Some fashionable footwear sold by leading manufacturers such as Nike, Adidas and Balenciaga could see motorists fall foul of the law - and at risk of fines of up to £5,000 and a driving ban - motoring experts have warned.
Over the last decade, sneaker culture has boomed into a multi-billion industry, with brands from Nike and New Balance to high fashion labels leading the way with regular releases and new colourways. Some of these sought-after sneaker styles feature outlandish designs with chunky soles, innovative heel designs and more. But while they might look good on the Instagram, they might not be best suited to driving - and could actually land wearers with hefty fines and points on their licence.
While there actually aren’t any laws in place to stop drivers from wearing certain shoes or driving barefoot, Rule 97 of the Highway Code states that before setting out in your car, you need to ensure that ‘clothing and footwear do not prevent you using the controls in the correct manner’.
Choosing to ignore this could land you with a ‘Driving Without Due Care and Attention’ offence (codenamed CD10, CD20 - ‘Driving without reasonable consideration for other road users’ or CD30 - ‘Driving without due care and attention or without reasonable consideration for other road users’) if spotted by a police officer. All of these offences come with a fixed £100 fine and three points on your driving licence (the police officer could instead offer a driver education seminar depending on the situation).
However, if your expensive sneakers are causing you to drive dangerously and the police deem your footwear a contributing factor, the same penalty will apply, in addition to you potentially being referred to the court system. In these cases, this could result in a fine of up to £5,000 and nine points on your licence or even an outright driving ban.
Dan Gick, Managing Director of Scrap Car Comparison comments: “The idea of having ‘driving shoes’ for many can feel unnecessary and like something from a bygone era, however with many current sneaker designs featuring huge soles, unusual features and a lack of heel support, it makes the humble driving shoe even more important.
"We would never want people to stop wearing the clothes that help them to express themselves, but would advise wearing a comfortable pair of shoes that fits within the guidance for driving, before changing into your chosen pair of trainers. It's a small inconvenience to avoid potentially being landed with a fine or points on your licence and worse than that, in an accident because you’re unable to drive your car properly. It is always better to be safe than sorry."
According to the Driving Standards Agency, your driving shoes should:
- Have a sole no thicker than 10mm… but the sole should not be too thin or soft.
- Provide enough grip to stop your foot slipping off the pedals.
- Not be too heavy.
- Not limit ankle movement.
- Be narrow enough to avoid accidentally depressing two pedals at once.
With that in mind, Scrap Car Comparison has compiled ten sought-after sneakers that could land you with a fine costlier than the shoes themselves… in most cases!
Adidas Yeezy Slide: RRP: £50-£60 - Resale Value: £70-£300
Slides have become the go-to summer footwear choice for most, and the Yeezy Slide has cemented itself as the choice for most sneakerheads - however the understated design comes with zero heel support and therefore falls well outside of the Driving Standards Agency guidelines.
Balenciaga Triple S: RRP: £695-£825
A brand heavily favoured by the Kardashians and hip-hop royalty, the Balenciaga Triple S is an instantly recognisable silhouette that has fans from Jeff Goldblum to Bella Hadid. Behind the wheel though, it's not as favourable, its chunky sole comes in at a hefty 45.72mm, way above the 10mm guidance, and the substantial width of the shoes also heightens the concern of accidentally hitting the wrong pedal.
Nike Vapormax: RRP: £140-£200
A style that doesn’t require large amounts to be spent on the resale market and can be picked up from most retailers, the Vapormax can’t be mistaken, with its full air-bubble sole. The unique sole’s design however could cause the individual ‘bubbles’ to get caught in the pedals and land you in the category of ‘driving without due care’.
Nike Sacai Vaporwaffle: RRP: £164.95 - Resale Value: £250-£950
Another popular sneaker that would see you fall foul of having too much of a chunky sole (coming in at approximately 46mm), the Nike Sacai Vaporwaffle also features an unusual back-end, with a sole that splits in two to form a ‘tongue-like’ shape, making it lack in the heel-support department too.
Adidas Yeezy Boost 350 V2: RRP: £200 - Resale Value: £250-£500
A second entry for Kanye West’s Yeezy brand, with its most popular silhouette. Since its first release in September 2016, this sneaker has been hugely influential in the sneaker world and with multiple colourways, can often be seen being worn wherever you go. Its ‘BOOST’ filled sole and large 40mm heel take it over the 10mm guidance though, so while it is a sleek, flexible option, it could still land you in trouble.
Alexander McQueen ‘Oversized Sneaker’: RRP: £420
Taking design cues from the Adidas Stan Smith and putting it on steroids, the Alexander McQueen is, as its name suggests, potentially the king of oversized soles. Its heel reaches 50mm in height, great for anyone aiming to look a little taller, but not so great behind the wheel, being five times over the guidance.
Fear of God - The California Sneaker: RRP: £165-£175
Part slider, part sneaker, one of the latest designs from Jerry Lorenzo’s label offers a smarter alternative to the Yeezy Slide, however still doesn’t cancel out concerns about driving. The lack of any heel support and its smooth, gripless styling would likely land you in trouble if spotted driving in these by a police officer.
Off White x Nike Blazer Low: RRP: £137 - Resale Value: £145-£250
The late Virgil Abloh’s Off White collaboration with Nike brought about some sneakers that’ll always be heralded in fashion circles, and one of the more recent releases is the re-imagined Blazer Low. A shoe that would pass all driving tests if it wasn’t for its elongated heel, which could make it an issue when switching between pedals and finding a comfortable spot for your foot to sit.
Balenciaga Defender: RRP £750
The second entry from the high-fashion Balenciaga brand that is more and more embedded in the streetwear world, the Defender was premiered in its Spring/Summer ‘22 and features a not-so-summery rugged look that is dominated by a huge tyre-tread style sole that far exceeds the 10mm guidance. The multiple ‘notches’ across the sole will also make it tricky when striking the pedals.
Nike MAG (Back to the Future): RRP: £400 - Resale Value: £10,000 - £400,000
One of the rarest sneakers ever released, the limited edition Nike MAG shoes are a recreation of the shoes worn by Marty McFly in Back to the Future Part II and due to their rarity, can fetch extortionate amounts on the resale market. While they might be suited to a hoverboard, they definitely aren’t suited to driving, with the bulky shoe offering very little ankle movement and again, a sole that goes way above the 10mm guidance. However if you can afford these, you can probably afford the fine.
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