Experienced by Kyle Ayoung
When it comes to footwear Goodyear is not the prototypical brand name that comes to the forefront of one’s mind. However, the Goodyear Performance Collection — a fashionable driving shoe — is surprisingly comfortable, stylish, and well made. Of course I’ve worn motorcycle boots for riding as well as a plethora of athletic shoes for the intended sport, with each created and manufactured for that specific purpose. So now we have these Goodyear kicks for driving that are no different than Jordans are to basketball.
Skillfully devised, consumers have 5 unique styles to choose from including the Clutch Performance Racing ($49.99), Groove Goodyear Racing ($39.99), and the Vulcan Var Canvas ($39.99). Goodyear Licensed Products, part of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, sent Automotive Rhythms a pair of the black Index Performance Racing ($39.99) and black Ori Performance Racing ($39.99) for our test evaluators to experience during the many media test drives taking place this season. Their designers fused comfort, mobility, traction, and durability, into an auto shoe that incorporates actual Goodyear tire tread patterns in the soles and real components of car racing shoes. With the Ori I presume I should also be able to sprint in the rain without slipping!
“Being able to extend our racing heritage into casual footwear, a growing category, enables us to introduce more consumers to the Goodyear family of products,” said Nancy Ray, director of licensed products at The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. “We look forward to building upon the success of our safety and outdoor lines and connecting more people to our brand.”
The racing-inspired footwear allows you to feel those palpable pedal sensations needed for sporty and dynamic driving. Light and sturdy, they felt great behind the wheel of the new 2017 5 Series for example. Since BMW continues to set the bar in the sport sedan category with remarkably distinguished performance traits I was honored to have a shoe that equally delivered. I felt the sensitivities of what the Bimmer was doing during both acceleration and braking. More importantly the Ori and Index are not wide whereas the sole clips the pedal that is not in use.
Many drivers don’t realize the importance of a driving shoe until they are hours into the task at hand. Well, this doesn’t apply to The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company who integrated their historic rubber technology into a fashion forward statement for the US consumer market. Since they achieved success in Europe with the line, Goodyear Footwear feels confident that US consumers will equally gravitate towards the auto shoes.
The Goodyear Performance Collection is available online and at retail from $39.99 to $79.99. I will be packing the Index at all my future track events and driving experiences as well as the casual, personal road trip. For further information visit www.goodyearfootwearusa.com.
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