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

Stefan Roller · Post by **Stefan Roller** » 1 Mar 2011 1:36 am

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

Jason Hull · Post by **Jason Hull** » 1 Mar 2011 3:04 am

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

Kevin Shiflett · Post by **Kevin Shiflett** » 1 Mar 2011 4:35 am

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 ... 30208.html

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

Ronald Sikes · Post by **Ronald Sikes** » 1 Mar 2011 6:59 am

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 .

Kirk Eipper · Post by **Kirk Eipper** » 1 Mar 2011 8:03 am

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.

Tom Wolverton · Post by **Tom Wolverton** » 1 Mar 2011 9:58 am

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?

Cliff Kane · Post by **Cliff Kane** » 1 Mar 2011 10:06 am

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 · Post by **chris ivey** » 1 Mar 2011 10:24 am

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 · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 1 Mar 2011 10:58 am

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:

i agree with richard about everything today

I must have had a good day

Chris Lucker · Post by **Chris Lucker** » 1 Mar 2011 11:02 am

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.

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 1 Mar 2011 11:21 am

Most cowboy boots you buy in a store have heels the size of a ham sandwich.

Chris, would that be a ham sandwich like my ex-wife would make (just bread and ham, and some mayo if you were nice) or one like I would make (ham, cheese, mayo mustard, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and lots of it -at least 3 or 4 inches-. Oh yeah, and bread)?

But seriously, Chris mentioned the material the boots are made of. That may be a good point. But all the boots I wear are just leather uppers and lowers. I could never see paying a fortune for exotic boots to mess them up by playing in them. And I am not sure what the ham sandwich heels are (too low or too high), but I have never had a pair of boots that the heel ever stood in the way of me being able to bend my ankles comfortably in both directions.

But again, everyone is different. Find what works for you and use it.

John Bechtel · Post by **John Bechtel** » 1 Mar 2011 11:31 am

Thin-Flexable Soles and Tapered-Heels!

Chris Lucker · Post by **Chris Lucker** » 1 Mar 2011 11:35 am

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

Ham sandwich vs silver dollar.

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 1 Mar 2011 11:58 am

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.

Mark Dershaw · Post by **Mark Dershaw** » 1 Mar 2011 12:34 pm

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 · Post by **Steve Gorman** » 1 Mar 2011 1:22 pm

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 · Post by **Duncan Hodge** » 1 Mar 2011 2:08 pm

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

Roual Ranes · Post by **Roual Ranes** » 1 Mar 2011 3:02 pm

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 · Post by **Tom Wolverton** » 1 Mar 2011 4:06 pm

Hey Roual -

I play a Marrs RSG lapsteel. You can tell me it sounds like a "tin can" anytime you want. : )

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 2 Mar 2011 9:29 am

This is my favorite footwear:

Stu Schulman · Post by **Stu Schulman** » 2 Mar 2011 9:51 am

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

Paul E. Brennan · Post by **Paul E. Brennan** » 2 Mar 2011 3:21 pm

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

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 2 Mar 2011 4:40 pm

Bruno Mali's.

Dave Manion · Post by **Dave Manion** » 2 Mar 2011 6:38 pm

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

Steven Finley · Post by **Steven Finley** » 2 Mar 2011 7:24 pm

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?