10 Best Boat Shoes for Men & Women in 2022 – Reviews & Comparison

Boat shoes are a pair of shoes that have that vintage charm. They are fashionable, durable, and of course, are used for fun times out in the water; whether you are relaxing on a cruise or reeling in the catch of the day.

Shoes are generally articles of clothing, and the personal taste varies from person to person. While it is true that boating shoes are designed to look good, there is usually more to these shoes than style and comfort.

A good pair of boating shoes must be made of tough, durable leather or a similar material. They also have to keep your feet dry when walking on wet surfaces and into puddles. They achieve this with rubber soles and treading. And of course, a pair of boating shoes must be very comfortable to wear.

In this review, we will examine ten popular boating shoes on the market today. We will point out their best qualities as well as their worst, in order to give you a better idea of which shoes are worth buying and which are not. At the end of our review, we will declare our most recommended boating shoe of 2020.

10 Best Boat Shoes - Comparisons

This first pair of boat shoes come from Sperry. The sizes for this shoe range from 6 wide to 9.5 extra wide. For casual wear, this is a greatly designed shoe for leisure and outdoor fun. This is Sperry’s take on the traditional penny loafer that has stood the test of time.

The 2-Eye boat shoes are hand-made and are designed like moccasins. This is meant to provide users with the utmost of comfort, cushioning, and snugness. There is also cushions underneath the foot to help absorb shock as you walk.

The 360-degree lacing system promises a secure fit that is sure to not shake the shoe loose later. The shoelaces are made of genuine rawhide, while the eyelets are made of a stainless steel.

The rubber soles make for a slip-free experience, as the traction of the bottom of the shoes push water away from the underfoot as you step. You are guaranteed to never slip, trip or fall when walking across a wet, moist deck.

The beveled heel helps you maintain your balance while walking on uneven surfaces, perhaps by walking on rocks or sitting with your feet onto the railing of the ship.

There are 36 different color schemes that exist for these shoes. This is an incredible selection to choose from that would make the decision of the design savvy consumer that much harder. There are colors that you can pick from, from black and white to red and blue. 

There are even options out there for either natural leather or burnished leather, which is more polished and sophisticated. All of these different shoes are made of leather with rubber soles.

With that said, finding the shoe in both your size and your preferred color scheme is going to be insanely hard.

This shoe has been on the market for 16 years, but long time consumers have been complaining that the quality is not what it used to be.

Also Read: 10 Best Fishing Shoes For Boat & Water

The second boat shoe is a the Sebago docksides. The sizes range from 7 wide to 9 extra wide. This pair shares a lot in common with the Sperry 2-Eye shoes, as both companies are rich with tradition and history. These shoes have also been around for a long time. These make for great casual shoes, whether in a boat or walking around town.

For one, the designs are nearly identical. The stitching and lacing is just about the same, and there are many different colors to choose from as well.

These shoes are available in 23 color schemes, in both natural leather and polished leather. The color schemes are simpler, however, as the only colors that change are the shoe’s body, the sole and the strings. You can buy these shoes in colors like brown, light blue, black, white and olive green.

One thing that is different about this shoe apart from the Sperry 2-Eye shoe is that the sole has rivets for added traction. These added grooves make the shoes resistant to slipping, especially when walking on wet surfaces.

Even if you try to use them as casually as possible, they may not be all that comfortable to wear. They do not come with any shock absorption cushions like Sperry’s 2-Eye shoes, so unless you own a pair of cushioned soles, we advise against buying these.

Sperry’s next shoe has a more athletic look to it, called the Billfish 3-Eye. The sizes range from 8 wide to 9.5 extra wide. While keeping some elements of the old-fashioned penny loafer, these shoes are made to look more rugged and durable.

While this shoe is made of genuine leather, there are mesh areas on the sides, so that the shoe is breathable. When enjoying a hot summer day, of course, you do not want to end it by realizing your shoes have been gathering sweat from your feet.

These shoes are also resistant to staining, so water and other liquids will not alter their appearance for the worse. If you want a pair of boat shoes that are the most likely to look flawless after a number of years, these shoes may just accomplish that.

Like their 2-Eye shoes, these shoes provide cushioning under the foot for added comfort, genuine rawhide shoelaces and metal eyelets that do not rust.

The Billfish 3-Eye has grooved soles, unlike the first Sperry shoe. This is one improvement that this shoe has over the more traditional version.

This shoe only comes in three different colors, that they are all shades of brown, at that. The colors are brown, tan and dark tan. If you are expecting black or white, I’m afraid there are no such shoes, which is sort of disappointing.

The one problem that these shoes have is that that stitching that connects the shoe to the sole is not the best. If you are not careful with your shoes, you may end up finding a hole in them.

Timberland is a quality name in outdoor boots and shoes, and they too have thrown their hat in the boat shoe ring. Like the 2-Eye and the Docksides, these shoes also resemble the classic penny loafer design. These shoes look very natural and comfortable to wear. This shoe’s size range is between 7 wide and 8.5 extra wide.

There are only five colors available: Dark brown, dark brown polished, medium brown, medium brown polished, and navy blue.

These shoes have rubber soles that come with grooves, but these grooves are not as pronounced. These shoes will hold up against slick floors, but not super-slick floors.

The forefoot comes with a full length EVA insert so that you walk and stand comfortably all day. This leather is rugged and durable, and will last for many boating trips. These are a nice pair of boating shoes, but they might be too simple considering what we come to expect from such a brand as Timberland.

A spinnaker is a large baggy sail with three corners, typically for racing yachts. You don’t need to be a yacht racer to wear these spiffy shoes from Sebago, but they sure offer something new and interesting apart from your typical leather shoes. These sizes range from 5 wide to 9.5.

This shoe has a slotted collar, which is unorthodox for a penny loafer look. This look, however makes the shoe look even more vintage.

This shoe comes in 19 different color schemes, most of which are more unusual than the other offerings of shoes thus far. You could buy an all red shoe with a tan backing, a black shoe with green collar, and more. There are natural leather options in addition to burnished leather.

The sole on the Spinnaker has a nice, deep tread. You can confidently walk across the wettest of floors and not experience any skids or slips.

With all this said, the upper part of the shoe is pretty stiff, and calluses can appear on your feet if you wear them for extended periods of time.

The second boating shoe from Timberland has a more dressier look to it. These make for classy dress shoes in addition to boating shoes. The sizes range from 7 wide to 15 D.

This shoe also has a slotted collar to it, but the color scheme is much more tame, allowing the shoe to look more appealing to more people. Speaking of colors, you can only choose from two: Brown and navy blue. Both however look great and have a nice, sophisticated appearance.

The forefoot somes with a three-quarter length EVA insert with soft, poron foam. Their shoelaces are also made of fine quality rawhide so that knots stay tied on tightly.

Like the other Timberland shoes, the soles on these have some very thin grooves. They could always be bigger so that the wearer never faces risk of falling on slippery surfaces.

With that said, these are some of the heaviest shoes to wear. They weigh four pounds overall, and this may be irritating to some. They may not be that bothersome, but we can imagine some people complaining that they are a little too heavy. Four pounds may not seem like much, but to a few people, they can feel like shackles on your feet.

The Clovehitch is a functional looking shoe with sizes ranging from 7 wide to 15 wide. These are one of the more athletic looking boat shoes, especially when looking at it from its bottom.

There are nine different color schemes for you to choose from. Such notable colors include brown, tan, walnut and navy. Some are full grain leather and some have burnished leather.

This shoe has breathable mesh panelling on the side so that your feet do not sweat all day. The shoe’s Strobel construction providers the wearer with lightweight movement, yet long-lasting durability. For most shoes, if you have one of these quality, you do not get the other.

There EVA insert is removable, and provides the user with a great comfort. Beneath this insert is a cushioned midsole for shock absorption. This ensures that every step is comfortable and will not hurt your feet. Despite the claims of this shoe, however, we find that the inserts do not do enough to provide the wearer with enough comfort.

The sole of this boating shoe is similar to a basketball shoe or sneaker, but the treads are very pronounced and do a great job keeping the user balanced and safe.

Also Read: Best Boat Covers for Your favorite Boat

Another athletic-type boat shoe, the Sperry Sea Kite shoe looks like a shoe more for adventurers and explorers more than for casual customers. You can but this shoe in sizes from 7 D(M) to 9.5 wide. Overall, these are durable shoes that surprisingly last.

This shoe comes in four colors: tan, saturated tan, brown, and grey. The design of this shoe looks more like an athletic shoe, more so than any other shoe in this review. This is a real break in tradition from the penny loafer style, especially when the grey shoes, but it really all comes down to preference. On the flip side, people who want a more athletic shoe may be turned off that there are not more colors to choose from, such as black or blue.

The Sea Kite shoe comes with an compression mold EVA midsole to make sure your feet do not hurt any point in the day.

The rubber outsole is creatively designed, giving a bit of new school to old school. The various treads make it so that your feet do not slip on slick or wet surfaces.

The air mesh panelling allows your feet to breath and not sweat or overheat for as long as they are inside your shoes.

The laces in these shoes are made of genuine rawhide, and the eyelet never rust for their stainless steel materials.

These last two boat shoes are for women. The Angelfish 2-Eye is built like a durable slipper, which is unlike anything that some people have not seen before. They are actually built to resemble female moccasins like the traditional men’s Sperry shoes imitate male moccasins. The range of sizes span from 5 slim to 12.

There are four colors available for the Angelfish 2-Eye: Black, brown, tan, and golden. While the color schemes all look great, only the black shoe is burnished, while all the rest are rugged, natural leather.

These shoes have a 360-degree lacing system that promises a secure fit with eyelets that will not fail and rawhide laces that will not come undone.

The soles of these shoes are made to channel water away from each step you take, allowing you to not step on water, but for water to travel inside the treads, so that you have more control over where you step.

These shoes and sewn together by hand, which mean that these are crafted with the utmost of skill and care. The backing of these shoes make sure that they stay on with each step and do not fly off your feet with a gentle kicking motion.

As good as these shoes are, they still are made for women’s feet. Unless you are a woman, these are not shoes for you to buy. If you happen to know a women who likes to have fun on boats, then you can consider these shoes for her, if you prefer.

Skechers are often overlooked for being a brand of shoes that are exclusively for children, but they can also provide quality footwear for men and women too. In this case, this boating shoe for women looks very similarly to a sneaker for an unusually appealing look. The sizes are available in between 5 wide to 11.

These shoes are not made of leather, but rather made of a soft fabric that imitates leather. With this in mind, these shoes are not that durable as other leather shoes, but they are breathable in a wider area.

These shoes come in 17 different color schemes. Some of them include tan and grey, while others have printed designs like faded stars and camouflage. These are some great looking shoes, however.

Even the inside lining is made of fabric. Also inside the shoe is a “Goga Max Return Energy Insert”, which is said to be comparable to memory foam. This makes the shoe extra comfy to walk in, and are not available in any other shoe outside of Skechers.

With all these things considered, the Go Step Seashore is a great shoe, but of course, it’s not one for men. There is a men’s version of this shoe available, however, but not available to us at this time. Between the two women’s shoes, this what we most recommend for women.

Final Verdict

Upon careful review, the boating shoe that we most recommend for men is the Sperry Top-Sider Men's Sea Kite Sport Boat Shoe.

When talking about shoes, most decisions of which shoes to buy all come down to how the shoe looks. What may look good to one person may not look good to another. In this case, however, we have found functionality to be a bigger priority, and these shoes are designed for more than just casual wear.

Whether you want to relax on a boating excursion or go out for a stroll, these shoes have the durability for more rigorous activities and give you the comfort in order to do them. Even for the brown color options for this shoe, they do look more athletic than traditional.

For that matter, this shoe is breathable, it will not slip off, and it is not too heavy for any man to wear. While the more traditional penny loafer boat shoes look very nice, there are not many things that have been done to help the feet inside breathe better on hot summer days.

Many customer will enjoy this shoe for its look, its function and its performance. This is why the Sea Kite Sport is our top choice for boating shoes for 2020.

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