What's on your feet?

[chase]

I'm with Russell, Keen's are great shoes for warm weather. I tried Sperry's, they're way too hot and not even remotely comfortable.

[M. R. Bober]

Generally speaking the more the shoe is worn ashore, the shorter its useful life aboard.

I leave a good pair of boating shoes aboard. They never--almost--leave the boat. I wear a pair of Keene's sandals on bluebird days, but I never--almost--go bare footed. Bare footed is a pain waiting to happen. IMHO

Mitchell Bober
Sunny Lancaster (where to paraphrase Sam & Dave "I'm a sole man"), VA

[Judith]

Another vote for both barefoot and Keens. I wear the Keens when the deck (and dock) are too hot for barefooting. But I prefer bare feet for most of the reasons already cited by others.

When it's too cold for either of those options, I wear socks with my indoor soccer shoes: non-marking soles and made for being nimble. That may be wishful thinking--but it works for me.

Obviously, I save the old OUTDOOR (cleated) soccer shoes for other purposes

Judith

[SeaBelle]

I NEVER go barefoot on board and discourage others too. I believe that stubbing one's toe evokes an involuntary response - often letting go. A coincidental wave is all that's needed to be in the water. I find that those who go barefoot tend to reject harnesses as well.

I used to be a staunch 'boat shoes only on the boat' guy but I've slipped in recent years. Previously, I was aware of the sand and pebbles that get in the treads while ashore and later sand the topsides with 200 lbs of force.

[SPIBob]

I have long thought that the quality of life is directly proportional to the amount of time spent barefooted. The more the better. That said, I completely agree with SeaBelle. On deck is not the place to do it.

I nearly tore off my big toe while barefooted on deck. I was standing on the cabin top doing some work near the mast. As I stepped backward and down to the side deck, the underside of my big toe caught on the rim of the bronze port frame. It wasn't sharp enough to cut my toe but it did catch under the edge of the tough, callous-like pad on the bottom of the toe and nearly ripped it completely away from the softer flesh above it. It was painful, ugly and left quite a mess to clean up.

This happened dockside. I hate to think of the problems this would have created underway.

They don't go barefooted in the Navy or Coast Guard and I don't think we should either.

Here's what I'm wearing these days and they are the best deck shoes I've had so far. Very lightweight (feels like it's just a pair of socks), quick drying and excellent grip.

http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?pat ... &id=841166

Protect your feet. A foot injury can take you completely out of action.

Bob

[Ed Haley]

Traction is outstanding! And they stay on my feet. Comfortable. Fast drying.

But, hard to find. I think they were replaced by the Merrell Animas sandal. I'll have to order a pair and find out.

[RMeigel]

This is what I understand about the history of Crocs:

Crocs were launched in 2002 when three sailing buddies were discussing the properties of the consummate deck shoe. One of them was wearing a pair of clogs made of a material noteworthy for the following qualities: skid-resistant, non-marking soles, vent holes, light weight, quick drying speed and built-in antibacterial to ward off stink. They bought the rights and started peddling the boat shoes under the name Crocs - they made their first commercial appearance as boat shoes at the Ft Lauderdale boat show in 2002. I had also heard that at least one of them was an orthopedic surgeon, but I haven't been able to verify that - just that through word of mouth they were quickly adopted as the shoe of choice for many surgeons and nurses.

Until earlier this year, I was one of those "over my dead body" Croc unfans. But I was packing for ten days in the BVIs and knew that my Teva's were probably not going to last for that period without getting rank and I threw a pair of Crocs into the duffle bag as a backup shoe- they were on sale.

Now they are my shoe of choice - oh - did I mention they float?

Don't knock them until you've tried them!

Robin Meigel
s/v Pacem
1979 CD 27

[Lee Kaufman]

I have a pair of deck shoes that came from WalMart and cost about $10. They have been really great but have worn out. I got some shoe goo and worked on them where the sole split across the ball of my foot. Looks like that will extend the life a few more months.

Yesterday I was at WalMart again and found a different kind of deck shoe and picked up another pair for $10. They seem like they are going to be fine.

Am I cheap or what.

[mahalocd36]

I have to agree on the Crocs. I thought they'd be sticky but they are not. They are great for taking the dinghy ashore on beaches. They are so comfortable I do wear mine most of the time.

[Oswego John]

Are Crocs only for women or is there a male version of them?

O J

[bottomscraper]

Both Mens & Womens. They come in a few different styles, I like the Faux boat shoe style best (picture below). Like all boat shoes they don't keep the grippiness forever. Maybe they aren't the best boat shoe but I think they are a good value.



http://store.hamiltonmarine.com/browse.cfm/4,31731.html

Are Crocs only for women or is there a male version of them?

O J

[D Rush]

In past years I have wore Sperry Canvas boat shoe. I put them on when I arrived at the yacht club and took them off when I was leaving the yacht club. I never wore them on the "street". They always seemed to last two seasons before tearing or hardening.

This year is my first year with my CD25. The boat is moored off the beach (no yacht club). There's no way to launch my dinghy off the beach without getting my feet wet. I have gone barefoot on board but I have noticed my feet are "banged up" much more this season. Nothing serious, little scrapes. As the weather turns cool, I have started wearing a pair of Sperry boat sneakers on board. I got the Sperry boat sneakers (SB870) on sale at WM, for $25 on sale earlier this summer. I get on board, dry my feet, and pull on a pair of socks and the boat sneakers.

Next season I'm going with a pair of sandals w/ a toe cap (like Keen Newports) that I'll leave on board.
Crocs make sandals. My sister wears them and swears by them.
I work at a hospital and co-workers love their Crocs. I can't get past the idea that Clogs are "girlie". Sorry. ('')

[jerryaxler]

I am not a "girlie-man" The crocs look bad, but they are comfortable, grip great, waterproof and they float. What more can you ask for? But I have to admit, I only wear them onboard because they do look a little "girlie".

[Cathy Monaghan]

I'm going to chime in for the ladies.

Finding appropriate clothing for boating (including shoes, boots, fast-drying slacks, and foulies) that fit, are comfortable to wear and look good are nearly impossible if you're a gal. We usually have to sacrifice at least 2 out of the 3 things that I mentioned above.

I have NEVER been able to find a pair of Sperrys that fit my feet. They look good, but they cause instant pain the second they go on my feet. I have short (size 7 1/2) feet that are also wide (C, D or W depending on the shoe and the manufacturer). Most manufacturer's don't seem to get it that many women have wide feet and don't offer wide shoe sizes. But both Sperry and Sebago have wide shoes.

I think that Sperry just puts a "W" label on their shoes but they are really medium or narrow. I don't know why I do it, but when I see a really nice Sperry shoe, I ask if it comes in wide and in my size, they bring me a pair to try on, and instant pain.

Sebago on the other hand, makes shoes that actually fit my feet, are comfortable and look good. I have a pair and I never wear them. "Why?" you ask. Because whatever they use to dye the insoles comes off on my socks. The inside of my Sebago deck shoes are black, and when I take my feet out of those shoes, my socks and feet are black.

In the past I was able to purchase a deck shoe made by Saucony. It was a running shoe style with a siped sole and I was able to get them at Boat U.S. I haven't been able to find a pair of Saucony deck shoes in years, so I don't think they make'em anymore.

Harken's women's boat shoes are only available in medium width.

Anyway, what this all comes down to, is that I have to get shoes that are slip-resistant but not necessarily designed as boat/deck shoes. And yes ladies, there are shoes out there that you can feel comfortable in, that fit, look good, and will keep you from slipping off the deck of your boat AND they are not deck shoes.

I currently have a pair of Easy Spirit shoes with a siped sole. (Easy Spirit makes shoes in all sizes and widths.) The shoes I have make great deck shoes though that wasn't really what they were meant for. They are a few years old, so the model I have is no longer available, but the following models are good choices with non-skid soles and one of them will be my next pair:

In the Easy Spirit "Fitness" category: AP1, Grasp, Immerse, Beachboy, Beoriginal

Hope this helps the ladies,
Cathy
CD32 Realization, #3
Rahway, NJ
Raritan Bay

[JBondy]

As much as I'd prefer barefoot for comfort reasons, I've found that boat shoes have better adhesion when the deck is wet than do bare feet. And when you're slippin' 'n' slidin', you're much more likely to jam or otherwise injure yourself.

Sperry's seem to be more and more built for the shore than the boat. I've been leaning toward Sebagoes.