Hopefully not such as daft question and i’m certainly not the most vain of people ( i cant be with my ugly mug 
) , but i’ve got my tuition starting in about a weeks time and i’m not really sure what is considered the rights and wrongs of shoes / boots for driving.
Is there a general acceptance that you should really wear boots ? should they be steelies / re-inforced are trainers a no-no ? etc etc
thanks,
Don
As most work places these days insist on safety boots/shoes I would suggest you get used to driving with whichever one of those is your preferred choice. Learning wearing trainers then switching to heavier steelies could have an adverse affect on your driving for a period as you adjust.
mmmm i agree with coffeeholic i am a new driver the 1st day i wore my safety doc marten boots, but did have trouble with the bite 1st day in a rigid, so wore my trainers, great no prob, also i checked an was ok 4 my tests, but then when you go to work different story, no hi-viz & no safety footwear an its goodbye!, but i solved the problem i got some great comfy safety trainers my ankle moves much better an i am used to the pedal feel now. a bit of a pain to have some cabwear which you will have to change every time you get out the cab! 
As you are just starting your training then wear the boots or shoes or trainers that you are most comfortable in and are what you are used to driving in.
It is hard enough getting used to a different vehicle and all the other tuff that goes along with trucker training without having to worry about if your feet are comfortable of not.
When you have passed your test then is the time to worry about whether you have to wear steelies or riggers or not.
Your instructor and the examiner will not be worried about what is on your feet - only the way you will be handling the vehicle.
Good luck on the taining and let us know how you get on.
Your goal is to pass the test wear what you feel more comfortable with.
One of the most important things and understated is to wash.
May sound daft but i was supposed to do a two man trunk 15 hour shift and the other driver was stinking refused to go in the end. Nothing worse been stuck in a crampt cab all day and someone aint washed.
Actually at work, yeah most places wont let you on site without safety boots or shoes, if you feel that uncomfortable wearing them, and your doing a lot of driving no harm in changing into trainners when you are in the cab. Used to do tramping and most of the time id be wearing trainners, if i went to a place where i needed to be wearing safety footware id change. Same with hi-viz i never wear it in the cab espec in the summer makes you all sticky and sweaty.
thanks for the replies.
I’ll head out and get boots, i’ll need to anyway. I dont mind boots in general, wear them at the stables a lot, just not safety wear ones.
in terms of hi-vis, is that a case of case of having a light waistcoat thing, or a larger waterproof jacket. ( i have either from cycling )
I wouldn’t worry about the footwear or hi-viz for training and once you start work safety gear should be supplied, especially the hi-viz.
Of course if they only supply a hi-viz vest, then getting you own coat for the winter is nice.
fisha:
thanks for the replies.I’ll head out and get boots, i’ll need to anyway. I dont mind boots in general, wear them at the stables a lot, just not safety wear ones.
in terms of hi-vis, is that a case of case of having a light waistcoat thing, or a larger waterproof jacket. ( i have either from cycling )
Most training schools have spare hi-vis as you have to wear them when your feet are on the floor in the test centre.
You can get trainers with toe caps in these days.
I did my training and test in trainers as they’re lighter and more flexible than boots so stopped me being too clumsy with the clutch. However every job obviously requires you to wear hi-vis and safety footwear, which is steel toe boots, imagine you might run into trouble convincing some H&S nazis that your steel toecap trainers are officially safety footwear.
Hello:
Interesting reading .
Here in Canada, there is a national standard for safety footwear, the "Green Triangle " symbol which is sewn into the side of all apporoved safety boots or shoes.
Is there not such a national standard in the UK, for safety boots/shoes ?
Secondly, it is easy here to find “safety shoes” that are low cut trainers, but which have complete safety compliance, including "nail proof " soles and non slip treads, along with toe protection .
Jim Bunting. Toronto.
I thought the standard wear for a lorry driver was High Heel Stilettoes and stockings 
Even a blonde wig thrown in for good measure!
I would wear safety boots and a high viz vest…Thats what I trained in.
Good luck mate Nige
Big Nige:
I thought the standard wear for a lorry driver was High Heel Stilettoes and stockings
It is if you listen to Weird Al Yankovic 
Kiowan:
I did my training and test in trainers as they’re lighter and more flexible than boots so stopped me being too clumsy with the clutch. However every job obviously requires you to wear hi-vis and safety footwear, which is steel toe boots, imagine you might run into trouble convincing some H&S nazis that your steel toecap trainers are officially safety footwear.
A short sharp application of said steely toed trainers, to an appropriate part of the H&S nazis anatomy will soon convince him they are steelies 
(Follow this advice at your own risk )
I thought the standard wear for a lorry driver was High Heel Stilettoes and stockings Even a blonde wig thrown in for good measure!
OK so you have seen me on the road but… It is my own hair NOT a wig cheeky 
Hi Don,
it is amazing who pops up where 
You shouldn’t be too bad in boots as you’ll be used to driving the Range Rover in them. Safety boots or trainers are the norm when on sites, but when I was on distance work I often used to drive in sandals, and change to boots on-site.
Hi-viz, either waistcoat or jacket, depends on the weather. Don’t wear in cab as it can reflect in the glass and be distracting. Are you still wearing shorts?
Treat the grearbox like an old LT85, take your time with the changes.
Good Luck
Well, how about that, Hi Renny.
I decided that shorts probably wasn’t the best thing to wear, so its jeans at the moment.
I went out and bought a pair of safety boots, but i’m not doing the learning in them. I’m wearing them to the farm to break them in and get them comfy. For learning i’m wearing a lighter pair of boots, which are a halfway house between trainers and the saftey ones and i’m quite happy with them so far. 
As for the gearbox, yeah, it has a similar sort of feel to the Land Rover ones. Out of gear, ask for gear, into gear feel.
So far, i’m loving it.