Racing gloves, shoes, socks and balaclavas.

A race suit leaves the hands, feet and head uncovered, and the edges at the wrists, ankles and neck are where heat gets in. Gloves, shoes, socks and a balaclava cover those gaps. As with suits, the two main label systems are SFI in the US and the FIA's 8856 standard. This page gives what each says, as of October 2026.

SFI 3.3 driver accessories

The SFI Foundation certifies gloves, shoes, socks, underwear, balaclavas and similar items under SFI 3.3, Driver Accessories. This is separate from the SFI 3.2A suit spec. The SFI-sourced Drag News article says underwear certified under 3.3 goes through the same thermal protection and flammability tests as suits.

• Validity. The SFI Foundation's specifications page lists no recertification period for SFI 3.3. JEGS's 2024 list, written for NHRA drag racing, likewise shows SFI 3.3 accessories with no expiration.
• The number after the spec. SFI 3.3 items carry a number too. A JEGS product listing describes a 3.3/1 glove as single-layer and a 3.3/5 glove as double-layer, which suggests the number tracks protection as it does for suits. We could not confirm from SFI what the number means for gloves and shoes, so treat that as unconfirmed.

No SFI recertification period is not the same as "good forever". Your event can set its own rules, and Demon Tweeks notes that dirt, sweat, fuel, oil and washing all wear racewear down.

FIA 8856 gloves, shoes, socks and balaclavas

For FIA International Sporting Calendar events, Appendix L 2026 (Chapter III, Article 2) requires drivers to wear gloves, shoes, socks, a balaclava and long underwear homologated to FIA 8856-2000 or 8856-2018, along with overalls. Gloves are optional for co-drivers. The same article names championships that already require 8856-2018 only, listed on our suits and underwear page.

Validity as of October 2026

Technical List 27 says the newer 8856-2000 glove label, used from 1 January 2016, comes with an FIA hologram inside the cuff. Demon Tweeks gives the same end-2023 cutoff for older-label gloves, shoes, balaclavas and underwear, which the FIA list confirms.

For 8856-2018 items, Technical List 74 says validity is always whatever the item's own homologation label states. The 8856-2018 standard itself (Article 8) sets validity at ten years after the year of manufacture and requires the label to show that end-of-validity year. Read the year on the label rather than working one out.

What the FIA standard tests

The FIA 8856-2018 standard sets minimum heat transmission values for each item, along with a limit of 2 seconds of after-flame. For gloves, the minimum is 11 (8 for the palm), rising to 13 and 9.5 for new glove homologations from 1 January 2023. Shoes have a minimum of 11, and socks and balaclavas 5. The standard also requires:

• glove cuffs at least 80 mm long;
• socks at least 250 mm high;
• shoes that cover the whole foot and ankle, with soles that resist hydrocarbons.

Appendix L 2026 adds that gloves worn in Formula 1 must carry a homologation number of 23 or higher, meaning they were made to the 2023 glove requirement.

Covering the gaps

Appendix L 2026 requires the neck, wrists and ankles to be covered by at least two layers of safety equipment at all times, and the balaclava and top underwear to overlap by at least 3 cm round the neck (8 cm at the front). That is why cuff length, sock height and balaclava fit matter as much as the label.

What clubs ask for

Club rules can be simpler than the FIA's, and they differ. SCCA Race Experience, for example, requires:

• gloves of leather or an accepted fire-resistant material, with no holes;
• fire-resistant socks;
• leather or nonflammable shoes that cover at least the instep;
• a fire-resistant balaclava (double-layer recommended) or a fire-resistant helmet skirt for drivers with beards or moustaches, and any hair under the helmet covered.

Other clubs and series set their own requirements. Check the rules of the event you enter.

Karting gloves and shoes are a different standard

Karting has its own FIA clothing standard, 8877-2022, which covers overalls, gloves and shoes and is aimed at abrasion, contact heat and tearing rather than flame. It also requires glove cuffs of at least 80 mm and shoes that reach above the ankle, and says its garments are valid for five years after the year of manufacture. See karting gear.

Glove and shoe rules vary by event and change over time. Before every event, check the current rules of the event you are entering and the label on each item. Our gear expiry checker shows the published rule for each label.