[sailingdog]

I wear Keen Newports as my primary summer time boat shoe. Also have a couple of sneaker like pairs, one Sperry and one Harken. Also, have boots for when it gets nasty out.

 

[sailingdog]

Small feet aren't any more fun than giant ones... I wear a size 6.5 US... and that's just as much of a pain in the tush as really large feet, since many manufacturers don't even make shoes in my size.

/

DANG! It must be nice to have small feet. I wear size 15 basketball shoes on the boat, my wife wears 11, I have a daughter and three grandaughters who wear 13's, and my grandson is in a size 16! No, I'm not a tall black guy! I'm not even tall! in our house, 6'6" is NORMAL. The rest of you guys are short, and the guy who designs sailboats with "ample headroom" is a d--n miget!

 

[SimonV]

Small feet aren't any more fun than giant ones... I wear a size 6.5 US... and that's just as much of a pain in the tush as really large feet, since many manufacturers don't even make shoes in my size.

Have you tried the Childrens section.

 

[camaraderie]

Simon...they don't make high heels for children!!

 

[mwrohde]

I wear Keen Newports as my primary summer time boat shoe. Also have a couple of sneaker like pairs, one Sperry and one Harken. Also, have boots for when it gets nasty out.

What type of boots? I've done a pretty good job of staying warm and dry with the exception of my hands and feet. Since this is a footwear thread . . .

I've got steel toed work boots. They seem wrong. I've got hiking boots which would leave black streak marks everywhere. I've got cowboy boots, but they are cold and just not nautical.

 

[TrueBlue]

I've got steel toed work boots. They seem wrong.

You're joking . . . right?
I've got a pair of Gill neoprene sailing boots, but haven't worn them since dinghy racing days . . . also guessing they don't fit anymore. Several guys I know have Musto boots for offshore sailing.

My favorite boat shoe is Sebago Clovehitch - been wearing the same style for many, many years - fit and wear very well. Tried many others, but always go back.

 

[sailortjk1]

For Warm Boots in the cold spring and fall season ; Dubarry

 

[billyruffn]

Two thoughts for you:

1. Re the shoes -- you may wish to consider something you can wash -- or at least disinfect. Many folks wear boat shoes without socks and after a few days in the hot summer, well... My wife makes me leave them in the cockpit.

2. Purists won't wear their boat shoes ashore because they pick up dirt in the fine slits in the soles. That's why many polite folks leave their shoes (boat or otherwise) at the boarding gate or on the dock when they come aboard. (But, if you're the one who cleans the deck, you can wear what ever you want aboard).

 

[joeybkcmo]

Joe-----what are you going to be when you grow up?

where does one sail in KC? Do you drive down to Stockton? That's supposed to be pretty fair, as lakes go. Prevailing winds make a beam reach 14 miles from the bridge to the dam. Ragtime came from there.

I will never grow up, sail on smithville lake

 

[sailingfool]

First sizing of sailing shoes varies alot, most are pretty wide, I only buy in person so I can check fit, West Marine has a good selection or another local supplier.​

For use racing or coastal/offshore use, buy a tie sneaker style like

which fit tightly and wont fall off at a bad moment. A lttle inconvenient to put on/take off.

For daysailing and hanging around the house/boat yard, buy a comfy mocassin like

If you come to rely on the slip on/slip off convenience, and don't relace it each time you put it on, the shoe has a tendancy to fall off under stress, fortunately they usually float for a while. Be sure to re-lace tightly if the breeze is up.

 

[vega1860]

First priority is always fit when it comes to shoes. The ones I'm wearing right now

Are Sperry. "Billfishers" I think they're called. Got them at WM.

Good old Chuck Taylors, Converse Allstars, high tops or low work great. They're cheap and you can throw them in the washing machine when they get smelly.

And they come in all kinds of cool colors and patterns

 

[Sapperwhite]

I go barefoot mostly, but keep a pair of those Sperry flip flops at the helm so when the deck gets hot I'm not burning my feet.

When it's cold out I have a pair of Columbia Cayman Performance Fishing Shoes. No laces, they are slip on with a velcro strap across the back of your upper heel/achilles tendon area to keep them from slipping back off.

The only other shoes I wear are Merrell Jungle Mocs. These are the most comfortable shoe I've ever found. I've worn them for about 4 years now, I just buy a new pair when the old ones wear out.

I REALLY want to try a pair of Vibram five fingers, but Can't find them anywhere They must be the closest thing to going barefooot.

Oh yeah, and these when I want to feel pretty

 

[Perithead]

I happen to ahve a pair of Vibram FiveFingers, the Sprint type.

I LOVE THEM!

They are definately the coolest shoes around and everyone stares at them and questions them. They do feel like you are barefoot to an extent. They are very cool on warm days but definately not warm on cold mornings.

I bought the sprint so that I can wear them in the water and not worry aboutt hem coming off.

At first, they seem to be a bit uncomfortable but if you just stick it out for a while they will fit so nice that you will not even think you are wearing them.

On the baot they are great. I thought when I first got them that my feet wouldnt feel like they have a firm grip on and incline but they really do hold well.

I kinda think everyone should have some but then mine wouldnt be so rare!

 

[SailorMitch]

Non-marking soles that grip well, and good arch support. The latter is very hard to find. I also keep a pair onboard that never leave the boat. I switch as soon as I can get down below to change.

 

[sailingdog]

Two different pairs... one for serious weather and one for daysailing... They're these:

and

BTW, the kid's section stops at six in most manufacturers, the best bet if you have small feet are European sized shoes... They seem to go a bit smaller than the US, which seems to be populated by people with extra large feet. One person I know has size 27 feet and has to kill a cow for each shoe he gets made.

What type of boots? I've done a pretty good job of staying warm and dry with the exception of my hands and feet. Since this is a footwear thread . . .

I've got steel toed work boots. They seem wrong. I've got hiking boots which would leave black streak marks everywhere. I've got cowboy boots, but they are cold and just not nautical.

 

[soul searcher]

what I look for in boat shoes

A five foot, brunette, piece of Mississippi Magic.

 

[Sapperwhite]

A five foot, brunette, piece of Mississippi Magic.

Can't believe I didn't think of that Well done.

 

[soulesailor]

QUOTE]

These things are real? I couldn't get my Fred Flintstones into those things with duelling shoe horns! My little toes have been broken and bashed so many times they stick to each other for support now. It's like each foot only has two or three really big toes. On the up-side, it doesn't hurt anymore when I stub my toe(s).

 

[Classic30]

It's Sperry Topsiders for me.. kind of a family thing passed down through the generations.

Apart from being comfortable, long-lasting (my last pair was purchased in the US almost 20 years ago!), but the best thing about them is is that they are salt-resistant.

If getting your feet wet as often as I do, the eyelets on cheapie brands corrode even before you've worn them in!

 

[mwrohde]

You're joking . . . right?

Joking about wearing them on the boat, not about owning them. I was joking about all three types of boots I've got for boat use - they are just all I own for boots.