Fun F1 Fact that you might not have known. Did you know that some brands of driver’s shoes use kangaroo leather? The invention of the shoe designed specifically for driving dates back to 1963 when Italian shoemaker Gianni Mostile patented his driving moccasin design. Fast forward to 1967, DuPont developed a material called Nomex which is a flame-resistant, high-temperature fiber that will not melt, drip or support combustion in the air. Nomex also has an inherent resistance to a broad range of chemicals, and can be made into paper, felt, fabric and fiber forms. Today, Nomex is used in the driver’s shoes, suits, baklavas, and gloves. Nomex is also worn by the members of the pit crew as well as the track officials and rescue teams. So what about the kangaroo leather? Chicane Racing is one of the designers who notably released a new line of driving shoes in 2022 that featured the lighter, stronger kangaroo leather in its design. Now, It is illegal to import kangaroo leather into the United States, so Americans are unable to purchase these shoes in the states. On the topic of shoes and things from Australia, Daniel Ricciardo actually redesigned his racing shoe with Alpinestars in 2020 while racing with Renault. Alpinestars also manufactures some of their designs with kangaroo leather, but it’s unclear whether Daniel’s shoes specifically used it. I guess his racing shoe redesign was in the hopes of getting him closer to one of his famous shoeys.
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