I need advice on comfortable/affordable driving gloves

"daender" (daender) 09/08/2016 at 21:02 • Filed to: None

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My mother wants to buy me something for my b-day and I’d rather get something nice that I want rather than something she thinks I want. So, I’ve been thinking of getting a decent pair of leather driving gloves because of the general looks and because my steering wheel and shift knob get hot when they sit in the South Carolina sun from 7:30 am to 5:10 pm. Googling “ !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ” yields me this:

...So there’s obviously quite a few styles and materials to choose from. From my initial browsing, I have created some criteria that need to be met before I go out and buy a set of them.

COMFORT IS NUMBER 1. Above all else, these gloves have to be comfortable to wear for hours on end in a car. I don’t want itchiness, stuffy/sweat-inducing, or gloves with metal studs that burn me because they’ve soaked up too much energy from being in the sun.

Color has to be grey, black, or brown. I don’t want Honda Race Car Red or Takata-Green gloves like I’m a wannabe Keiichi Tsuchiya. I want to keep things somewhat-classy. NO WHITE GLOVES , they’re eventually going to get dirty so why wear white?

I’d prefer a durable material even though the wheel and shift knob I use are almost-smooth-as-glass wood with a clear finish over the grain. At the same time, I don’t want something that’ll scuff up my steering wheel and ESPECIALLY MY SHIFT KNOB, as OEM Mazda wood knobs are notorious for the grid patterns wearing out. I spent a solid year searching for a NIB 5-speed knob and they’re of unicorn status in terms of rarity.

!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

I would like these gloves to be breathable, meaning holes in the design to allow fresh air for my fingers and palms to breathe. I’ll be wearing these in winter but I’m not worried about the downsides of breathing gloves for this scenario.

I don’t want to go buy expensively-priced and expensive-looking gloves. I’m not too worried about getting odd looks while wearing them in a modern-looking NB2 Miata but I don’t want to look like a douche-poseur wearing stupid-expensive-looking gloves. Nothing too flashy, please, more old-school race car driver than California bro.

So, does anyone have experiences with driving gloves that they’d like to share? I want to make an informed decision on this rather than “Oooh, these look cool!” choice.

Thanks!

Honeybunchesofgoats > daender 09/08/2016 at 21:18

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http://www.sermonetagloves.com/shop/sermoneta…

The only brand of driving gloves I know of. I don’t know if they’re any good, but I used to pass the store on my way to work.

Personally, I'd get driving shoes first, but I have a driving shoe obsession.

daender > Honeybunchesofgoats 09/08/2016 at 21:22

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Driving shoes would be equally-awesome but it’s tough enough to find comfortable walking shoes in size 11 with the 4E wideness. Also, I wouldn’t be able to wear those in my office and I don’t want to be swapping shoes in a the parking lot (did that before for two months, never again). That said, my current shoes have done me well in terms of driving and I’m too naturally big-footed to safely heel’n’toe on the Miata’s tight pedals.

Honeybunchesofgoats > daender 09/08/2016 at 21:30

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Oof, that’s got to be rough finding shoes.

For what it’s worth, I have an unhealthy obsession with driving shoes, and I love how they feel and look, but they’re really not significantly better than my $60 pair of Mexico 66 ASICS sneakers (which I can highly recommend, the sole is a gummy rubber that really sticks to pedals).

beardsbynelly - Rikerbeard > daender 09/08/2016 at 21:38

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I keep oven mitts in my car for the Australian summer.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > daender 09/08/2016 at 21:40

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My buddy has a set of these beautiful Petrolicious Stringbacks . I can’t tell you how they feel myself, but he says they’re very supple yet surprisingly hard-wearing.

Dave the car guy , still here > daender 09/08/2016 at 21:45

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I have a pair of Riparo open back gloves I bought from Amazon last year for under $40. They are tan and fit great. I got them to replace a pair of Aris gloves that fell apart after 25 yrs. I also own an old pair of Fownes full coverage gloves in black that are 30 yrs old now and still in near new condition despite being worn about 2 months of every year when its cold but I don’t need a real winter glove yet.

daender > Honeybunchesofgoats 09/08/2016 at 21:47

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OH HELL YES. I think you found me a winner in terms of looks! I just need to figure out which color that is because it’s a bit too bright but love the design, especially in a darker color. The unlined part I’m unsure of but I’m keeping this on the shortlist when it comes time to make a choice.

Honeybunchesofgoats > daender 09/08/2016 at 21:50

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Yeah, their website is weird. You can choose different colors, but the only photo is that yellow.

daender > beardsbynelly - Rikerbeard 09/08/2016 at 21:51

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This is the true Jalop reply. Brownie points and an Aussie-related pic for you!

daender > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 09/08/2016 at 21:53

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I like the concept behind it but I’m weary of wearing white-ish cloth because I fear they’ll eventually get stained with hand-sweat. Price is on the very high-end of my budget but I’ll keep these in mind!

beardsbynelly - Rikerbeard > daender 09/08/2016 at 21:55

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black car, black leather interior, glass t-tops, anodized black aluminium gear knob, 40C/100F+ summers. (no aircon or tint haha)

Also Mt Panorama is where I’ve gone the fastest in a car ever, ~250kph/155mph down Conrod straight.

daender > Dave the car guy , still here 09/08/2016 at 21:56

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Those Riparos look pretty appealing! How are they comfort-wise? Do they breathe well on hot days? Also, is the tan color really that...vivid? I’m stuck between it and the camel color.

daender > beardsbynelly - Rikerbeard 09/08/2016 at 22:00

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Yeah, I thought about getting a silver/metal knob but then I realized how horrible of an idea it was and ended up buying a rare wooden knob instead.

Glass t-tops? Is it an Aussie-built car or an import?

Agrajag > daender 09/08/2016 at 22:06

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Dent’s. They are ridiculously comfortable.

Dave the car guy , still here > daender 09/08/2016 at 22:09

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The tan is pretty bright and a bit towards a british saddle tan but a coating of most leather conditioners would easily darken them. I haven’t treated mine yet but some snowproof or neatsfoot oil will change the appearance. I have the Riparo with the all perforated back and they are cool enough to even wear in the car if its in the high 60's. I’ve never worn them in the 70s or higher but they would probably be fine until you hit the 90s or higher.

daender > Dave the car guy , still here 09/08/2016 at 22:12

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Ah, okay, I’m down with British saddle tan. And by “high 60s” you mean Fahrenheit, correct? I was planning on wearing these when the temperature is anywhere between near 100*F to 30*F.

Dave the car guy , still here > daender 09/08/2016 at 22:21

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Yes 60ºF ,look back I edited my reply. I’d think you would be fine if you need full fingers. With body oil and sweat most tans will darken with age anyway. I got the tan/cognac color because I figured it would add some extra character as they age. They are a very comfortable fit.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > daender 09/08/2016 at 22:41

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Someone gave me a pair of isotoners and I fucking love those things. Good behind the wheel too.

https://www.isotoner.com/p/isotoner-men…

beardsbynelly - Rikerbeard > daender 09/08/2016 at 22:43

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that’s a nice knob, would look great paired with the right wheel.

JDM MR2 Turbo, I’ll have the aircon fixed by this summer at least. The mitts are so I can remove the T-tops without burning my hands, and with a sunshade for the windscreen and a beer cozy I can manage the heat pretty well.

Frank Grimes > daender 09/09/2016 at 01:03

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i would like these from hestra but $320 is a spicy meat ball

I think people looking for a cheap option should look for golf gloves super comfy cheap and lots of dexterity and ventilation

or some nomex flight gloves $20 something bucks
for when its cold or yuo re jusst afraid of fire

AntiSpeed > daender 09/09/2016 at 02:02

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How about some string-backs?

http://www.autodromo.com/accessories/st…

AntiSpeed > Frank Grimes 09/09/2016 at 02:08

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Damn, if those flight gloves came in white with black leather they’d be perfect for vintage racing.

daender > Frank Grimes 09/09/2016 at 21:26

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Oooh, golf gloves! I would’ve never thought of that on my own! Shoot, there’s a shit-ton of golf-niche stores in this state due to the golf-friendly weather, I’ll have to stop by one!

daender > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 09/09/2016 at 21:27

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That’s budget-friendly and they have the right looks to them, thanks!

daender > Agrajag 09/09/2016 at 21:28

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Oh...oh my! I’ll look into these, thanks!

daender > AntiSpeed 09/09/2016 at 21:29

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They look good and I bet that design breathes amazingly well, I just wish they’d offer a version with darker string colors instead of white.

AntiSpeed > daender 09/10/2016 at 17:50

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They have them in black too.

http://www.autodromo.com/accessories/st…