Racing shoes

{{short description|Shoes for auto racing and driving}}

{{distinguish|Racing flats|Running shoes}}

File:Lotus_7_50th_Anniversary_driving_shoes_(3191906971).jpg sports car.]]

File:Louis_Vuitton_Driving_Shoes_(11091754246).jpg driving loafers.]]

Racing shoes, motorsport shoes or driving shoes are the footwear used for the practice of motorsport or day-to-day driving. They are generally built to provide comfort and precision for operating pedals for an extended period of time, with a narrow, close-fitting construction and thin, flexible soles, as well as to provide protection from fire along with a racing suit, in the context of motorsport.{{Cite web |last=Dorian |first=Drew |date=2019-05-10 |title=What Makes a Driving Shoe a Driving Shoe? |url=https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a27271545/driving-shoes/ |access-date=2022-03-14 |website=Car and Driver |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Blevins |first=Morgan |date=2019-12-17 |title=What Kind of Gear Does a Racecar Driver Wear? |url=https://usmfreepress.org/2019/12/17/what-kind-of-gear-does-a-racecar-driver-wear/ |access-date=2022-03-14 |website=The Free Press |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Auto racing shoes, defining features, options and benefits |url=https://track-first.com/the-anatomy-of-a-racing-shoe |access-date=2022-03-14 |website=Track First |language=en-US}} The standards for shoes worn in auto racing, as with other equipment, are regulated by the FIA.{{Cite web |last=Guy |first=Matthew |title=Best Racing Footwear: Hot Shoes for Hotshoes |url=https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/best-racing-footwear/ |access-date=2022-03-17 |website=The Truth About Cars |date=7 February 2022 |language=en-US}}

The invention of racing shoes is commonly attributed to Italian shoemaker Francesco "Ciccio" Liberto, in the late 1960s,{{Cite web |last=Read |first=Dan |date=2020-06-29 |title=These boots were made for racing |url=https://www.hagerty.co.uk/articles/these-boots-were-made-for-racing/ |access-date=2022-03-14 |website=Hagerty |language=en-GB}} though another Italian shoemaker, Gianni Mostile, had patented a model of driving moccasins as early as 1963.{{Cite web |title=A Brief History of Sneakers In Motorsport |url=https://www.sneakerfreaker.com/features/a-brief-history-of-sneakers-in-motorsport |access-date=2022-03-14 |website=Sneaker Freaker |language=en}} Prior to that, professional racecar drivers worn ordinary casual shoes for racing, sometimes wrapped in adhesive tape to provide better traction and stability.{{Cite web |date=2016-05-12 |title=The man who made shoes for racing drivers |url=https://www.italianshoes.com/en/the-man-who-made-shoes-for-racing-drivers/ |access-date=2022-03-14 |website=Italian Shoes |language=en-US}} Racing shoes were popularized among motorsport fans and the general public after the release of the Speed Cat and its successor Future Cat, developed by Sparco and Puma, and their use by use by German Formula One champion Michael Schumacher during the early 2000s.{{Cite book |last=Coles |first=Jason |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PgaGDAAAQBAJ |title=Golden Kicks: The Shoes that Changed Sport |date=2016-09-22 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |isbn=978-1-4729-3705-6 |pages=180–181 |language=en}}

It is popular among Formula One drivers, especially Australian ones, to drink from their racing shoes to celebrate victories, a practice referred to as a "shoey."{{Cite web |last=Kimmorley |first=Sarah |date=2018-05-11 |title=Formula One just trademarked drinking out of a shoe — here's why |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/formula-one-have-just-trademarked-drinking-out-of-a-shoe-2018-5 |access-date=2022-03-14 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Sorokanich |first=Bob |date=2021-02-25 |title=A Brief History of the Shoey, F1's Grossest Custom |url=https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a35240390/0018-0019-foot-juice-fancy-free-january-2021/ |access-date=2022-03-14 |website=Road & Track |language=en-US}}