Shoes

sblanck

Member
Greetings,

I did a search but didnt yield the results I was hoping for.
I was curious what kind of shoes most of you wore to go sailing in.
Being in Texas our lakes our mostly nasty clay, or shoe sucking muck.
I rarely if ever get to just step from dock to boat to get in.
I usually have to get in the water.

Thanks
 
Its getting hard to find real gum rubber sole, canvas top deck shoes....

Gum rubber for grip even on wet fiberglass.

Canvas so the shoe dries fairly quickly.

Converse All Star tennis shoes of the 1970's were perfect (and were about the cheapest tennis shoe you could get).... They changed to some plastic compound now, but there's ONE variant of the All Star sold that has a soft and "grippy" enough sole.

Squeeks like crazy on the gym floor? That's what you want.
 
I either just wear flip flops and toss them in the cockpit after I'm in the boat, or have a pair of Adidas sailing shoes (like these Adidas Boat CC Lace Shoe - Solar Blue), but they are mesh and have holes in the soles, so I think would get pretty nasty with your clay/muck.
 
If you're in sucking muck about the only thing that will
stay on your feet are Wet Suit Booties with the strap.
If you did not have the mud then Water Shoes, Flip-Flops or
Crocks would work. Michigan has sand bottoms so it's
always bare feet for me.
 
Kevin, thanks for your suggestion. I had some water shoes but the slimy muck monster sucked them off of my feet.
The last lake I was in I sank about 8 inchs into the muck before I could get lose enough to get on the boat.
I dont wear flip flops nor go bare foot when sailing due to seeing numerous other sailors breaking toes. Also stickers around lakes I sail at are not fun.
I will probalby go with some sort of sailing boot.
 
For muck you need athletic shoes with laces. Try outlet stores and when you find a pair you like...take the insole out and examine the construction. Also look at how the sole is attached to the upper. If the price is right buy them BUT remember these shoes did not pass any drowning tests. When the sole starts to seperate from the uppers use Weldwood contact cement or Gorilla Glue to re-attach the lose part. Should get a seasons wear out of them. If the insole is to thin add another one. I throw away old shoes but never insoles.
 
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I don't see anybody addressing the first question that needs to be answered when selecting a boating shoe: what color is your boat and/or sail? Those should serve as the inspiration for the color of your boating shoe. Once you know the colors you will be looking at, it will narrow down the choice of the shoe itself. An obvious solution might be Converse Chuck Taylors, as they come in a rainbow of colors and lace up to stay on in the muck. They are made of a cotton-like material, so they will take a while to dry, so having a dryer handy is a plus. The traditional racing boots from Gill and the like frequently only come in grays and blacks which will suit you if you are the serious type and wants to look the part of an Olympic sailor. Good luck with your choice!
 
Greetings, I did a search but didn't yield the results I was hoping for.
I was curious what kind of shoes most of you wore to go sailing in.
Being in Texas our lakes our mostly nasty clay, or shoe sucking muck.
I rarely if ever get to just step from dock to boat to get in.
I usually have to get in the water.

Thanks
Only sand here. :oops:

But, as I was getting into the cockpit by my usual method, I thought of this question. About knee-deep in water, I "back in" to the cockpit. My feet are the last part to enter the cockpit. If I'd been wearing shoes, it would seem easy-enough to keep "toes up". :)
 
Where I launch down in NJ there are jackasses that break bottles along the dock. I use my "decommissioned" work shoes for sailing. I get new shoes every 6 months from work so there is an endless supply.
 

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