Thursday, June 17, 2010

Testing Driving Shoes

When I purchased my pair of Blue Carroll Shelby Driving Shoes, I figured that they'd come in a plain box and not look at all like the picture on the a2zracergear website. I couldn't have been more wrong! A year later and I'm still wearing them, but not wearing them down!
I must admit that I do alot of driving as an instructor for a performance driving school.

two years and still road worthy!
It also helps to have an international race champion design the shoe. Tony a-2-z Adamowicz has raced in F5000, 24hrs Daytona and Le Mans and knows a thing or two about reliable, worthwile equipment

(You can read more about Tony a2z Adamowicz by referencing: )

I have some shoes I wear for walking and performance driving and decided to compare my Shelby Driving shoes with the Cobra logo against my 'daily drivers'.

And this the blue Shelby Cobra Driving Black-jack shoe appears like right out of the box.
I love the way the shoes look and they do garner attention when I'm at the track or at the Peterson Museum. The shoe's not all about looks, getting beyond the Shelby Cobra Logo and Carroll Shelby's signature, the rubber molded 'tire tread' single sole, the detail trim white stripes on the upper definately catches the eye. However, the shoe is really made well. Now, I've been around the sun more times than I'd like to admit, but I never knew that fashion could be all about the shoes. I mean, I got questions and comments on these Shelby shoes whether I was wearing casual clothing or other racing apparel, like my Cobra Stadium Jacket. Closer inspection usually inspired more reaction. Especially when I told them how long I had owned them. These things mold to the shape of your foot due to the removable leather-lined sole.

The Inner Sole of the Shelby Cobra Performance Shoe is layered with Leather, so the shoe's sole conforms to an individual's foot after a brief break-in period.

I had thin soles in my previous driving shoes, but they didn't feel good when walking in them. The Shelby driving shoes changed all of that. Reality was, that, in addition to letting me walk in them all day, the cushion sole really enhanced the pedal feel. These shoes have it all, comfort, style, quality and longevity. Because of the soft leather inside, the tongue and heel are not only comfortable, but long-lasting, as well. Continuing with the visual examination showed tight, even stitching, no glue spots and perfectly attached faux carbon fiber trim. The molded heel section holds your heel firm, so you're not wobbling on the pedals or tera firma.

The Tire Tread outer sole of the Shelby Driving shoe is really neat.  It holds the road, too.
My test calendar lasted for two months, where I wore the Shelby Shoes for a few days, each week. The sole is styled after a tire tread with white stripes running the length of the shoe. This unique design provided a nice skid resistant wear which provided excellent contact with the floor and pedals. Two months later, the Shelby shoes didn't wear out much. Just a suede brush and wet, clean rag was all that was needed to spif them up. You can easily find a2z's driving shoes at a2z Racer Gear, of course.