While shoes provide comfort and protection during sim racing, they often dull pedal feedback and reduce control.
Sim racing presents a unique challenge when it comes to footwear. Shoes provide comfort and protect your feet, but they tend to mute pedal feel and reduce precision. On the other hand, going without shoes—typically wearing just socks—improves control but sacrifices comfort, especially at the heels, which bear much of your weight on hard pedal surfaces.
Despite the tradeoff, most sim racers seem to prefer skipping shoes, according to these Reddit polls:
Reddit Poll: How do you use your pedals?
Reddit Poll: Racing with shoes or socks/barefoot with LC?
But setups and preferences vary—and so does footwear. From specialized shoes to creative alternatives, not all options are created equal. This guide explores a range of choices to help you find what works best for your sim racing experience.
Sim racing with shoes
Let’s start by ruling out bulky or heavy shoes—they tend to get in the way and reduce pedal control. Instead, we’ll focus on lighter, more compact options, grouped by sole type.
Keep in mind: there’s variation within each category, and some shoes may blur the lines despite having similar names or intended use.
As a rule of thumb, thinner soles give you better pedal feel—but less cushioning for your heels.
Slippers and moccasins
Before we dive in, let’s talk about two wildcard options: slippers and moccasins. Both are popular among sim racers on Reddit, so they’re worth mentioning—though hard to neatly categorize.
Some slippers have rubber soles, others feel more like thick socks. Moccasins can blur the line too—some are basically slippers, while others are built like regular shoes (there are even driving moccasins, according to Wikipedia).
Because of this variety, we recommend using the info from all the categories below to help you find the right pair if you’re leaning toward slippers or moccasins.
More sole
These shoes have firmer soles and extra padding, offering great protection and making it comfortable to apply more pressure on the pedals. The downside? You lose some pedal feel and fine control. Common examples include indoor soccer shoes and wrestling shoes.
| Examples | ||
|---|---|---|
 |  | |
| Indoor soccer shoes | Wrestling shoes |
Characteristics | Sim Racing |
|---|---|
Sole flexibility | Comfort |
Padding | Control |
Protection | Pedal Feel |
Rounded heels
Shoes made for karting, auto racing, and even sim racing often feature rounded heels—a design that improves precision and control when modulating the pedals. Their sole profiles also tend to enhance pedal feel, though that’s not their sole purpose (pardon the pun).
| Examples | ||
|---|---|---|
 |  |  |
| Karting boots | Auto racing shoes | Sim racing shoes |
| Characteristics | Sim Racing |
|---|---|
| Sole flexibility | Comfort |
| Padding | Control |
| Protection | Pedal Feel |
Less sole
Shoes with thin, flexible soles aim to mimic the barefoot experience while offering basic protection. They provide excellent pedal sensitivity and control, but often lack cushioning—especially under the heels. Examples include minimalist shoes, water shoes, and rock climbing shoes. Even small differences in sole thickness can noticeably affect the feel, so something like rock climbing shoes may offer a very different experience from others in this category.
| Examples | ||
|---|---|---|
 |  |  |
| Minimalist shoes Zero-drop shoes Barefoot shoes | Water shoes Swimming shoes Aqua shoes Pool shoes | Rock climbing shoes |
| Characteristics | Sim Racing |
|---|---|
| Sole flexibility | Comfort |
| Padding | Control |
| Protection | Pedal Feel |
Sim racing without shoes
Racing without shoes offers the highest level of pedal feel, which is why many sim racers prefer wearing just socks—and some even go fully barefoot. The tradeoff is reduced protection, particularly for those using heel-and-toe techniques, and a higher risk of heel pain or fatigue. Fortunately, there are a few simple ways to make sock-only racing more comfortable, and some solutions can be combined for even better results.
Thick socks
Thicker or padded socks won’t eliminate heel fatigue entirely, but they definitely help. The challenge is finding the right pair—many brands don’t clearly state how much padding they offer, and product photos aren’t always reliable.
Characteristics | Sim Racing |
|---|---|
| Flexibility | Comfort |
| Padding | Control |
| Protection | Pedal Feel |
Grippy socks
Some racers appreciate the extra traction these socks provide, while others prefer a bit of slip on the pedals or footrest. You’ll find them marketed as yoga socks, trampoline socks, or non-skid socks.
| Characteristics | Sim Racing |
|---|---|
| Flexibility | Comfort |
| Padding | Control |
| Protection | Pedal Feel |
Sim racing socks
A few brands make socks specifically for sim racing. We tested the Sparco Hyperspeed socks, which include removable insoles. With the insoles in, the pedal feel and comfort didn’t quite meet our expectations—though your experience may vary. Without them, they function as well-made grippy socks.
Heel Cups
Heel cups are a simple way to cushion your heels while racing without shoes—yet they’re rarely mentioned in the sim racing world. Some versions come built into compression sleeves, while others can be worn under your socks by rolling the sock back and slipping the cup in place. Just note that some heel cups may feel slightly wobbly, depending on their fit and material.
Characteristics | Sim Racing |
|---|---|
| Flexibility | Comfort |
| Padding | Control |
| Protection | Pedal Feel |
HeelPad for Sim Racing
We’d be remiss not to mention our own product: the HeelPad for Sim Racers.
Think of it as a wrist rest—but for your feet. While it won’t protect you from pedal pressure (especially relevant for heel-and-toe drivers), it offers a soft, supportive surface your heels will appreciate.
We may be biased, but we think you’ll love the balance of comfort, control, and pedal feel once you try it.
Characteristics | Sim Racing |
|---|---|
| Flexibility | Comfort |
| Padding | Control |
| Protection | Pedal Feel |
Conclusion
Every sim racer—and every rig—is different, so it may take some trial and error to find what works best for you.
Hopefully, this guide gave you a few ideas to steer you in the right direction—ha!
Whether you race in shoes or socks, prefer max pedal feel or a bit more cushioning, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. We’ve seen everything from minimalist shoes to padded socks, heel cups, and even developed a purpose-built product—all in pursuit of that perfect balance between comfort, control, and immersion.
Try a few setups, see what clicks, and don’t be afraid to get creative. Your feet will thank you.
Join the discussion
Someone found a wrist rest that happens to perfectly fit his pedal rest.
Thanks for the shout-out, liwkidplastik!
This post discusses suggestions, remedies, and different ways of looking at the problem.
Users share do-it-yourself solutions for padding (using mousepads, carpet, or neoprene) and height (using wood).