Footwear?

[Matthew Zuckerman]

What's everyone using for footwear on the pedal steel? As a newbie I've come to realize it's quite important. I've seen everything from cowboy boots, converse, to barefoot!
Can you maybe give a specific model of shoe that works well? Something I can get online?
Thank you!

[Joe Bill Moad]

I use a pair of Whites Packers. Best steel arch and comfortable all day and night long. They are built in Washington State and are the real deal. They have a “riding heel” built for riding horses all day with your feet in a stirrup(real sharp underslung heels). They are lace ups which make for extra comfort. When reaching from pedal 1 to 2 consecutive to make notes the underslung heel is like no other. Plus you can feel the pedals under your feet without guessing or looking. If you ever own a pair you won’t wear anything else, plus they look cool as hell, handmade and sharp, They run about $600 and if you wear them out(which you won’t) they have you ship them back to the Factory and rebuild both boots for $250. Cant beat the quality build and the leather they use is the best.

Thanks

Joe Bill Moad

[Jay Coover]

Sneakers like Vans for me, where I can kind of feel the pedals through the sole.

I see dudes wearing cowboy boots and it boggles my mind how they can make it work. My ankles have to be completely free, but clearly some folks can make it work with boots.

[Lee Baucum]

Sketchers!

I own quite a few pairs in black, gray, brown, and tan.

My feet complain when I wear anything else. They go great with jeans or Dockers.

~Lee

[Bill McCloskey]

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[Dale Rottacker]

I used to wear Cowboy boots all the time a hundred years ago, but with a riding heel, you either have to raise the back legs and tilt it forward or get an above standard height guitar, or just wear holes in the tops of your pants on the belcranks. (at least thats my experience on my old Pro lll). Today with the newer MSA Legend, its pretty easy to reach under the guitar to raise the vertical with an easy access thumbscrew or lower the pedals with the adjustable pedal height knobs, so boots or higher profile shoes wouldn't be much of an issue on this guitar. That said, you may use language your Dear Old Mother wouldn't approve of on guitars you have to crawl under to make those adjustments. MERCY!!!

So my kick-around daily "drivers" have been boat shoes forEVER, (less than a hundred years) and find them very comfortable for both walking and playing. Being able to wear regularly and then go straight to playing negates me having to find my "playing shoes". I also wear Sketchers for walking or mowing the lawn and find them very comfortable, however they do raise the elevation of your feet, making it more difficult to get under the guitar. They also don't allow ankle flex for rocking off and on the pedals as easily as Boat Shoes provide with their lower profile.

I also got a pair of Minnetonka Moccasin/Slippers. Since about 2018, my feet have been getting increasingly numb and cold most of the time. (Frostbit as a kid didn't help, as they've always been a bit on the cold side) SO around the house I'm constantly wearing these slippers which are sheepskin lined with a rubber sole and very comfortable for walking around the house and playing which tends to be quite a bit.

[Roger Rettig]

I'm down to just my socks these days.

I can't imagine how I used to play effectively in dress-shoes, as per the Costume Designers' requirements for stage show. If I try that now, I find myself catching an adjacent pedal.

[Howard Parker]

Matt,

As you can see there's really no definitive answer.

If you can execute in hiking boots, go for it. If socks is your thing, just play away.

Brands, types of footwear that work for you? Who knows?

H

[Bill McCloskey]

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[Roger Rettig]

I should add that I was never able to play in cowboy boots or, indeed, anything with a raised heel.

Bill: As I walk around the house, my footwear has long been just socks. At LAST, I found a brand of reinforced socks that, so far, have defied all probabilities and show no signs of wear, not even from the pedals on my steels.

I have been known to sit at my Emmons during bouts of insomnia with just my bare feet. That's only okay for about twenty minutes!

[Bill McCloskey]

Love to know that brand Roger. I'll order a pair today.

[Brian Spratt]

Wrestling shoes for at home practice and pushing your limits. But be capable of playing in more presentable footwear for gigging out.

[Roger Rettig]

Bill:

They're remarkably hard-wearing and are comfortably 'spongy'. They came from Amazon; the logo here says:

Enerwear

They're in a 10-pack for 19.99;
"Unisex Cotton Moisture Wicking Cushion Crew Socks"

[Roger Crawford]

Hey Dude has a light weight sole that lets you feel the pedals, and they are comfortable to wear.

[Jerry Overstreet]

Wrestling shoes for at home practice and pushing your limits. But be capable of playing in more presentable footwear for gigging out

Exactly Brian. I used to wear those soft shaft dingo boots a lot just for any event outside the house so naturally I wore them at the gigs.

But I always chose shoes that complemented however I was dressed...so it might also be dress shoes, casual shoes or even athletic shoes. I'd hate to be married to one type of shoe for playing steel. I think you should be able to play in any type shoes that fit your wardrobe otherwise.

Other musicians already think steel players are weird. No reason to give them further fodder for ridicule.

My rock drummer buddy always wears Chucks. That seems to be de riguer for rockers, for whatever reason.

Once, I questioned a well known player here about wearing mocassins at the classical concerts he played wearing a tux, he said he still wore those damn mocs. Go figure.

[Lee Baucum]

In my case, I dazzle the audience with my youthful good looks; so, they pay little attention to my footwear!

[Brett Day]

I use sandals right now for pedal steel and they work really well

[John Sims]

I like good quality boat shoes. You can feel the pedals better...

[Dale Rottacker]

Bill:

They're remarkably hard-wearing and are comfortably 'spongy'. They came from Amazon; the logo here says:

Enerwear

They're in a 10-pack for 19.99;
"Unisex Cotton Moisture Wicking Cushion Crew Socks"

Considering all the bubbling asphalt I walked on barefoot as a kid ALL Summer long, you'd think my feet would be tough enough to walk on broken glass or nails... NOT the case ... My tender tootsies just don't like the feel of pedals on bare or stocking feet. I don't even really admire you guys who like it, I just look and wince a little.

[Lee Rider]

Socks. Tried moccasins, Organ Masters, tennies, etc. but socks are best for me. I use a thick wool sock over my regular sock on the left foot. Sciatica doesn't make it any easier.

[Fred Treece]

First time I saw Joe Goldmark, he was playing in pointy-toed cowboy boots. He was all decked out in a fancy shirt, bolo tie, and a big ol’ hat just for an East Bay club gig and he looked relaxed and cool and he played great. Now, 45 years later I see he’s still playing in those same kind of boots, and he still plays great. So when I started playing, I wore soft leather cowboy boots with a 1-1/2” heel because I figured that was one tip I could take from a great player without ever having to ask.

I can play in flat shoes now, 8 years hence, but I would never walk out on stage in them. My boots assist with getting feet in a more comfortable position for working the pedals too.

If you don’t plan to play in public or follow any kind of dress code, I would say try anything from bare feet to sandals to army boots.

[Tucker Jackson]

Anything that has at least a little bit of a heel works for me.

The good news is that the longer you play, the less any of this matters...

[Tim Toberer]

I play in socks. I may get some thick grippy socks. Those kung Fu shoes look interesting.

[D Schubert]

Merrell Jungle Mocs, the shoes I wear 90% of the time these days.

[Dave Grafe]

Since the majority of my time behind the steel is practice time I set up my pedals to play comfortably with the shoes I wear every day, and then take time to practice with other shoes, boots, barefoot, etc. Sometimes this requires a small adjustment of individual pedal height until everything works smoothly regardless of footwear. The biggest challenge is operating the VP with heeled boots after practicing in sneakers due to the change in the angle of the ankle.

When I first started playing pedal steel I played in rawhide moccasins as I learned to feel the pedals. Over time I began to adjust to flat heeled shoes and western style boots. Like everything else these skills are part of mastering the instrument, so keep your focus but be patient with yourself.