Best Boat (deck) shoes??

[henry hey]

Hey Joe,

Yeah. that's what I had - Sperry technical shoe. I just doesn't quite wear like a leather moc.

I now opted for a much cheaper canvas sperry.

We'll see.

-h

[Rebinva]

I like lace up and snug. I am wearing New Balance 609s. They have good traction, wet or dry and come in wide sizes, which I need.

[Warren Kaplan]

Bass makes alot of shoes. Bass weejuns (sp?) was the penny loafer of my youth that everybody wore.

Anyway, they also make a boat shoe similar to Sperry Topsiders. I like 'um. I'll probably be wearing them on the 18th. I'll show them to you then.

[bottomscraper]

Them Eastport Oyster Boys:

http://www.amazon.com/Deck-Shoe-Sea-Cha ... B0014CWEC0

[Dean Abramson]

I am kinda with Carl T. I have various shoes I use on the boat, but basically I like sneakers. Mocs do not give me the ankle support I need. I have worn yachtie sneakers, and WalMart sneakers.

Socks? A little dorky (sorry Carl), but better support, and moreover, makes your sneakers much easier to co-habitate with.

I sprained my ankle on the boat once while wearing boat mocs. Of course, I was also doing something very stupid at the time...

Dean

[J&P]

I love Crocs but found the original version slippery. I recently picked up a pair of the Ace Boating version of Crocs and their non slip sole is great.

[Maine Sail]

Wow never gave it much thought. Been wearing decent quality flip flops or bare feet for well over 30 years on boats. The only time I am not is when it gets real snotty and I need my foulies and boots... If you are not a flip-flop connoisseur however I would not advise this and some are downright taken back by it.

My friends I race with are always amazed that I can "pull it off" but now after ten years of racing competitively with them they no longer "doubt" that it can be done.

When the flips begin to lose grip I do replace them as all soles seem to start out ok then the rubber seems to lose grip. Gum rubber seems to lose grip the fastest, don't know why. My wife wears flips or bare feet too or some times now rock climbing shoes. I can't recall when the last time was I ever bought a "boat" shoe...

[Stan W.]

Stan W. laughed at me for wearing tennis shoes on-board with (gasp) socks.

I wasn't laughing at you, I was laughing with you (he typed, wearing about his fiftieth pair of Sperry Topsiders (sans hose) as he did so).

[Jim Cornwell]

I'm a Croc fanatic. I wear 'em around the house and yard, in the shop, to work and, of course, on the boat - rain or shine, 365 days a year. They're just the thing for my aging, spreading feet. They're terrific on the shingle beaches and rocky bottoms of northern lakes - a big improvement over sand shoes. I've got several pairs, including blue and tan workaday ones and more recently, racier colors for those extra-special occasions.... And their pretty cheap!

But two words of caution, germane to this thread, about WET Crocs:

1. When the tread wears thin, approaching "bald," the shoes are still blissfully comfortable but beware smooth wet surfaces. Treadless crocks on a smooth surface behave as though on a film of oil. Entering the local liquor store on a recent rainy day, I started an uncontrolled slide just inside the door and came to rest mere inches from a tall stacked display of Chardonnay. Could have been costly!

2. When the tread is still new and well-defined, make sure the heel strap is engaged. The shoes will tenaciously grip the deck but your wet feet can slide right out of them. If you're actually in the water (as I was after a slight mishap on my day sailer in Lake Champlain) the Crocs will float right off your feet, pop to the surface and take off on the breeze like little bathtub toys.

[JimMc]

Sperry Deckrunner shoes are nothing short of awesome.