The sneakers that could land you a $6,300 driving fine
Published on May 28, 2022 at 12:00 PM (UTC+4)
by Louise Cheer
Last updated on May 30, 2022 at 10:48 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
Your favorite sneakers could land you in hot water with the police.
In fact, some of the most popular sneakers on the market right now could see you cop a “driving without due care attention” offence.
And you could be fined £100 ($125) and three points on your driver’s licence (that’s according to a driving rule in the UK).
So if you are rocking Balenciagas like Justin Bieber in the photo below, don’t go driving!
And the penalty could be more if your shoes are causing you to drive like a maniac and police think your footwear is to blame.
If that happens, good luck in court.
If guilty, you’ll be slapped with a fine of up to £5,000 (US$6,300) and you could even be banned from driving.
So what footwear is on this mysterious list?
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According to the UK’s Driving Standards Agency…
Your driving shoes should:
- Have a sole no thicker than 10mm, but it 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 pushing two pedals at once
While there is no law in place to stop drivers from wearing certain shoes or driving barefoot, you do need to make sure that “clothing and footwear do not prevent you using the controls in the correct manner”.
10 pairs of shoes you can’t drive in:
- Adidas Yeezy slides, $70 (if you fluke getting a pair for retail. These babies go for hundred on the resale market): No heel support
- Balenciaga Triple S, $995 – $1,050: Sole is too thick at 45.72cm, also too wide
- Nike Vapormax, $190 – $210: ‘Bubble’ design could get caught on pedals
- Nike Sacai Vaporwaffle, $180: Again sole is too chunky, measuring 46mm
- Adidas Yeezy Boost 350 V2, $220: Another offender with a thicc sole (40mm)
- Alexander McQueen ‘Oversized Sneaker’, $580: 500mm heel is a no go
- Fear of God – The California Sneaker, $195: Lack of heels support and smooth grip
- Off White x Nike Blazer Low, $140: Elongated heel could cause trouble when switching pedals
- Balenciaga Defender, $1,090: Tyre-tread style sole makes it too thick
- Nike MAG (Back to the Future), about $500: Bulkiness offers very little ankle movement; sole too thick
*list compiled by Scrap Car Comparison
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Louise Cheer oversees and writes stories about the latest headlines on topics such as automotive, technology, gaming, watches, movies and lifestyle. Louise has been a news editor at Yahoo and Daily Mail in Australia, with more than 10 years of experience in the media industry.