Hands On with The MINI_Motion driving shoe

It's taken months but I finally got my hands on a pair of the MINI_Motion driving shoes – although not my own. After coming up short trying to find size 12 or 13 (no easy task!) I figured I'd surprise my wife with a pair and write a little about them first hand. She's happy, I'm happy, you get a review – great plan I'd say!

The first thing you notice about the shoes once you see them is the simplicity of the upper design. There are no laces, just some spandex like material and a piece of leather that wraps over it and attaches to the outside with one small metal buckle. The upper is made entirely out of leather save for the rubber pull in the back (which is the only place you'll see a MINI logo). The stitching of the Puma logo is grey and not gold like as it appears on the MINI_Motion website.

The mid-sole is just as simple with no PVC foam at all – just a piece of leather as cushioning. This is how the Puma Speed Cat is built as well – to some degree the shoe that the MINI_Motion shoe is based on. The key differences between it and the Speed Cat's mid-sole is the sole pattern from the and the piece of rubber that wraps around and up the shoe on the outside front (the part that says “Motion”).

The lycra removable boot is less usable than one would hope. The upper of the boot is very thin and breathes well but wearing it it seems like an unnecessary step much of the time. Further the bottom of the boot has no grip whatsoever. It's usage is fairly limited considering you'd probably tear up the bottom wearing it outside. The bottom is made of some type of synthetic material similar to the anthracite material found in the BMW 3 series Performance Package.

While it's a fairly narrow shoe overall my wife likes the fit and overall comfort. It should be perfect for it's intended sport – motoring. However it's worth nothing that they are snug with the boot and a bit more comfortable without.

The MINI_Motion driving show is available in both Black and Grey at MINI_Motion.com or at select Puma retailers worldwide for $150. This particular pair was found in a California Puma outlet for the unheard of sale price of around $30 – although sizes were limited.