Tod's driving shoes?

[Timothy]

I have recently picked up a pair of them at a nearby 'outlet' type of store for a very good price so I have some questions on them. First are these mainly for driving, or do those of you who own them ever wear them out for the evening? If you do wear them out and about what have you found to go best with them? What type of functions have you found them appropriate to wear to? By the way the ones I got are bright red so they may not go with every thing, and may be a little too obnoxious to wear to say a more conservative event. Also I am not looking for any 'rules' on how to wear them for I do have a mind of my own, it's just I want some others input on their experience with them. Another question is how do you keep the leather soles clean and intact from the elements on the ground? If their is anything else I need to know please tell me. Thank you.

 

[thc]

I'm glad you got them at the outlet. While Tod's shoes are very comfortable (I have two pairs), they look so easy to make and I always hold out for the sale; I refuse to pay full price...

Tod's shoes are not only for driving. They're just called that because that was the intended use of them. But people wear them all over. I have rubber-soled ones and so can trek around city all day in them. You may not be able to do that. Does your pair have pebbles on the bottom? If so, it's probably more of an indoor shoe or a shoe for short walks.

In terms of the color, I would wear them with a dark khaki. Not too sure...mine are just brown.

 

[European Interloper]

It all depends on what color they are and what other shoes you have. I bought the limited ferrari ones (I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself) and wear them when I'm in Italy when I'm driving around between restaurants and hotels. They're actually made for driving, which is why they have the sole on the heel. I wear mine with almost anything, as they look about the same as a pair of red adidas trainers when the bridge is covered. You can treat them the same as Drivers dress-wise, but preferably only wear them outdoors in the summer because the color is quite garish.
Tim: Tod's is actually an extremely high-quality shoe brand, so I'd be very proud of yourself if you can find the driving shoe in the good colors on sale. Perhaps the shoes don't sell as well in America, because I know the store on Sloane Street in London sells out all the time.
--European Interloper

 

[Timothy]

Thanks for the kind words gentlemen.  Interloper we share very similar footwear for these are also Tod's for Ferrari, mine are just the plain suede loafer.  Since they are the bright red I'm thinking that neutral colors in the brown, gold, tan range will best go with them. As to the bottoms thc they are little, plastic knobs coming out from under the suede.  I don't know if this is what you mean by 'pebbles'?  My biggest interest is in how to keep the suede sole from absorbing too much dirt and debris?  What ways exist to clean them (the soles), or is this an area that one can do nothing about but accept it that they'll get dirty? In the end I think these will make a great summertime shoe to run around in.  Now all I need is the Ferrari to go under them.....

 

[thc]

Timothy: yes that's what I mean by pebbles. I got rubber soled loafers because I wanted to be able to walk around in the city in them and go out with them for a casual dinner or something. Since you got the ones with no real soles, just pebbles, which is the trad'l style, I wouldn't use them as "walking shoes." Maybe for a quiet dinner or something where you'll be sitting more than walking.

Yes, Tod's shoes are good quality, I just think that they are a bit over-priced. Maybe it's because they're so popular.

 

[European Interloper]

To keep the soles clean, try brushing them with a hard brush. It should do some good, at least removing most of the staining.
---European Interloper

 

[Drew]

I believe those are Puma Monacos, and I have a similar lowcut suede Puma called the Speed Cat.

Definitely casual, I wear mine with jeans or other dress-down looks. I love mine and think they are a sort of monogrammed slipper for the working man.

 

[demo5]

I have about 10 pairs of Tod's, and they are my favorite shoes. The "driving loafer/mocassin" is their invention from the 1970s. All it means it the little nubs on the bottom of the shoe. Since many of their differnt styles of shoes have these nubs, they are all driving loafers. As for the Ferrari ones, they are no different than the "Limited Edition" Tod's, both of which retail for $425 in U.S. stores. What separates the limited edition/Ferrari from the regular driving loafer are nunbs fuill between the toe and the heel, as opposed to a gap in the normal loafers. I doubt this makes any real difference to the shoe, other than marketing. As for every wear, you certainly cannot wear the classic loafers or mocassins every day without destroying them quickly. The nubs on Tods wear out very quickly. However, I have a couple of pairs of the "lug sole" driving loafers, which are the same as the classic ones except they have a thick rubber sole (about an inch), and are usually sold in the colder months and wear more like a regular loafer. I wear my lug sole Tods virtually every day I'm not in a suit and I have extended walking to do, and despite wearing the nubs off very quickly, the shoe performs very well with a flattened sole. After four years, I wore I finally wore a hole through one pair, and I just had a cobbler put on a new sole and I continue to wear them as knock-around shoes.

If you have the classic thin loafers, there isn't going to be much you can do to prevent wear/dirt from getting on the sole. If you were the classic loafers a lot, you are going to destroy them in a season or two, but that's the price you pay for the ultimate comfort and style that they provide.

 

[Kai]

There are driving shoes, and then there are racing shoes. Â You aren't going to wear "driving shoes" on a track. Â I have both. Â Here are my Tods and my Puma racing shoes. Â IMO, the Tods are meant to be worn casually outside of driving (although you see more women wearing them casually than men) because they really can't be used as pure "driving" shoes anyway. Â That's what the Pumas are for.

Nice shoes. I've got the same pair of Pumas. and those Tods look very nice. I agree with others here who have said that if your Tods have the little rubber dots, that they won't last long if you wear them on concrete. They are made for driving, or walking around on carpet or on smooth surfaces. Walking around on sidewalks with them will wear out the soles very quickly.

 

[kitonbrioni]

While I have a couple Tod's driving shoes and have treated them delicately, I also have a Tod's leather "sneaker" style which have a lug type sole. They have held up to a lot of walking just fine.

 

[hughesbryant]

Sorry to bring up an old thread. When you say that the pebbled bottoms will wear out quickly, do you mean like 3-4 days of wearing outside? Or more like 40-50. I know many people here buy their shoes and wear them for 10+ years before they wear out. "Wear out quickly" seems pretty relative on this forum.

 

[MyOtherLife]



Sorry to bring up an old thread. When you say that the pebbled bottoms will wear out quickly, do you mean like 3-4 days of wearing outside? Or more like 40-50. I know many people here buy their shoes and wear them for 10+ years before they wear out. "Wear out quickly" seems pretty relative on this forum.

It depends on the shoe. Personally I am not up to date on Tod's but I have several pair of them. A small breakdown to start will be:
Driving loafers / mocs: These are literally, for driving. The rubber pebbles provide extra traction for your foot on the gas peddle. A week of concrete and the pebbles are gone. You can walk on softer surfaces like grass a lot longer.
Dress Sneaker: These have incredibly strong rubber or nylon soles and can take a beating but are for walking and not sports. They sound like dress shoes when walking (clump).
Deck Shoe / Camper: Pebbled sole but the soles are very strong. The pebbles may wear quickly but the soles will last a long long time.
This is based on what I own which is 5 years old. What is new for 2012 I haven't checked. They are comfortable shoes but are an extravagance for sure at their price point at retail. They are easily found on Ebay or SF Buy & Sell for less. As far as your projection of 10 years of wear, this is unreasonable unless you have many shoes in your rotation. For every days wearing you'll get 1 or 2 summers out of them.
Hopefully someone will ring in with even more data.

 

[Qvatsch]

Actually the originals are these guys: http://www.carshoe.com/it/en