Did you know you can drive barefoot without breaking the law?

Now, what we need to know is whether it’s better to drive without or with shoes.

You might be spending hours going through your shoe collection to pick the best shoe for driving for your next road trip. What if you didn’t need that shoe at all and you’re more comfortable driving barefooted.

I always drive while wearing my favorite Vans or Chuck Taylors, let’s find out if barefoot driving can be an option.

Let’s start with the short answer for barefoot or shoed driving.

Generally, it’s better to drive with shoes than barefoot. Some beginner drivers say driving without shoes gives them better grip and feel of the pedals. The repeated stepping on the pedals can become painful on a long drive and you could lose the ability to control the car. Having comfortable shoes on gives much better grip.

What does the law say about driving without shoes?

Is it illegal to drive barefoot?

It is not illegal to drive a car without shoes in most parts of the world including the United States and United Kingdom. There’s no law that prohibits bare feet driving.

For instance, in Michigan, there’s no clause in their vehicle code that says it is wrong to drive without wearing any shoes.

That’s the case with all the other states in the US. You can drive around in any state without worrying about committing any offense that can accumulate points in the Point System.

Is it illegal to drive with flip flops?

Similarly, to driving barefooted, there’s no law that states the kind of footwear one has to put on while driving. So, you’ll be committing no offense if you choose to drive in flip flops.

What I’d want you to be aware of is the experience of driving with flip flops.

To some drivers, flip flops really feel comfortable while driving. The problem with this type of footwear is that they can be dangerous if they’re loose, slippery, or large.

Let’s talk about the challenges of driving in flip flops in the next section below.

Is it better to drive with flip flops or barefoot?

Actually, is it better to drive without shoes compared to flip flops? Does this come as a surprise to you?

Barefoot driving is even safer than flip flops.

Let’s start with driving without shoes being better than turning to flip flops as your driving footwear.

Driving barefooted will give you a good feel for the pedals. It usually translates to good control of the car while on the move.

On the flipside, most flip flops are loose and slippery. To say the least, you’ll struggle driving with flip flops. Part of your attention will go into trying to ensure the flip flops don’t slide off your feet. Sweaty feet will also add to your list of troubles controlling the car.

Also, in case the flip flops are wide, you could easily step on the gas instead of the brake pedal.

Is it safe to drive barefoot?

It’s within the law to drive without shoes. So, you can drive a car without shoes. However, is it safe to do so?

On short trips to run errands in an automatic transmission car, barefoot driving can be safe.

I’m yet to drive barefoot, but I have a friend who does it all the time. From my observation, it’s pretty easy and comfortable to drive without shoes. However, his drives are usually less than 50 miles. I don’t know how he’ll fare on a long road trip especially because he drives a 2014 Toyota Hilux with a manual transmission.

Logically though, you’re likely to sweat when driving especially in summer. Now imagine having sweaty and slippery feet while trying to drive a manual car. Your feet will lose grip and easily slide and miss the pedals. In such a tricky situation, you can lose control of the car in a heartbeat posing danger to yourself and other road users.

That should answer your question in case you were wondering is it dangerous to drive without shoes.

Driving barefoot means the skin on your feet gets worked and can develop blisters. With the blisters, it will only be a matter of time before the pain of controlling the pedals becomes unbearable. I guess you’d want to choose a painful driving experience instead of wearing shoes.

Now that we’re talking about shoes, do you have a preferred pair that you’re willing to bet they’re the best?

What are the best shoes for driving?

Picking the best shoes from the tons of options available on the market is a matter up for debate. Everyone has their favorite footwear. For me, I’ve driven in Chuck Taylors and a couple of Vans shoes and they’re really comfortable.

At the end of the day though, the best shoes for driving are those that fit perfectly, have a thin sole that’s grippy for the pedals, preferably low profile, and are comfortable to wear for long hours.

What shoes are you not allowed to drive in?

Just as is for barefoot driving, there’s no law that states the specific kind of shoes a driver should wear while behind the wheel. So, you can drive in any type of shoes that you want.

With the freedom of driving in any shoes you want comes responsibility. You need to pick wisely unless you want to end up with a pair of oversized boots. If for some reason you still wear oversized shoes while driving, you’ll quickly realize how tough it is to control the car.

Does driving barefoot invalidate your insurance?

Motor insurance companies (actually all insurance companies) are always keen on details. Also, some of their terms that can invalidate your cover are in fine print.

Since barefoot driving isn’t illegal, it is only in extreme cases that your insurer can invalidate your insurance cover especially after you get into an accident.

After an accident, the normal thing to do is to file for a claim payout. However, your insurance company will have to investigate the matter to determine the cause of the accident. You’ll only qualify for a payout if the reason for the accident wasn’t your fault.

If you’re driving without shoes and you get into an accident, the police can determine your barefoot driving as the cause.

With the help of that police report, your insurer could easily perceive your case as reckless driving. And in such a case, your chances of getting a payout will be close to zero.

So, it is safe to say you can occasionally drive barefooted without breaking the law. During such occasional drives, make sure you don’t cause an accident. That way, you can get away with both barefoot driving and not getting on the wrong side of the law.

Take away

You can drive without shoes in most parts of the world without breaking any law. However, you can lose control of the car if you’re barefoot behind the wheel.

Also, another point to note is that you’d rather drive barefoot than in heels or flip flops. Always choose comfortable and fitting footwear if you want smooth drives.

You’re likely to receive no payout if you’re involved in an accident and you were wearing no shoes while driving.