If you’ve ever watched a motor race, you may have noticed that drivers don’t tend to sport conventional footwear. While regular shoes are designed to be comfortable, racing shoes are all about transferring as much information from the car to the driver as possible. By donning a pair of light and tight racing boots with ultra-thin soles, racing drivers are granted as much feel over the pedals as they can get, allowing whispers of pressure to be placed on either the brake or throttle without interference.
The closer the soles of a driver's feet are to the surface of the pedals, the better, so most would probably race around in just their socks given the choice. Of course, what with all the weather and fire hazards commonplace in real-life motor racing, such a preference would never be permitted, but taking to the racing simulator and driving socks begin to make a lot more sense.
Wearing socks on the sim rig
For stay-at-home sim racing, away from all the weather and fire hazards, driving socks make the perfect driving footwear. Keeping to the tarmac on a sim racing game requires pedal feel just as it does in a real racing car; racing socks grant your feet all the pedal feel they need without the inconveniences of the outside world making shoeless driving impractical.
They’re also a lot cheaper, lighter and more comfortable than racing boots, so if you’re in the market for some new sim racing footwear, save yourself some cash and go for a pair of socks.
What features should I look out for?
Grip
As well as being ultra-thin, the soles of racing boots are also ultra-grippy. Since socks are among the slipperiest bits of clobber, most purpose-built sim racing socks include silicone padding on the bottom to improve grip. There’s no value to pedal feel if you can’t keep your feet where they should be, so for anyone wishing to take their sim racing seriously, grippy socks are a must.
Support and comfort
Sim races can go on for a while - stay comfortable, energised and ready for the worst with a pair of supportive socks. Some examples feature breathable fabric, cushioned heels and arch support to keep fatigue at bay.
If you're interested in picking up a pair of sim racing socks, here are our favourites to get you started.
Editor's choice
If it’s racing heritage that captures your imagination, look no further than these sim racing socks from Sparco. Few manufacturers of real-world racing kit have invested so heavily into the sim racing market as Sparco, but with it the brand has brought years of experience and racing expertise, none of which has been lost on these quality socks.
Featuring a reinforced Cordura heel and breathable fabric for comfort over long racing stints, these socks are manufactured for the highest quality pedal feel all day.
Pros
- High quality
Cons
- Expensive for a single pair
Top pick
www.demon-tweeks.com
This pair of socks from Cube Controls is another purpose-built example from a sim-racing kit manufacturer, featuring internal gel pads and breathable fabric for a soft and comfortable feel. If you’re a sim racer who doesn’t enjoy wearing boots, these socks with their PVC grip and lightweight design would make a great alternative.
While they are quite expensive, the build quality specific sim-racing more than the design justifies the top-end price.
Pros
- Purpose-built
- Quality internal gel pads for comfort
Cons
- Expensive for just a single pair
Best multipack
simhound.com
In terms of value, few sets of racing socks rank as highly as this example from Sim Hound. Included in the pack are three pairs, each sporting a different silicone grip configuration: heel and toe, just the heel and with no additional grip material added at all.
Not only are these socks manufactured from a high-wicking material to displace moisture build-up over long stints, but they’re also crafted with extra material for arch support and strain relief around the heel and ball areas. For just £20, this sim racing sock set is a bargain and the perfect gift for any sim racing fanatic.
Pros
- Breathable material
- Lightweight
Cons
- Feet might get cold in the winter
Like the Sim Hound set, these sim racing socks from Dapper Racing come in packs of three pairs, each featuring non-slip silicone soles for pedal grip and car control through the fast corners. We especially like these socks for their low-riding ankle design and breathable material to keep your feet feeling fresh over the course of a race.
If your living room is prone to warm up throughout the day, choose these socks as your lightweight solution.
Pros
- Three pairs to rotate
- Great value
Cons
- Cheaper options available
Best affordable alternative
If you’re building up your sim racing kit on a budget, there are plenty of affordable options out there for you to check out. Some socks are purpose-built for sim racing, but ultimately any pair of sports socks with a grippy silicone underside will do.
These socks from Gain The Edge represent a more general sports style, though still feature the same arch support and grippy silicone underside one would find on any pair of purpose-built sim racing socks. Comfortable and stylish, these socks could be used anywhere, from the gym to the football pitch to the sim rig, and all for under £7.
Pros
- Grippy
- Comfortable
Cons
- Possibly too heavy in warm climates