By this point, you’ve likely heard all about the new line of sport driving shoes available from Hunziker Design. In the interest of full disclosure, we were given a pair of these shoes by Hunziker to test out and report back to you the findings. I’m particularly hard on shoes, so expect a proper discussion of the daily-usability of these shoes, as well as their fitness for the purpose of driving spiritedly.
It is always important for a product to make a great first impression, and Huziker knocks it out of the park in that aspect. The packaging is second to none, the shoes come to your door already laced and placed in a special bag to keep them looking fresh and clean, which is perfect for travel. Inside the box is an extra pair of insoles to keep your shoes feeling new, even after hundreds of miles, along with a second pair of shoelaces and a Hunziker Design decal to put wherever your heart desires. We put ours on the toolbox.
Needless to say, the packaging makes the shoes instantly feel special. The quality of materials used, even in the box, is above expectation. The shoes themselves follow a similar pattern. Of the seven styles of shoe offered, we chose the Brown and Cream Steve McQueen homage shoes. Upon initial inspection the suede is quite nice, the stitching is of a high quality, and the soles are made of a high density rubber to promote a good balance of support and ability to feel the pedals.
The insoles are highly stylized with both the Hunziker Design logo and Steve McQueen’s signature. In the case of our shoes, they were designed around Steve’s personal Mini Cooper, so an imprint of his Mini is also on the insole across the foot bed. It’s a neat touch that nobody else will see.
I’ve logged a couple hundred miles with these shoes in various cars, and walked a couple dozen miles with them on as well. While we wouldn’t expect them to show any signs of wear, they certainly are starting to conform to the foot quite well. My right foot is just a little wider than my left, so for the first few times wearing them there was a pinch on the right. After wearing them a bit, they’ve conformed to my foot, and feel quite comfortable. Obviously we wouldn’t recommend running a marathon in these, but for a track day*, autocross, or tour event with your car club, these shoes will be quite comfortable all day.
We tested these shoes in both of our Porsches, the Project Boxster Clubsport and our newly delivered 1976 912E, and they work great. Being that these shoes really hug your feet, there is plenty of room to dance on the pedals and the support across the foot-bed makes throttle blips with the right hand side of your right foot easy while modulating braking.
Additionally, Hunziker Design’s Casual Driving shoes feature a rolled heel to help keep your heel planted in one place on the floor of your Porsche while rotating your right foot between the throttle and brake. The left foot doesn’t need that feature quite as much in our Porsches for functionality, but it actually makes a comfortable rest against the deadpedal for my left foot on highway stints.
From the driving and walking we’ve already done in these shoes, it’s easy to say that we thoroughly enjoy wearing them. They are attractive as footwear is concerned, and the McQueen Racing logo is subtly included in the shoe’s sidepanel. They’re functional, they’re comfortable, and they’re good looking to boot. You may not instantly become Steve McQueen by wearing Hunziker shoes, but they’ll make your driving experience even more enjoyable, and when you’re in a Porsche, that’s really saying something!
Discount on Hunziker Casual Driving Shoes
The shoes are in stock now and can be shipped immediately, you can purchase yours by visiting ShopHunziker.com. Even better, Hunziker is offering FLATSIXES.com reader’s a 15% discount. Simply used discount code “flatsixes” at checkout and the discount will be automatically applied. Sizes range from US Mens 4 through US Mens 13 as well as half-sizes from 8.5 to 11.5. Their sizing list also shows US Womens corresponding sizes, and there is a chart to help you choose your size if you use European sizing. The shoes range in price from $125 to $145, depending upon style selected.
All photos copyright 2016 Bradley Brownell/FLATSIXES.com
*It is important to note that these shoes are not SFI certified, and may not be appropriate for all track-day sanctioning bodies.
