What sort of shoes do you like to wear when playing?

Stefan Roller · From: Germany

Doc Martens Boots (not the over ankle high eight holes) or Clarks Desert Boots.

Jason Hull · Posted 1 Mar 2011 3:04 am

I'm {deleted by admin}, so I use whatever happens to be on my feet. Laughing

Kevin Shiflett · From: Louisiana, USA

Thx guys, I am going to try a pair of low top boots another member on the forum sent me via PM.
http://www.sheplers.com/mens/medium_toe_boots/030208.html

And maybe a pair of those roper shoes. They look like my work boots minus the upper part.

Ronald Sikes · From: Corsicana, Tx

Jerry I like the roper shoes and can feel the pedals fine . They're dressy enough to pass off as boots on stage and very comfortable . They also come in black . I'm going to buy some more to have in case they discontinue them .
Every time I go through tne airport the security comments on how they thought they were boots .
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Kirk Eipper · From: Arroyo Grande, Ca.

I used to wear elk skin Ropers by Olathe out of Kansas. Soft like buttah.

Since the back surgery and attempted repair of said back, I now wear moccasins because I cant feel my feet.
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Tom Wolverton · From: Carpinteria, CA

This dork likes dressy Rockports. : )
I like the way the VP fits under them. But I'm not pushing PSG pedals much.

By the way, didn't Sneaky Pete sometimes wear two-toned bowling shoes?
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Cliff Kane · From: the late great golden state

For you folks that play in cowboy / western boots, would you please talk about how the different heel shapes and heights work out for you when playing pedal steel?

Thanks!

chris ivey · From: california (deceased)

glad to see everyone but roual has a sense of humor.

i find tall heels (riding heels) most appropriate for rocking and swiveling at a comfortable height. i've also found a fairly stiff sole to give me the depressing action on the pedals that i like...for a firm fast pedal.

i did wear tennies for a good part of one year when all my boots needed repairing and got used to them, but i prefer the boots and i'm much more comfortable with the look and attitude of nice western boots. and attitude helps my playing.

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

Honestly, I don't know one heel from the other on cowboy boots. I believe the ones I buy to play in have walking heels (something the owner of the western wear store called them), which I think are lower than riding heels, but again, I don't really know. I only play in the medium toe boots, the ones with rounded toes, not the pointed type as they do get caught in the pedal rods.

I have used Justin and Tony Lama both, and have no problem "feeling" the pedals. I have a lower back injury , that causes bad attacks of sciatica that makes my legs and feet numb, and I also have diabetes (although just borderline) and have a little trouble with my feet, and it presents no problem for me. But people with more severe cases of diabetes can have major problems with their feet.

I did have to put 1" extenders on the pedal rods of my Carter when I started playing again in cowboy boots, as the vertical knee levers were too low (without much more room for adjusting up into the guitar). I'm not sure if Carter built my guitar an inch lower than what is considered "industry standard" as Bill Rudolph at Williams told me. When I measured the distance from floor to bottom of front apron when ordering the Williams I used to have, he told me it was "industry standard height".

I can play in lower soled shoes, but the vertical knee levers are harder to use (have to readjust them lower) and my ankle gets sore, or maybe the word should be fatigued. If I went to lower soled shoes, I would take the extenders off.

I wondering if the ankle "not being able to bend" has more to do with the higher elevation of your heel in relation to the toes. I'm sure you would have to give your feet, ankles and leg time to adjust to this. I know that when I started playing out again five years ago, I was using tennis shoes but in a few weeks, switched to cowboy boots and went through a period where my feet, ankles and legs hurt (yes even the one on the volume pedal), but that went away in a week or two.

Basically, play in whatever is comfortable., unless it is part of a band uniform, then you kind of have to wear what they tell you. And remember, for those who say their hero plays in (insert shoe type here), that doesn't mean it is right for you. Buddy may play in tennies now, but look at how many years he had to wear boots as part of the band uniform.

I would have problems taking my shoes off on stage to play barefooted. But, that's just me.

Chris said:

Chris Lucker · From: Los Angeles, California USA

Boots are great for playing if they are made for it. The red topped ones with the music notes and silver inlaid initials are Kangaroo for flexibility, have lamb lining, and silver dollar heels that are underslung and 2 1/2 inches high. This pair was actually selected for a picture book on boots.
Most cowboy boots you buy in a store have heels the size of a ham sandwich. That is because they don't have a sixty penny bridge spike for an arch -- they use a steel plate which allows the shortcut of stitching the sole from the arch to heel. Even dress shoes with tops, which are what low heeled Ropers really are, are hard to play in because of the broad heel that does not get out of the way when the foot is tilted for pedals.
This first photo is a close friend's boots but they show the heel I am talking about.

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Red Bellies, Bigsbys and a lot of other guitars.

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

John Bechtel · From: Nashville, Tennessee, R.I.P.

Thin-Flexable Soles and Tapered-Heels! Smile

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Chris Lucker · From: Los Angeles, California USA

I meant ham sandwich in the footprint of the heel, not the height.

Ham sandwich vs silver dollar.
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Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

Of course, my ham sandwiches use french rolls making them huge (actually, I don't care for ham that much).

Thanks for the clarification Chris. I can see where that might affect some people. I think the heels on those red boots (pretty boots, by the way) are what the western store owner was referring to as riding heels. He was explaining that the heel had more of an angle to help the foot stay in the stirrups better. Now, granted, that conversation took place over 30 years ago. I have had boots like that, but only wore them as dress boots when going out somewhere, and not to play in (they usually had the pointed toes). I see that the boots in your picture have the pointed toe. Do you find them catching in the pedal rods? I always thought that if I wanted to wear them, I would eventually adjust my "foot playing" so that it wasn't a problem. I have seen many players play in pointed toes with no problem.

It's the barefoot people with POINTED toes that scare me. Whoa!

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Mark Dershaw · From: Arizona and Ohio

I always wanted to wear boots while playing but could never pull it off unless I'm only playing steel on a few songs. All night long with my foot rocking from side to side and the top of the boot slapping back and forth. Uncomfortable and restrictive (to me).

Steve Gorman · From: Gilroy California

Trying to maneuver a couple of size 13 cowboy boots around under the guitar just doesn't work for me. I usually wear Chuck Taylors, or something comfortable. Haven't tried moccasins, but they look like they would work well. At home for practicing, barefoot works fine.

Duncan Hodge · From: DeLand, FL USA

I play in Kino sandals
http://www.kinosandals.com/index.html

Kinos may not work up north, or on "the dusty trail", like boots, but they feel like barefoot and allow you to use your big toe, when necessary. Kinos may work in LA, as I hear that it is fairly warm there. As far as attitude, Kinos scream "Save the Whales", even though they are made by a fairly conservative Cuban guy in Key West.
Duncan
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Roual Ranes · From: Atlanta, Texas, USA

Chris Ivey,
Hey, I have a sense of humor but I thought it only fair to warn you that there are some big guys out that there that wouldn't. I have met one or two.
I learned not to tell a guy his guitar sounded like a tin can to me.

Tom Wolverton · From: Carpinteria, CA

Hey Roual -

I play a Marrs RSG lapsteel. You can tell me it sounds like a "tin can" anytime you want. : )
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Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

This is my favorite footwear:

Stu Schulman · From: Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)

Black New Balance walking shoes,The ones that Chefs and hotel workers wear! Winking

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Paul E. Brennan · From: Dublin, Ireland

I don't really mind provided the toes are not too pointy - they get caught in the pedal rods.

Kevin Hatton · From: Buffalo, N.Y.

Bruno Mali's.

Dave Manion · From: Boise, Idaho, USA

Chris those are some underslung heels for sure! Nice lookin boots.

Steven Finley · From: California, USA

Re: boots
Anyone who has lived and worked in Texas has learned that pointed-toe and high-heeled boots are for riding a horse, not for walking, dancing, or playing steel guitar. People who do not know this will eventually become a foot doctor's best friend.

A guy I work with, "Tom" also plays steel. He wears rhinestone tennis shoes; he wants to take bets on which causes more discomfort, rhinestones going up a redneck's butt or rhinestones coming down a redneck's butt. Is this a politically correct bet?

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