Boat Shoe Guide - How To Wear Deck Shoes, Break Them In & Mistakes To Avoid

Comments · 291

• RO

  @RonPaul4Pres2k8 · 6 years ago

  Coming from someone who attended private schools growing up, spent many days jumping in and out the springs in our neighborhood, been on many boats, yachts, etc... I can tell you that the design of these shoes is for you to not wear socks of any type. &nbsp;Theses shoes are basically intended to become your 2nd pair of skin ... if you will. &nbsp;That said, they have an iconic Americana look to them, which compels a lot of people to wear them around town (even when not at the lake, beach, boats, etc... ) &nbsp;I admit, I do this as well... as I&apos;ve worn them out around town shopping at beach-side communities (think Saint Armands circle, Sarasota, FL and all keys in FL), &nbsp;If I&apos;m on a boat, it&apos;s a must because you&apos;re not going to be the guy/girl who leaves marks all over the deck (people will come looking for you lol). &nbsp;One quite note: &nbsp;the color of the sole doesn&apos;t mean they&apos;re non marking. &nbsp;It&apos;s the type of rubber they use to create the sole. &nbsp;This allows soles of many differing colors, though the most classic sole is white and off-white. &nbsp;Naturally, you&apos;ll therefore see these shoes at yacht clubs all around the globe (yet depending on the club, always call ahead and ask what attire they do not allow when booking or having been invited to dinner specifically). <br>Now, does this all mean that you cannot wear socks with them? &nbsp;Yes, you can wear them, though they will feel extra snug when you option to do so vs. always doing so and you will hate the feeling should they get wet! &nbsp;One very common complaint is that your feet will peel or blister, which is why people think they have to wear socks. &nbsp;The solution for this is quite simple. &nbsp;Yes it&apos;s true that with enough wear and enough use within water (and wearing them until they dry), they will conform to your feet, but here&apos;s the thing... it takes about 5-10 times of that type of scenario to get to that goal. &nbsp;So, what I&apos;ve always done is never wear socks (not even no-show socks) and instead use moleskin!!! &nbsp;I use the moleskin for my heal until the shoes are worn-in. &nbsp;Another option that I use in combination with my new Sperrys are to use gel/silicon toe protectors (i like the cylindrical type so your toe breaths more and they go on/off much quicker). &nbsp;Something else I do is coat and rub the inside of the shoes with mink oil, although i have honestly no idea if this speeds up the process ... it seems mostly anecdotal at this point to me. &nbsp;<br>If you still feel that you rather wear socks, then go for it, but no-show socks are really the only option in that scenario unless you wanna be &quot;that guy/girl&quot; who will be invariably lumped in with those who wear sandals with socks lol. &nbsp;One other side-note is that if you are happen to come across a beach that has a lot of sharp shelly/rocky sand, look into water-shoes for that specific application so that you can enjoy all you want. &nbsp;Boat shoes are not for this application however since they&apos;re not designed to quickly drain the shells and water. &nbsp;Bon voyage.

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• DR

  @dramirezg70 · 10 years ago

  They are also very long lasting. I&apos;ve had my Sperry&apos;s for almost 20 years, and still look and feel awesome.

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• B8

  @B8T4 · 10 years ago

  I literally came here to see if I should wear them with socks or not lmao

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• PU

  @pubu2010 · 7 years ago

  You are fast becoming a National Treasure. Well Done.

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• MA

  @martinwagner7619 · 10 years ago

  I&apos;ve been wearing boatshoes for the last couple of years but as a non US-Viewer I just recently discovered the preppy east coast style and they fit in so perfectly. Thank you for this video it&apos;s so informative.

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• ED

  @edubwalter3179 · 4 years ago

  I fell in love with Sperry Boat Shoes as a teenager in the 80&apos;s! Absolute classic...I still wear them to this day!

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• AN

  @andrewkoastephens210 · 10 years ago

  This is a super video. I would like to add a couple points to the boat shoe discussion. Since a sea-scout as a boy to sailing my own vessels on the San Francisco Bay. I have worn them my whole life. Perhaps we have our own traditions here but they are close held traditions. First, sailors never wear cotton socks. Wool stays warm even when wet, cotton does not. I keep to this tradition while wearing top-siders. If wearing socks I only wear wool with boat shoes. After the break in period, laces will not require readjustment. If using leather laces, it is traditional (at least on the West Coast of the US) to tie a square knot instead of a bow then snip away the excess lace about an inch from the knot. It looks tidy and will not accidentally become untied.

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• NI

  @nicolasgombert8551 · 6 years ago

  Love my timberland boat shoes, bought in the US for half the price than they selling them here in Germany! Super long lasting and you don‘t sweat at all in them! I highly recommend buying these;)

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• CR

  @Crocomum · 9 years ago

  OMG Raphael, you wear shorts, i didn&apos;t know you went that casual :,)??????

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• LO

  @locaIfolklore · 9 years ago

  I work for Sperry, and I very much appreciate the advice on styles to wear with the deck shoes. <br>This video is very informative, and &quot;to the point&quot;. I appreciate you for making it. 👍🏻

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• AN

  @anthonypetrozzelli5429 · 4 months ago

  I grew up in Boston, and started wearing Sperry Topsiders, Sebago and Dockers in the 70s. The boat shoes is a classic, and a New England shoe classic. It looks great with dress pants, chinos, dress or polo shirt with a sports coat. Boat shoes is still in my wardrobe! Its a great, classic shoe!

• JO

  @JosephGallagher · 10 years ago

  My Gods, that was very detailed. Loved it, thank you.

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