Deck Shoes-Is There An Alternative?

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derekbland

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And so, I know that deck shoes have soles that don't mark the deck etc. but am trying to initially keep costs down and so is there an alternative other than taking your shoes off before you climb aboard? If any replies still highly recommend deck shoes, can you get a reasonable pair for under £50 - recommendations please. BTW, I won't by shoes online unless I have had a chance to try them on first.

I am thinking that provided they aren't hard soles such as leather, then some of my other trainer but not trainer type shoes would be ok. I had a pair of non-light coloured soled shoes and I had to scrape my foot pretty hard on a plastic surface before it left a mark and which came of very easily with a wipe.
 
Deck shoes are there to make sure you have decent footing, along with not making marks everywhere. Best to spend appropriately here. One tip, keep the pair you wear on the boat "on the boat". You'd be surprised how much filth collects on the soles and results in filthy footprints everywhere.

Me, I've long been a fan of Allen Edmonds 'Eastport' model. Fantastically comfortable both as deck shoes and daily walkers. Not the least expensive though. I keep the ones that I've worn out for bilge duty. Sperry's makes a whole range of boat shoes, and likely has something for the more budget conscious.
 
Hurricane said:
Bare feet

and (for me) - Crocs -
Yep - I know - we've had this discussion before - a lot of people wouldn't have Crocs anywhere near their boat - but they are just so practical (IMHO).
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A lot of people won't have bare feet either. There was a long acrimonious thread about this some years ago.
 
Twisterowner said:
A lot of people won't have bare feet either. There was a long acrimonious thread about this some years ago.
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I am happy to go barefoot when moving around the boat when the weather is reasonable but when it's a little cold will want to have something to keep me tootsies warm.
 
The problem with bare feet , at least in my experience, is that if you accidentally kick a toe against something hard it blimmin hurts:)
 
I keep going back to bare feet, only to bash my toes again. They are comfortable, fairly grippy and so easy to put on. It’s really dumb though, I promise I will not do it any more. It’s only a matter of time before I break a toe. Or gash myself down to the bone. My crew are asked forcefully and politely to wear shoes. I don’t insist on it, maybe I should.

The comfy Timberland boat shoes have gone hard and turned into ice skates, so a change is overdue. My last pair did the same, but fell apart too. So I bought a pair of Chinese plimsoles tonight from Aldi. £4.99. They are really, really grippy, but they probably have mild steel eyelets and will go to poo in a nanosecond as most Chinese stuff does, if so then I’ll get a pair of ASICS squash shoes. My squash champion pal says they are the best.
 
Zing said:
I keep going back to bare feet, only to bash my toes again. They are comfortable, fairly grippy and so easy to put on. It’s really dumb though, I promise I will not do it any more. It’s only a matter of time before I break a toe. Or gash myself down to the bone. My crew are asked forcefully and politely to wear shoes. I don’t insist on it, maybe I should.

The comfy Timberland boat shoes have gone hard and turned into ice skates, so a change is overdue. My last pair did the same, but fell apart too. So I bought a pair of Chinese plimsoles tonight from Aldi. £4.99. They are really, really grippy, but they probably have mild steel eyelets and will go to poo in a nanosecond as most Chinese stuff does, if so then I’ll get a pair of ASICS squash shoes. My squash champion pal says they are the best.
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Nice one thank you. Re breaking toes, it reminds me of when I went walking for 4-days in the Brecons around a million years ago. We had tent and sleeping bags, no B&B or creature comforts. We even cooked on a fire made by rubbing two boy scouts together, almost Ray Mears stuff. I had my sturdy Dolomite walking boots which did a great job. On the way back to Portsmouth, I was walking up the stairs from the underground into waterloo station wearing my very comfortable Hush Puppies, tripped and broke my big toe. It still seems ironic that after having walked up hill and down dale, proper rufty-tufty stuff I brake my big toe walking up a few stairs.
 
First Mate and I are Raggies and discovered in New Zealand Shimano boat shoes. Found them in a fishing tackle store. Burnsco also have them.

Propper grippy soles, plastic uppers like Crocs but with a sole liner and much better quality.

Cost about 50 NZ dollars, so 30 quidish. Might be available in the UK-cant see why they should not be.
 
rotrax said:
First Mate and I are Raggies and discovered in New Zealand Shimano boat shoes. Found them in a fishing tackle store. Burnsco also have them.

Propper grippy soles, plastic uppers like Crocs but with a sole liner and much better quality.

Cost about 50 NZ dollars, so 30 quidish. Might be available in the UK-cant see why they should not be.
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Thank you. This is rip-off Britain and so everything is more expensive. I will carry on looking bit at the moment they are at least twice the price you mention. I have found this site though. I https://www.mandmdirect.com/01/shoe...6pYQs-sc638eIHXFYQhoCIZAQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
 
Probably doesn't solve the cost issue, but I have bought a pair of Mahabis. They are perfect for the boat because the have attachable rubber soles for the cockpit and act as slippers when inside.
 
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