Most people are pretty good at choosing the right type of footwear for a particular activity. You would never play soccer in high heels, and you wouldn’t wear flip-flops to go rock climbing. But when it comes to driving, most of us don’t give our footwear much thought.
The top two most inappropriate footwear for driving are flip-flops and high heels.
High heels are questionable for your health most of the time, but when it comes to driving, wearing high heels is dangerous. Whether you’re wearing stilettos, platforms or wedges, high heels are the worst choice for driving and road safety.
In fact, wearing high heels while driving is illegal in some countries. While South Africa doesn’t have any laws regarding footwear (or lack of footwear) for driving, you should still avoid driving in high heels.
Because of foot positioning, high heels reduce the amount of control you have in an emergency, making it difficult to slam on brakes. To have good control of the pedals, the heel of your foot should rest on the floor of the vehicle. If you’re wearing a long, thin heel, you’re effectively balancing on the heel of the shoe, and the heel of your foot is elevated. This is a very small, unstable point of contact with the floor of the car and it can easily slip out of place if you apply the brakes sharply. Your heel could also get caught in the floor mat or even slip under the pedals.
Many high heels also have pointy, narrow toes with a slippery sole, making it even more difficult to apply pressure on the pedal.
Platforms and wedges are also problematic because the thicker sole means your foot is further away from the peddle, and you risk pressing two pedals at the same time, or not applying the right amount of pressure.
Flip flops might be perfect for the beach, but they’re not the best combo for driving! Flip flops can easily slip off your feet when you’re driving and get lost under the pedals... which could spell disaster. These shoes lack the necessary support and grip, which could result in delayed reactions when driving.
Shoes with thin soles and good grip are best for driving because they won’t slip off the pedals and you have a better connection between your feet and the car.
We’re not trying to be fashion bores and if you’re a big fan of high heels or like relaxing in flip flops, rather keep a pair of sensible sneakers in your car for driving and change into your heels when you reach your destination. Don’t be tempted to drive barefoot, because that’s just as dangerous as driving with heels or flip-flops.
Put road safety before fashion and give yourself the best chance by being properly prepared for anything that might happen on the roads.
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