Boat boots/shoes

salar said:
I have had the same problem for years. However this season I have discovered the Extratuf ankle deck boots and they are sooooo comfortable. Much cheaper in the USA but they do sell in the UK. You can buy trendy colours or traditional. They were originally manufacturers of commercial fishing footwear and the leisure versions are equally well made.
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Shop called "In Excess" near Salisbury recently had a pile of Extratuff short type yachting wellies in normal blue (not their posh/v expensive "wheelhouse boots"), almost half price at £50 ish. Mail order too...

So good once tried, and so very reasonably priced,that I bought a second pair "for stock" 😉. Hoping they don't perish while I store them...

Bargains ay?
 
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I can’t imagine not wearing shoes. For grip or protection. Boots in cold weather, race ‘trainers’ in warmer. Leather deck shoes are only for a run ashore, our feet get wet often on board. Appreciate this might not be the case for you with proper boats.
 
Chiara’s slave said:
I can’t imagine not wearing shoes. For grip or protection. Boots in cold weather, race ‘trainers’ in warmer. Leather deck shoes are only for a run ashore, our feet get wet often on board. Appreciate this might not be the case for you with proper boats.
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I have worn various 'boat shoes' and the best grip is definitely bare feet.

As for protection - I now virtualy never stub a toe. Being barefoot puts you right in touch with your boat.

However, this is only in the Algarve. When sailing in Scotland I normally wear shoes.

- W
 
webcraft said:
I have worn various 'boat shoes' and the best grip is definitely bare feet.

As for protection - I now virtualy never stub a toe. Being barefoot puts you right in touch with your boat.

However, this is only in the Algarve. When sailing in Scotland I normally wear shoes.

- W
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Maybe, on something reasonably sedate. Our tri is a relatively frisky beast, requiring swift action for tacking, gybing and trim, all of which are frequent in the crowded waters we sail in. As for racing in an XOD, armour and padding are perfectly usual, it’s a bit of a rough house. You really need the protection of shoes. I daresay it depends what you’re walking on whether bare feet or shoes grip best.
 
webcraft said:
As for protection - I now virtualy never stub a toe. Being barefoot puts you right in touch with your boat.
However, this is only in the Algarve. When sailing in Scotland I normally wear shoes.

- W
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There is theory "always wear shoes" and there is actual life, I always wear some kind of shoes while sailing or doing jobs on deck, but if quietly at anchor for >2-3-several days in warm places I came to accept/prefer of frequently having one or two broken toes rather than the hassle of wearing shoes all the time (and toxic-gas myself and people all around every time I take them off); when one is hit just bandage tightly with the adjacent ones.
If cold, I found these Heat Holders® The Warmest Thermal Socks - Heatholders.co.uk to be excellent in keeping warm and reducing the impact damage, I wear them all the time while inside. Again if sailing and wandering on deck, always shoes of some sort.
 
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Chiara’s slave said:
... I daresay it depends what you’re walking on whether bare feet or shoes grip best.
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I wonder if that theory has ever been systematically tested.

  • I'd bet dinner that the correct sole will outgrip skin on every surface. I doubt it even merits serious discussion.
  • I've heard of studio dancing, but always with the caveat that the feet can't be sweaty. Boats get rain and seawater on them, so forget that.
  • Surfing feels better with bare feet, but the reason is nerve endings. You can feel the board better. I've surfed with wet suit boots, and the traction was the same or better, but the feel was less. But I was also not cringing with fear every step, wondering if I was going to cream something. If you slide on a board you just fall, so toe protection, pain, and fear don't enter in. Also, the deck of a surfboard is optimized (soft wax) for bare feet. I doubt anyone spreads surf wax on the their side decks. Without a good coating of surf wax, a board is slicker than eel shit.
  • I've heard you can "feel" more with bare feet. I sailed a beach cat for a decade, winter and summer, and I can honestly say I never felt bare feet were better. If there was serious wind, boots for 100% certain. Better traction. The only reason for bare feet was casual days of beach bumming or incinerator heat and light winds.
  • I've known of a rock rock climbing problems that are done bare foot, but only because a toe needs to fit in a very specific hole. Weird stuff, climbers consider it very, very fringe. 99.999% of the time shoes are better.
  • Deck shoes should be thin-soled for feel and so that they conform over and around ropes. Not the best for tennis or miles of walking, but that is what true performance deck shoes are. "Boat shoes," as distinct from deck shoes, never appealed to me. I'm not into style. Multi-court shoes and trainers can certainly work on decks, but the soles are thicker than optimum to allow padding for running and jumping. I don't run or jump on a boat, at least not the the point where additional padding is required. I do wear orthodics for flat feet. I have multiple pairs, some for higher impact sports, including hiking, and some thin for sailing, cycling, and skating/skiing.
Considering the generations of seaman that sailed barefoot, even in the cold, barefoot is a valid question. Of course, the alternative for them was leather soles up in the rigging and on wet wooden decks, which sounds moderately terrifying too. I bet they would have scooped up rubber-soled trainers in an instant.
 
No way would I consider bare feet on my 38 racer .... deck is a positive minefield waiting for that unsuspecting toe .....

Over the years with many different boats I have tried many 'boat' and sport shoes .... expensive and cheap ..... most have been crap after a few pontoon walks ... I do not change shoes when I go on board so they get worn on all surfaces. I have a tile mat to wipe shoes on.
Boat shoes - tended to just fail .... the soles not putting up with general use - wearing out and 'tread' quickly particularly at ball of feet and heels ... but the uppers ok.
Sport shoes - tended to get hardened soles and didn't take long for sole to start separating from uppers.

The best I ever had were a pair of no-name budget priced moccasin style .... the soles were strange sort of thin leather like polymer ... with only light tread pattern ... sadly i could not get any same later ....

Today I have budget Nike slip-ons which are reasonable but need a good deck as well. On teak - good. But they are not lasting ... less than a year and I'm looking for replacement.

Having bought expensive boating shoes in the past and not got what expected from them ... I will pass them by ...

Boots ?? Not on my boats please. I had a terrifying experience with boots years ago ... an inflatable I was in while fishing developed a leak on its valve and when side tube softened - I leant back to cast and slid off backwards into the water .... those boating boots made it hard to swim / work in the water .. I know some will argue for them ... but you were not me in the water .... No boots on my boats thankyou.
 
Sailing boots need to be a ‘kick off’ fit.

We do change shoes, usually sandals or wellies to launch the tender, then they go in a locker when on board, and trimaran sailing shoes go on. They’d be highly satisfactory on any race boat.
 
Chiara’s slave said:
Sailing boots need to be a ‘kick off’ fit.

We do change shoes, usually sandals or wellies to launch the tender, then they go in a locker when on board, and trimaran sailing shoes go on. They’d be highly satisfactory on any race boat.
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With my size 12 foot no boot is "kick off". If I am using the dinghy to get to my launch I tend to use wellington boots, as they have a far loser fit than my Gill sailing boots (which only last 3 seasons)
So generally I stick to my Dubarry shoes, with a pair of seal skin socks. I found that rain water still ran down my trouser legs into the boot anyway. The socks dry very quick & are warm. Most of my work is done from the cockpit, or any deckwork from the high side & I do not feel the need for boots
 
It’s launching the kite that gets my feet wet. Mrs C always steers for that, and it's done from the lee tramp. Like being in a jacuzzi, if there is wind and waves. In the cooler months I race in dry trousers, seals at the ankles. We’d avoid the kite and use the furling code 0 for cruising, to avoid being so wet.
 
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