Fangio, Moss, Gurney, Hill, Bondurant, McLaren: These names are synonymous with auto racing. They are winners and daring people who have a passion for cars and success. These are the drivers our founder, Kevin A. Beard, followed as he developed his own passion for racing. Yes, Kevin was a gear-head hot-rodder in his youth. Yet, he graduated from Art Center in Pasadena with a degree in Product Design - concentrating on the interior of cars. While searching for the perfect job, Kevin joined the Advanced Design Group at Adidas® in Germany, where he became a respected member of its revolutionary biomechanical team. He was instrumental in designing the first "Feet You Wear" concept. But that was only the start for Kevin.
After a few additional years of developing top selling products for Reebok® and K-Swiss®, Kevin wanted to get back to the cars and racing he loved. And he had an idea for a new line of shoes. So in 1999, he left his director's post at K-Swiss to pursue something he always wanted to do: Create a line of authentic driving shoes that would not only be innovative in how they perform in fierce racing conditions, but also stylish and comfortable enough for the street. His passion became known as Piloti.
Technology
From the beginning, Piloti Driving Shoes were designed for anyone who desires the best in racing and driving shoe performance. These are people who want a high-performance shoe for heel-and-toeing and other fancy footwork. But what makes Piloti really special is the unique blend of styling and comfort for everyday use on the streets. Here's what makes us so special:
- Patented Roll Control spherical heel for unique cushioning behind the heel bone while in the car. Once outside the car, they support your natural stride with a rubber heel wrap for durability and grip,
- Athletic construction offers you good cushioning under the foot; unlike typical racing shoes or driving moccasins that have none. The unique "Toe Spring" aids in all-day comfort in and out of the car,
- Reinforced Lateral Side of the Right Shoe for easy heel-to-toe downshifting. Plus, the reinforced upper and outsole rubber wraps up the side of the midsole,
- The Race Performance line of shoes has NOMEX® lining for fire retardant safety,
- High-quality suedes and leathers with pigskin and tongue facings,
- Removable sockliner supports orthotic needs
From the bottom up, Piloti Driving Shoes are built for performance and comfort-whatever you're driving or doing.
Whats in the Name
Piloti is Italian for "racing drivers". No truer expression could be found for Kevin's shoes. Using his background in biomechanics and design, he created a shoe that uses an exclusive, patented Roll Control™ heel technology, Nomex® fire-resistant lining, reinforced heel-&-toe areas, tough double row stitching, and an outer sole reminiscent of the racing tread pattern used in the 50's.
His designs are icons to the glory days when he watched drivers streak around the tracks at Sebring and LeMans. By taking this racing legacy and adding Kevin's technological ideas, Piloti helped resolve comfort and performance issues for today's NASCAR, Sports Car and Rally drivers such as Robby Gordon, Scott Pruett and Colin McRae.
Street Legal
Now Piloti has a line of shoes designed especially for car enthusiasts, rally junkies, and street rodders. (Hint: You don't have to rip around a 32% banked turn at 200 mph to enjoy your Piloti Driving Shoes.) Piloti's Touring line of shoes uses all the performance features in our racing shoes-just sans the Nomex®. They're so comfortable your other sports shoes may collect dust. These shoes are enjoyed by the likes of Jay Leno, Jerry Seinfeld, and Chad McQueen-even the members of Aerosmith. And they're available through racing shops, the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving, automotive specialty catalogs, select Ferrari dealers and other retail outlets and specialty stores.