From: Hawaii DOT Public Affairs Office To: Myranya Werlemann Subject: Re: Driving barefoot question Date: Fri, 27 Jan 2012 08:20:43 -1000 Aloha Myranya, Thank you for writing the State of Hawaii Department of Transportation in regards to barefoot driving. You are correct, driving while barefoot in Hawaii is not illegal. There are no references to barefoot driving in the Hawaii Revised Statutes or the Hawaii Drivers Manual. Only in California is it illegal to drive barefoot.[1] In Alabama it is not illegal to drive an automobile barefoot but it is illegal ride a motorcycle or moped barefoot. Once again thank you for writing and if you have any further questions please do not hesitate to call or write. Mahalo, State of Hawaii Department of Transportation Public Affairs Office 869 Punchbowl Street, Room 506 Honolulu, Hawaii 96813-5097 Phone: (808) 587-2160 Fax: (808) 587-2313
There are also some recent news items that support this:
"There is no specific law against doing any of these things. In fact, many times law enforcement and traffic safety personnel would recommend that if you are wearing shoes with a high heel or are oversized, that you remove the shoes (place them somewhere other than on the floor of the driver's area) and continue to operate the vehicle with socks or bare feet."
— October 2010, Redding.com
"As long as you keep the car straight and you keep control of it, you can wear whatever you want on your feet. There's nothing written on the California Vehicle code that restricts footwear, or the lack of, he said. And in Southern California, the land of the flip-flop, that's good news.
[...]
It's a common misconception, Trondsen said. Most people seem to be under the impression that no shoes and no shirt will get you a ticket and no service."
— April 2008, Orange County Register