# Shoes getting damaged driving to work - solutions?



## DOW (Mar 24, 2014)

Hey everyone,

All of my shoes have that dreaded scuff on my right outer heel from driving to work every day...aside from driving shoes, have any of you gentlemen come up with solutions to this issue?

I drew the line at my newly acquired Alden 975s...after the first bit of heel wear I started leaving a pair of driving shoes in the car...God I love those shoes, couldn't see them damaged.

Thoughts?


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## SG_67 (Mar 22, 2014)

Sorry I'm not following you. 

I drive daily and I've never scuffed the outer part of my right heel.


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## 3piece (Jan 22, 2014)

Hmm, how did the damage happen? It is not avoidable? Something to do with the car?

As far as I can tell I don't have noticeable issue with driving with dress shoes, and my car is manual, even.


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## Tempest (Aug 16, 2012)

Are we talking the heel cup or the heel stack?
I'm assuming the pedals are offset to the left of the seating position to accommodate the center hump (an actual transmission if rear wheel drive)? What exactly is causing the wear? If it's something that can safely be taped over...do it.


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## DOW (Mar 24, 2014)

Wow, seems like I'm the only one! Here's what I'm talking about...Exhibit A for the prosecution, a pair of AE for BB loafers...


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## SG_67 (Mar 22, 2014)

Are you racing a Ferrari? 

I mean, I drive and I've never had anything like that happen. Maybe install floor mats? That looks almost like someone took sandpaper to the shoes.


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## DOW (Mar 24, 2014)

SG_67 said:


> Are you racing a Ferrari?
> 
> I mean, I drive and I've never had anything like that happen. Maybe install floor mats? That looks almost like someone took sandpaper to the shoes.


Nope, automatic BMW!

Must be the way I lay my foot or something as I go from heel to toe driving the car. This particular pair is probably the worst looking, but you get the idea.


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## meanoldmanning (Jan 10, 2015)

How big are your feet? 

It looks like you rest your heel counter under the brake pedal and toe the bottom of the accelerator. Then you leave you heel on the floor and rotate your toe to brake. Try changing your foot position


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## DOW (Mar 24, 2014)

meanoldmanning said:


> How big are your feet?
> 
> It looks like you rest your heel counter under the brake pedal and toe the bottom of the accelerator. Then you leave you heel on the floor and rotate your toe to brake. Try changing your foot position


10.5D, pretty standard.


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## SG_67 (Mar 22, 2014)

I give up; I'm stumped. 

Keep a pair of driving shoes in the car. It's laborious, but you'll save your shoes.


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## Searching_Best_Fit (Feb 11, 2015)

SG_67 said:


> Are you racing a Ferrari?
> 
> I mean, I drive and I've never had anything like that happen. Maybe install floor mats? That looks almost like someone took sandpaper to the shoes.


The damage looks like you rest your right foot against the wall or scratch it pretty hard. Are you heel-toeing all the time driving downhill?


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## Tempest (Aug 16, 2012)

DOW said:


> Nope, automatic BMW!


Are their throttles still hinged at the bottom, on the floor?
I did call it on the rear wheel drive though. Take a look and you'll likely notice that your foot is being pushed to the outside because of the transmission tunnel and the location of pedals relative to the seat. Try sitting a little crooked, so your hips point away from the center?
Polish more frequently for starters.


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## Gurdon (Feb 7, 2005)

It may be the way BMW's are arranged. I have put 150K on a manual 328xi wagon and have similar, but not so severe, heel wear, AND wear on the side of the right shoe toward the toe, due to rubbing against the transmission tunnel. I like the shoes and I like the car, so I deal with it when I polish my shoes. A recently acquired pair of Vass Norwegians with a somewhat wider welt does not rub in the toe area. 

For long drives I put on shoes that can stand the wear.

Gurdon


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## Pentheos (Jun 30, 2008)

Same thing happens to me. I do what Gurdon does: for long drives, I wear crappy shoes. Thankfully, I don't drive all that much.


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## LordSmoke (Dec 25, 2012)

While the damage shown is strange (but then I ride a scooter), keeping a pair of shoes for driving is not unheard of. They do, after all, call them "driving mocs", and is SOP for many a female - Lady Smoke used to keep driving shoes in her car at all times before she said F it and switched to colorful sweaters over basic black with comfortable shoes as her signature work uniform.


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## espressocycle (Apr 14, 2014)

Short of driving shoes or changing your driving style, my only suggestion might be rubber floor mats.


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## DRWWE (Jul 6, 2009)

DOW said:


> Wow, seems like I'm the only one! Here's what I'm talking about...Exhibit A for the prosecution, a pair of AE for BB loafers...


OK. You aren't the only one. I have never experienced this until recently and it was with one pair of shoes, my C&J chestnut captoes. Not nearly as severe as yours, but there was a dull spot in the shine in the same location. I tend to rest my foot with the back portion of my heel touching the floor when driving, primarily when cruise control is on. I still had the rubber mats in place and after diagnosing the issue I put the carpet mats back. I also gave my shoes a good polish (thanks to everyone who recommends Sapphire) and the shoe looks perfect. I have been more conscious about foot placement when I'm wearing dress shoes. I have always been careful to keep my shoes from UNDER the pedals when cruising--I guess this heel issue beats scratching/denting the shoe's toe.

I have not noticed this issue with any of my other shoes for some strange reason.


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## espressocycle (Apr 14, 2014)

I suppose you could also get a pair of rubber overshoes. Then you would also be prepared for rain.


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## DOW (Mar 24, 2014)

espressocycle said:


> Short of driving shoes or changing your driving style, my only suggestion might be rubber floor mats.


Got them.


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## Jayzz (Aug 3, 2014)

What about just taking off your shoes?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## 3piece (Jan 22, 2014)

Who does this: wearing driving shoes while driving and changing to dress shoes out of the car? Must be inconvenience.

I've been driving stick shift and when I started wearing dress shoes I was thinking about getting driving shoes but didn't; my shoes look fine to me so far after 3 years.


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## zyxwvutsr (Sep 20, 2013)

Take a train.


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## triklops55 (May 14, 2010)

I have this problem too! I think it's the type of floor mat. Do you have rubber floor mats or carpet? This happens on my shoes because of the hard rubber mats. Maybe changing your floor mat will do the trick. I don't drive much with my good shoes for this same reason and when I do, I make a conscious effor to keep the sole of the shoes on the floor.


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

^^Perhaps....,but I think it is more likely the habitual positioning of one's foot, as we drive, and the foot movement required to feed the beast, clutch and brake, as necessary, throughout the drive! :icon_scratch:


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## NattyGreene (Oct 22, 2014)

My feet are on the large end of the scale, so I always sustain mild damage to the toe of my right shoe from rubbing against the footwell while switching pedals. The only thing I can think of is to wear a pair of beater slip-ons like boat shoes while driving and then change shoes in the parking lot before going into the office.


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## DOW (Mar 24, 2014)

triklops55 said:


> I have this problem too! I think it's the type of floor mat. Do you have rubber floor mats or carpet? This happens on my shoes because of the hard rubber mats. Maybe changing your floor mat will do the trick. I don't drive much with my good shoes for this same reason and when I do, I make a conscious effor to keep the sole of the shoes on the floor.


Hmmm...might be on to something. I bought Weathertech mats immediately upon taking possession of my car.


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## IotaNet (Jun 28, 2009)

I have had that problem for years -- nothing unusual about it, especially for those of us with larger feet. In order for one's foot to fit in the footwell and also manipulate the accelerator, its often necessary to angle your foot to the right -- resulting in the back of your shoe rubbing the floor.

No need to change your driving style or take the train. (Did somebody really say that? :rolleyes2

The smartest play is to:
1) Take off your shoe and drive in your stocking foot. (I'm not being snarky here -- on long drives, I routinely go shoeless.)
2) Keep a pair of beater shoes in the car just for driving. (Or just a right shoe.)
3) Treat yourself to a pair of dedicated driving shoes.


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## Mathew J (Mar 31, 2007)

IotaNet said:


> I have had that problem for years -- nothing unusual about it, especially for those of us with larger feet. In order for one's foot to fit in the footwell and also manipulate the accelerator, its often necessary to angle your foot to the right -- resulting in the back of your shoe rubbing the floor.
> 
> No need to change your driving style or take the train. (Did somebody really say that? :rolleyes2
> 
> ...


Its funny as I came here searching just for this very topic

I have a car that now I find I ruined a pair of allen Edmonds, thankfully they were pretty much gone anyway as they had some cracks in them

I have the all weather floor mats and find that it wears out the back of the heel on the side because of how I have my feet.

I am going to switch back to the carpet mats but last winter I also damaged another pair because they got water in there and it soaked through the shoe leaving a stain

Most likely I will either wear my sperry's when driving or buy some other driving style shoes.


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## phyrpowr (Aug 30, 2009)

I'm a bit late to this party, but I had a similar problem with hard rubber mats: little bits of sand, gravel and the like tend to accumulate *exactly* where I rest that part of the shoe. Carpet mats and a conscious effort to keep the shoe upright cured it....and more frequent shaking out of the mat.


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## momsdoc (Sep 19, 2013)

Just keep a pair of driving Mocs in the car. How long does it take to change and lace up a shoe? Jeez, we do it all the time going thru airports, or when arriving at the golf course.


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## chosenhandle (Aug 8, 2015)

I had the same problem years ago. I purchased a leather small leather cushion that sits under my right heel and keeps my shoe from touching the grungy mat. It totally took care of the shoe damage. I leave the cushion on the mat in place and my foot naturally lands on it when moving in to driving position. I periodically wiped it down to keep it clean and not damage my shoes. 

I haven't even looked for one in over 10 years so I can't tell you where to buy one, but the idea is sound and it can easily recreated. 

I have coco matts in my BMW and still use the cushion.


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## moltoelegante (Sep 23, 2015)

Some people who are serious about driving wear driving shoes in the car, even without having this issue. Driving shoes are designed to have sensitive soles so you can gauge the pedal pressure better, and of course they are grippy so your feet don't slip on the pedals.

Of course, any old trainers would solve the problem too.


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## Moonshae (Jun 9, 2015)

You are not alone. I had the same issue with most of my shoes...it's about how I rested my foot when driving, and not keeping the floor mats clean didn't help. When the car seat is close to the floor, you have no choice but to rest your heel on the floor. I now drive an SUV and with the extra height, my heel no longer rests on the floor. I think your problem is really unavoidable without changing cars, so you could vacuum daily to ensure the abrasives your shoes track in are gone, or keep driving shoes in the car.


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## AscotWithShortSleeves (Apr 12, 2009)

I wear semi-casual loafers (Ecco brand) on the way to work and keep a few pairs of nice shoes in a desk drawer. I change shoes after I arrive. The walk from the parking lot will wreck my shoes otherwise.


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

Relax and recognize that as we wear our beloved garments and shoes/boots wear and tear is going to rear it's ugly head. Regular application of tinted polish and sole and edge dressing should prove satisfactory in dealing with the scuffing on the right heel of his shoes.


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## Guest (Jan 26, 2020)

You’re not the only one!!!! It’s 5 years after you posted this and I came across it because I’m having the same problem!! Any solutions you found other than driving shoes?


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## momsdoc (Sep 19, 2013)

5 years later, same first world problems.. 
I presume the OP has made his peace with wearing driving shoes and then changing them out .........so difficult


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## Guest (Sep 15, 2020)

DOW said:


> Wow, seems like I'm the only one! Here's what I'm talking about...Exhibit A for the prosecution, a pair of AE for BB loafers...


Don't worry dude same Here😁


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## Guest (Oct 7, 2021)

Happens to women a lot! I think it has to do with height and angle of heel. I found these, outer shoe Achilles Shields heel cuff scuff protectors. Just remember to remove them before you leave the car.


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