The Steel Guitar Forum

I remember playing with a steel player some time back that said he couldn't wear cowboy boots for some reason when he played. So I ask the question, are there certain types of shoes or boots you wear or try to stay away from? I wear a size 12 and some tennis shoes or boots I wear can be wide. Anybody have problems with this at all?

Yup. My wife is oriental, so we don't wear shoes in the house (not that unusual for a country boy, anyway - didn't wear any 'til I started school (just kiddin'))..anyway, got used to playing in house slippers or in socks and when I started trying to play on stage, just couldn't do it with heavy boots or shoes on. Finally settled on some penny loafers with thin soles to play. (I need to feel that pedal to do it right!)

I usually wear black sneakers. I cannot use cowboy boots with pointed toes because when you go to grab two pedals, you don't always get two, not wide enough. I do have a pair of round toe boots which work OK, but the softer shoes are more comfortable. Wear whatever works for you and keep on picking!

Around the house I wear some old leather mocassons that allow for good pedal feel. As I work in a traditional country band, we wear the hats, starched shirts and jeans, and boots. I buy boots with the 'square receding toe', and they work great. Jody.

Yup, me too.. got an old pair of Sabago mocs, excellent feel on the pedals, mighty comfy too

I have fairly small feet so it doesn't seem to make that much difference to me what I wear. I played in cowboy boots for years but have gotten away from wearing those pointy types. I usually play in tennis shoes at home and Ropers on stage.

A couple of years ago I was in Seattle and got to hear Dan Tyack playing. He plays barefoot!

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Steve Stallings
Bremond, Texas
Emmmons/Mullen/Remington
Evans


<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Steve Stallings on 25 August 2002 at 04:06 AM.]</p></FONT>

moccasins around the house, sneakers on the gig..or when I actually want to stomp on the right pedals !

tp

I found some wingtips with a non-skid sole. THe leather soles are hard for me to control. They were a good brand at a discount store. I have never been able to play in boots.

Hey Dante, I wouldn't worry about it too much...You'll find out soon enough if certain footwear is uncomfortable to play in. In the meantime, try playing in whatever you like to wear normally. No use changing your wardrobe to accomodate playing steel. JMHO. Incidentally, notice a lot of the pros at the shows are wearing athletic type shoes.

Just thought it might be a point of interest to anyone suffering the same problem. Though I played in boots at one point, I've played for years in light comfortable shoes of all types (sneakers, moccasins). I play the Day setup, and I began developing what I have to assume is an arthiritic condition in the joint of my big toe (Shaquille O'neal syndrome) from rolling onto my A pedal. I discovered that it was'nt a problem if I wore boots that allowed me to use the whole sole of my foot/boot to put pressure on the A pedal instead of the big toe doing all the work with a lighter soled shoe.<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Jeff Watson on 25 August 2002 at 02:59 PM.]</p></FONT><FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Jeff Watson on 25 August 2002 at 03:00 PM.]</p></FONT>