As much as I consider myself a travel-outfit and packing expert after years of trial and error, until recently, I’d never quite nailed the shoes aspect of the equation. I’d be comfortable all over, with a carry-on suitcase full of perfectly rolled up tops, pants, skirts, and dresses and an outfit I could wear comfortably for hours on end, and yet, my shoe game consistently felt off. Either I’d pack too many pairs or not enough, with most of the styles I prioritized ending up entirely impractical for the trip’s slated activities.
I never really put too much thought into this gap in my skill set until recently, when I found out that I’d be traveling 20+ hours in the span of one weekend, all by train, and only with one duffle-type carry-on. Knowing that my lack of travel prowess in the shoe department would only lead to pain and regret over the course of my trip, I set out to find a pair that would be comfortable, versatile, and chic for every occasion, including walking and standing around a miles-long race track given that my trip was dedicated to Canada’s Formula 1 race. And since F1 drivers travel the world more than almost anyone—with 23 races on the 2023 calendar in locations that also include Azerbaijan, Japan, Brazil, and Australia—I figured who better to ask for tips than them?
Specifically, I sought out Yuki Tsunoda and Nyck de Vries, teammates on the Scuderia Alpha Tauri F1 team that I traveled to the Emilia Romagna region of Italy with for the Imola Grand Prix last month. The Italian team, which is owned by Red Bull Racing’s performance clothing brand Alpha Tauri, happens to have a recurring collaboration with P448, the popular sneaker brand that has a factory just roughly 15 minutes away from the team’s. “It’s so nice,” says P448’s founder and CEO Wayne Kulkin. “Maybe there will be a sample ready and I can just drive it over.” The partnership—which began in 2022 and just saw a second collection launch earlier this month—means that Alpha Tauri’s drivers Tsunoda and De Vries wear their P448 sneakers to every single race, traveling in them on continent-crossing flights dozens of times per year. If the brand’s sneakers can pass their test, surely they’ll pass mine.
Kulkin had the same idea when he and his team set about designing the second P448 x Alpha Tauri drop. “If you’re making these people that have a very demanding physical life [comfortable and satisfied], and the shoes work for them, to me, that’s the ultimate endorsement,” he says. Their comfort was front of mind throughout the design process, because if the two drivers think the sneakers are comfortable on flights, car rides, and long press days, the likelihood of the average consumer disagreeing is slim. To guarantee this, these sneakers don’t require you to lace and unlace them at security or at your seat, is lined with towel-like material that’s ultra soft, and is made of maleable leather that won’t result in blisters. After all, in a sport as precise as F1, any slight pain can make all the difference. These drivers need to feel their best when they touch down. And apparently, the key is a pair of top-of-the-line Italian sneakers.
“Comfortableness when you’re traveling is really important because we’re doing a lot of traveling and you want to keep as much energy as possible for the race,” Tsunoda tells me over Zoom. “I lean fully into the comfortable outfits and shoes as well, and it’s really comfortable to wear P448 shoes. I don’t want to feel any tiredness, at least physically, after traveling, so it helps for me.” According to the Japanese driver, the best part about these particular sneakers is the smell, or rather, lack thereof. “I have to say, for travel, they’re perfect because the smell of P448 sneakers is amazing,” he says. “Obviously you take off your shoes on the airplane once you’re in the seat, and normally straight away, you can smell them, but P448 shoes smell really good and you can generally feel comfortable.”
De Vries, who travels from his home in Monaco to all of the different races as well as his team’s factory in Italy, likewise swears by comfort for long flights. Neither will be caught dead at the airport in too-tight pair of jeans or trousers and boots that pinch. “Whenever things are uncomfortable, I will just not wear them,” he says. The fact that his P448 sneakers aren’t, according to him, is a “very valid and important reason to wear” them.
As for styling the pair agree that because P448 designed the line in Alpha Tauri’s understated white-and-navy color palette and kept their shape and style fairly classic, they can easily pair them with anything and wear them for any occasion, whether its super casual like, say, a 24-hour flight to Australia, or semi-formal. “There are just lots of options,” Tsunoda says. When he’s not working, the driver says that he prefers to style his sneakers with what we call quiet-luxury pieces (aka anti-logo, minimalist attire), as well as vintage designer items. Taking his lead, I set off on my Montréal trip, which included two 10-hour train rides, with only my new P448 x Alpha Tauri sneakers in my carry-on and plenty of low-key staples and my favorite vintage finds. Scroll down to see three ways that I styled the Italian footwear in Montréal.
Next up: I Wore This Set for a 10-Hour Train Ride—Now, I’ll Never Travel in Anything Else
Coming next: This Is the Future of Fashion and Formula One
