Shoes for Charters/Tours

[supergokougt]

I have been wearing sneakers but want to step up my shoe game.

 

Looking for comfortable, flexible, safe for climbing all over helicopters black shoes that are dressier than my sneakers which keep fading in the sun.

 

What is your favorite pair?

 

 

[Astro]

Black boots.

[Gomer Pylot]

I don't know about black, but I like boat shoes for climbing on helicopters. Preflighting before sunrise is always messy, and often wet. The boat shoes don't slip like many other types. I've known several pilots who had their careers ended by falling off the helicopter. It's a painful way to go.

[rotornut67]

Skechers low cut shoes are great. They look great with khakis or jeans and have a good slip resistant sole. They are just as comfortable as any pair of running shoes I have. I have 3 pair of them and my wife even approves of the looks so that's enough said for me.

[Wally]

I've never done tours but I did sleep in a Holiday Inn Express a couple times.

My first rule is that I'm one caution panel light away from having to walk out from the helicopter. My area of operations is heavily forested, some mountains, and where the trees have been cleared kudzu and brambles- boots!

I have worn walking shoes on occasion, and used to wear deck shoes when I flew the Gulf of Mexico.

The slipping problem is soles, the uppers aren't relevant to that issue. Painted- pardon me- 'coated pads' or metal decks exacerbate the issue, and water, even moisture, especially when climbing on the helicopter can be dangerous. Foam soles will absorb some water and can become very slippery if weight is not carefully applied. Add a little oil/fuel to moisture...

I like a fairly stiff sole when I'm flying with 'bar' pedals.

Take the minimum level of 'dress' that relates to company dress code and err on the high side.

 

Edit:

Corcorans are available with side zips. Yes, I spit-shine my work boots. Not as highly polished as my 'candidate' boots, where I could count fingers from a standing position...

Edited September 30, 2014 by Wally

[Jaybee]

To follow what Wally said, I worked at a very hot location giving tours and flew with flip flops on several times. Common sense prevailed and luckily I was wearing a good shoe when I had an engine failure and put her down in the bottom of a canyon. The local grasses and shrubbery in the very dry biome were as tough as skin. Would have been a very painful walk in flip flops.

[MLH]

I find that the tips are more generous when I wear black wing tips.

[helonorth]

Always wear what you may have to walk out in.

[rotormandan]

Any waterproof hiking shoe. You can walk away from helicopter through brush. Waterproof for washing helicopter and morning dew or rain. You can buy some with good soles for slipping. Hiking shoes come heavy duty like boots or light weight for summer hiking. Pick your preference.

 

In the gom I wore steel toe, water proof, work "shoes". They looked like low cut hiking shoes with slip resistant soles and steel toes. Made by work boot companies instead of hiking companies. Most platforms require steel toe to walk outside of their quarters, though I never went to any that enforced it on pilots.

[heligirl03]

I wore Keens, the solid black leather kind, forget which model. Very supportive and comfy, kinda sporty but clean looking, great soles, waterproof, made by an outdoor company! Never fly in anything you wouldn't want to hike in.