I posted a version of this question to BeechTalk which, it turns out, might not have been the most appropriate place for it. Sometimes that place is indistinguishable from PoA.

I took some instruction from a nearby legit Skywagon guru who felt very strongly that I should wear thin-soled shoes, the better to feel the rudder pedals and brakes. “If you show up here in hiking boots, you’re going to be flying in your socks,” he said. Also, “if you’re going hiking, you can bring boots and put them on after you land.”

Not wanting to agitate him, I left unanswered the question of “what about ‘dressing for the crash?’” It seems wise to wear warm boots when flying over cold ground.

OTOH, it does seem to help, wearing something like minimalist hikers. Aerobatic guys are all about it. And the one time I flew in Mucks I felt like my feet were behind the airplane.

What about you? Do you give a thought to what’s on your feet when you head to the airport?

Yes, within reason. If you can move the rudders dynamically and proactively quite quickly and constantly with boots, no problem. I got an Army winter insulated boot caught in the small hole cut into a wood structure in a Pietenpol once and had to pull off quickly while readjusting my foot.

I think thin soled shoes are good when you're training and learning tailwheel, or even in a trike. But it's not a lasting necessity. At some point your brain kinda figures out what the feet should be doing and it takes a lot less "feeling" of the pedals to get it done. Then your shoes don't matter. Big boots, flip flops, whatever.

Imagine the far north guys flying in bunny boots!

Zzz wrote:I think thin soled shoes are good when you're training and learning tailwheel, or even in a trike. But it's not a lasting necessity. At some point your brain kinda figures out what the feet should be doing and it takes a lot less "feeling" of the pedals to get it done. Then your shoes don't matter. Big boots, flip flops, whatever.

Imagine the far north guys flying in bunny boots!

Second this - I felt thin shoes important for learning, then once you've got "the feel" less so.
Only caveat I'd say is depends on the airplane. Flying a cub from the front, whatever works. Flying from the back, my feet(11.5) don't fit to work rudders/brakes in much more than converse.

I fly in what I'm wearing for the day and weather. whether that be flipflops, mountaineering boots, bunny boots, ski boots, whatever.

Yes the thinner soles help feel foot pressure, but in the end, I'm landing and taking off using my eyes and feel of the plane for tracking straight, and I make the plane do what I want it to do, regardless of foot pressure.

I believe in dressing to survive, and I make my students wear appropriate footwear, within reason of course. I dont make them wear bunny boots, but slip-on race shoes when its 10 and a foot a snow is not happening.

Work your way up, you will get used to whatever you use. I have a hard time flying without gloves, thanks to my military days

If we are moving the rudders dynamically and proactively, we are constantly observing bracketed longitudinal axis alignment. If the nose (between our legs) is not allowed to jump off target, the wing is automatically either level or locked into the bank angle we selected to counter crosswind. Yes, feel helps with learning, but keeping it straight is so monkey see monkey do that foot buoyancy is not so important. With static reactive rudder, a stiff sole can impede progress back to correct. Don't let the nose go anywhere by constantly moving the feet and there will be nothing to fix. For the pilot already moving his feet, who knew there was gyroscopic precession when the tail is brought up with elevator. For the pilot already moving his feet, who knew there was P factor when he pitched up to bring the mains off. For the pilot already moving his feet, correction is an automatic part of the technique.

Or, what Tangogwad said.

My training in tailwheel came from one of the best. He flew in flip flops and went barefoot the rest of the time.

I fly in sandals all Summer, a light hiking boot in the shoulder seasons and nice BIG warm boats all Winter. To date haven't noticed any significant issues but they say it's hard to "proof read" your own work.

I fly in what I'm wearing....

But... when I'm mowing the lawn, I must be in my bogs, otherwise I just can't seem to get a feel for the mower, then my lawn stripes aren't straight, then my wife insists on taking over. It's a real pain.

akschu wrote:I fly in what I'm wearing....

But... when I'm mowing the lawn, I must be in my bogs, otherwise I just can't seem to get a feel for the mower, then my lawn stripes aren't straight, then my wife insists on taking over. It's a real pain.

I know right, don't ya just hate it when they takeover like that and you have to go flying to decompress.

I fly in whatever I'm wearing and dress for the weather. In summer I'm 99% in Blundstones. In winter it's whatever will keep me warm in case if a crash. I've never noticed any difference.

This thread is mostly teaching me about various's men's various footwear choices.

Zzz wrote:This thread is mostly teaching me about various's men's various footwear choices.

And how little it matters when your just “rudder it” around the skies.

Ok I'll be serious: They can claw my Salomon XA Pros off my feet at gunpoint.

Hard to go wrong with good trail runners. In winter, just switch to the waterproof version and prepare to burn them come spring.

Before the instructor mentioned in the OP, I was all about dressing for the weather I might have to hike through or sit in. Then he made me doubt myself. Maybe I was the only one who felt that way?

I will say that something like sneakers or trail runners allows you to move the rudders with your ankles and calves, whereas bigger shoes and boots move that control up to your knees and hips.

Maybe that matters, maybe it doesn’t.

I guess I’ve been training for 30 years, I still don’t like stiff soles and tailwheels. If I’m going hunting as an example and have on my 12” Crispi guides, I take them off.

Wear whatever wets your whistle but if you’re proficient enough, it matters not. I fly 600 hours per summer in chest waders. Size 14 Simms boots over neoprene socks which are over normal socks. I can’t feel the damn rudder pedals. I push, plane nose moves. Or maybe it doesn’t. I hope it does though. I would not wear these if I had much of a choice.

This post would’ve been drastically different when I was a private pilot. I always flew in specific shoes.

This is not to say you should wear cumbersome shoes, just wear whatever you want to wear. If your flying is impacted by footwear, then prioritize that. If other parts of your day/mission/whatever are more important and need different footwear, do that.

I took primary training in light moccasins, The first time I had to fly in heavy work boots I did NOT like it. Over the years I got used to flying in whatever I had on but I still like the feel of a light shoe.

Think this was discussed in another thread or forum, but - I don't think it matters. I've worn waders, hip boots, Xtra Tufs, hiking boots, just about anything else. Whatever is needed for the conditions you're flying in.

The OP’s first intuition was right in my opinion: wear whatever you’d NEED to have on your feet if you have to park it mid flight. Take your shoes off to fly? Seriously? Try finding those shoes in that burning heap after the crash. With burnt feet, that weren’t protected by those Shoes/boots/etc.

I wore bunny boots twenty winters flying all sorts of tail wheel planes, including a lot of 185 time.
If I can fly a 185 wearing bunny boots, you can.

That advice came from a helicopter driver friend, who wore them, in a helicopter….where you kinda need to feel what’s going on, at least doing precision work.

Sandals, flip flops, etc…all I can say is: Don’t crash, and don’t get stuck somewhere there are bugs due to weather.

Good grief!

MTV