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Dumb question on shoes

10505 Views 60 Replies 20 Participants Last post by tdw, Aug 4, 2007

TSOJOURNER

Discussion Starter · Jul 9, 2001

I''m about to go to an ASA school, and I''m confused on the shoe thing. Do they have to be white soles? or can they be sailing type shoes dark soles? I have some seabagos with dark blue soles, are they probably non-marking soles??

Thanks for the help

1 - 20 of 61 Posts

G

· #2 · Jul 9, 2001

I keep seeing more and more sailing shoes with dark soles. Some are fine as sailing shoes but I also have blue marks all over my decks from a pair of ''deck shoes'' with a part of the sole that is blue in color.

Jeff

pkrupela

· #3 · Aug 3, 2001

for sailing school - nothing wrong with white soled tennis shoes either.... I''ve found that tennis shoe style boat shoes give more support... I personally use Teva''s but Sperry, Harken and others make good models. I like the support they give.

G

· #4 · Aug 3, 2001

The problem with white sole tennis shoes is that the become fatally slippery when the deck is damp. Sneakers designed to be ''boat shoes'' have ''stipes'' in the soles intended to allow the water to squeegee out from under the sole and are a lot grippier.

Jeff

TSOJOURNER

Discussion Starter · #5 · Aug 7, 2001

Also check out the sneakers that are popular with the younger "skateboarder". Vans and Skeachers are popular brands. These skateboard sneakers are very comfortable and have nonmarking soles that give good grip (check the tread pattern and compare with boating shoes). They also give your feet good protection

TSOJOURNER

Discussion Starter · #6 · Aug 7, 2001

does anyone know of a company that makes eee
width sea boots??
thanks
eric

TSOJOURNER

Discussion Starter · #7 · Jul 31, 2007

Both the sailboat manufacturers and the shoe manufacturers are populated by midgets -- there is no such thing as EEEE sea boots or size 15 deck shoes, and 6 foot headroom is generous in a 35 foot boat. One of the best things technology has brought to the country is the cell phone, so we have finally called an end to the mini torture chamber called a phone booth. Now if we could only have head room in boats and foot room in boat shoes, all would be well with the world!

TrueBlue

· #8 · Jul 31, 2007

Don,
My guess is kimberlite's shoe size may have changed somewhat in the 6 years since this posting.

Sapperwhite

· #9 · Jul 31, 2007

TrueBlue said:
Don,
My guess is kimberlite's shoe size may have changed somewhat in the 6 years since this posting.

not this again........night of the living deadthread

sailingdog

· #10 · Jul 31, 2007

RagtimeDon seems bent on a mission of reviving many dead threads..

Sapperwhite

· #11 · Jul 31, 2007

sailingdog said:
RagtimeDon seems bent on a mission of reviving many dead threads..

Is he a repeat offender?

sailingdog

· #12 · Jul 31, 2007

Yup... check his recent posts...

labatt

· #13 · Jul 31, 2007

I got all excited to see the size 15 mention though... I'd pay good money to find a size 15 sea boot! Sebago, Gill, Henri-Lloyd, Dubarry, Ronstan, Sperry, no size 15.

sailingdog

· #14 · Aug 1, 2007

Labatt-

I've got the opposite problem... size 6.5 feet... most don't start making shoes until size 7 or 8.

Sapperwhite

· #15 · Aug 1, 2007

sailingdog said:
Labatt-

I've got the opposite problem... size 6.5 feet... most don't start making shoes until size 7 or 8.

you could try womens sizes.........flame on

sailingdog

· #16 · Aug 1, 2007

I usually go for European manufacturers, since they generally start a bit smaller than the US does.

hellosailor

· #17 · Aug 1, 2007

Boating shoes are a mystical thing.

Folks are content to see white soles because they know white won't mark (well, it may mark but on a typical white deck that's invisible) but at the same time, black Vibram hiking boots won't mark either. The problem is, they scare the heck out of the owner who doesn't know Vibram isn't just black rubber. And I've also seen 'street dirt' mark decks, even with white soles.

You'll find many gym coaches say "no street shoes" for the same reason, they don't want schumtz tracked in on the gym shoes.

In a sailing school, do the best you can. Once you get past the question of non-marking, there's the more difficult question of traction. Classic Topsiders, etc. are useless on a wet deck while some sea boots with "octopus" pods on the bottom are great--but wear quickly and pick up gravel off the boat.

You do the best you can. If it is nice and warm, "AquaSox" or similar white-soled flimsies work very nicely. Cheap, good grip, no marks. Black neoprene divers' booties also work well in colder weather but neither has any foot support. Good deck shoes? Priceless. if you find something you like, but two extra par and stach them away, they'll be off the market next year.

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tenuki

· #18 · Aug 1, 2007

I can't figure out why they don't make children's deck shoes, or gloves, or, well anything. It's annoying.

Consider going barefoot, it's fun.

sailingdog

· #19 · Aug 1, 2007

Broken toes are no fun...

Lots of stuff on deck on a sailboat to stub/break your toes against. Also, dropping winch handles is less painful if you have shoes on.

labatt

· #20 · Aug 1, 2007

tenuki said:
I can't figure out why they don't make children's deck shoes, or gloves, or, well anything. It's annoying.

Consider going barefoot, it's fun.

Sperry actually makes kids boat shoes, and both Gill and West Marine make XXS gloves that fit my 5 year old (although she's kind of big).

I agree on the barefoot comment, except with Teak decks under a hot sun.

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