear them out just wearing them around to the store or around the yard. I don't really get the chance to be home where I can break them in just wearing them around the house. I remember as a kid breaking in baseball gloves by putting oil on them and running over them with the car and leaving them under the tire overnight.
does anyone have any tips on how to break the shoes in without wearing them out? The high top it's just too restrictive to properly heel toe.
does anyone have any tips on how to break the shoes in without wearing them out? The high top it's just too restrictive to properly heel toe.
#3
Cruising
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I wouldn't apply any additives to the shoes, but I would simply wear them around. I had to break in a new pair of Sparco shoes at Daytona the other week during test days and I just wore them everywhere at the track for 3 days straight and they were broken in for the most part. Racing shoes are a bit uncomfortable at first if you've never worn them before, the more you wear them the more comfortable you get in them.
#4
Intermediate
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I wear the same shoes/boots I had when I drove my shifter kart, they dont require breaking in, and if possible, I didn't wear them anywhere else but when I was getting into a vehicle for an event, as they wear out quickly.
#9
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If you are trying to use your toes on the brake and your heel on the throttle or your heel on the brake and your toes on the throttle don't do that. Moving the heel requires moving the whole leg while moving the toes requires just part of the foot thus you have finer control of the toes. Use the toes for both the brake and the throttle.
Then all you need to do is roll the right side of your foot onto the gas pedal while the left side of the foot is on the brake pedal. On first application of the brake pedal it should drop to the level of the gas pedal and you shouldn't need much rolling of the foot to blip the throttle. That shouldn't affect how the top of the shoe fits on your ankle.
Bill
#11
Drifting
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If you are trying to use your toes on the brake and your heel on the throttle or your heel on the brake and your toes on the throttle don't do that. Moving the heel requires moving the whole leg while moving the toes requires just part of the foot thus you have finer control of the toes. Use the toes for both the brake and the throttle.
Then all you need to do is roll the right side of your foot onto the gas pedal while the left side of the foot is on the brake pedal. On first application of the brake pedal it should drop to the level of the gas pedal and you shouldn't need much rolling of the foot to blip the throttle. That shouldn't affect how the top of the shoe fits on your ankle.
Bill
Thanks for all the advice guys, I'll start wearing them whereever I can and just do the best I can when at the track.
if you fast forward to 56 sec, you get a good look of what my motion has to be to heal toe. Its not pretty but it's effective. This was a DE on only half of CMP.
#12
Melting Slicks
That sounds all fine and dandy, however my pedal set is stock and the distance is far too great to do this. It's my RX7 not the vette. My vette is impossible because how low the gas pedal sits. So I do have to actually use my heal to punch the pedal and need my ankle to do this. I have been meaning to get a longer brake pedal but you know how it goes, it's on the list....
I do H&T on almost every downshift on the street (where the distance to the gas pedal is even greater because of lighter braking).
It's even easier on the track when you're hard on the brakes,
I've done it in both early and later C4's when I was teaching my students how to do it.
#13
Racer
That sounds all fine and dandy, however my pedal set is stock and the distance is far too great to do this. It's my RX7 not the vette. My vette is impossible because how low the gas pedal sits. So I do have to actually use my heal to punch the pedal and need my ankle to do this. I have been meaning to get a longer brake pedal but you know how it goes, it's on the list....
Thanks for all the advice guys, I'll start wearing them whereever I can and just do the best I can when at the track.
Thanks for all the advice guys, I'll start wearing them whereever I can and just do the best I can when at the track.
As far as breaking in driving shoes, I agree there is no substitute for wearing them... a lot.
#14
Le Mans Master
ALL driving shoes are NOT created equal! I wear Simpson SFI driving shoes on the track. They are so soft that I could roll them up and stick them in my pocket. They are VERY comfortable (for driving) and very fragile, so I wear them ONLY for driving the car on track. On the other hand, I have some Piloti SFI driving shoes which I got free at Monterey. They are stiff as a board, look pretty substantial, but are so uncomfortable that I can't walk very far in them 'cause they hurt my feet, and yet, they are so stiff that I can't track the car with them either, so to me, they are worthless
#15
Shoes
I got new racing shoes because it's required for the driving school I am going to attend in February. they are the generic G Force hi top shoes. They are very stiff and I don't want to wear them out just wearing them around to the store or around the yard. I don't really get the chance to be home where I can break them in just wearing them around the house. I remember as a kid breaking in baseball gloves by putting oil on them and running over them with the car and leaving them under the tire overnight.
does anyone have any tips on how to break the shoes in without wearing them out? The high top it's just too restrictive to properly heel toe.
does anyone have any tips on how to break the shoes in without wearing them out? The high top it's just too restrictive to properly heel toe.
#16
Team Owner
ALL driving shoes are NOT created equal! I wear Simpson SFI driving shoes on the track. They are so soft that I could roll them up and stick them in my pocket. They are VERY comfortable (for driving) and very fragile, so I wear them ONLY for driving the car on track. On the other hand, I have some Piloti SFI driving shoes which I got free at Monterey. They are stiff as a board, look pretty substantial, but are so uncomfortable that I can't walk very far in them 'cause they hurt my feet, and yet, they are so stiff that I can't track the car with them either, so to me, they are worthless
#18
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That sounds all fine and dandy, however my pedal set is stock and the distance is far too great to do this. It's my RX7 not the vette. My vette is impossible because how low the gas pedal sits. So I do have to actually use my heal to punch the pedal and need my ankle to do this. I have been meaning to get a longer brake pedal but you know how it goes, it's on the list....
Thanks for all the advice guys, I'll start wearing them whereever I can and just do the best I can when at the track.
if you fast forward to 56 sec, you get a good look of what my motion has to be to heal toe. Its not pretty but it's effective. This was a DE on only half of CMP.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ki6LmJ60BpU
Thanks for all the advice guys, I'll start wearing them whereever I can and just do the best I can when at the track.
if you fast forward to 56 sec, you get a good look of what my motion has to be to heal toe. Its not pretty but it's effective. This was a DE on only half of CMP.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ki6LmJ60BpU
Bill
#19
Race Director
What Bill says works well on any C4. Your heel should be on the floor and your knee moving towards the shifter when you blip.
I do H&T on almost every downshift on the street (where the distance to the gas pedal is even greater because of lighter braking).
It's even easier on the track when you're hard on the brakes,
I've done it in both early and later C4's when I was teaching my students how to do it.
I do H&T on almost every downshift on the street (where the distance to the gas pedal is even greater because of lighter braking).
It's even easier on the track when you're hard on the brakes,
I've done it in both early and later C4's when I was teaching my students how to do it.
It's good to practice. Just use the ball of the foot and side I never tried it with my toes or heels.
#20
Melting Slicks
The only car I've been in that I couldn't do it the correct way was a vintage Nascar where the pedals must have been positioned for a guy with size 14 Wingtips.