# Which is the most rugged/durable boat shoe?



## bikemaniac (Dec 16, 2012)

Hi,

I'm new to this forum so this will be my 1st question.

For the last 10-15 years my preferred shoe has been the classic boat shoe with leather inside and out. No syntehtics at all. During the last 10-15 years I have owned

4 pairs of Timberland heritage 3-eye classic lug
https://shop.timberland.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4208417&prodFindSrc=search
They cost approx 200 dollars.

4 pairs of van Bommel boat shoes
https://www.vanbommel.com/en/shoe_detail/387
They cost approx. 160 Euros for a pair which is approx 200 dollars

Please be aware that I live in Europe and the high prices reflect that matter.

I wear the shoes almost every day and wax them 2 times a year. I don't go rockclimbing with them and I don't play soccer with them. I just walk and nothing more. However, after approx 2 years (a total of approx 600-700 days) the shoes are completely ruined and ready for the trash.

Here is what happens:
After approx. 6 months the vertical sewing in the heels is completely ripped and is falling apart.
After approx. 6 months the leather insole delaminates from the main sole and I have to glue it back in using special leather glue.
After approx 1 year the upper coarse sewing on the front panel starts ripping in parts. The threads cannot take all the bendings and crack. I usually remove the entire sewing on the front panel and sew it back in using a special heavy thread bought in a leather shop. 
After approx. 2 years the sewing attaching the sole to the leather shoe itself (the sewing going all the way around the shoe close to the ground) startes ripping/cracking in the front with the result that the sole delaminates from the rest of the shoe. You could say that the front end of the shoe looks like a ducks mouth 
After approx 2 years, if unlucky, the leather close to the outer sole will crack and open exposing the toes.

The best thing about all my boat shoes where the outer sole: It never failed.

The above description has been going on for the last 10-15 years. Every time I have tried to improve. I really feel that I have taken care of the shoes, however they do get ruined anyway.

Pictures:

Now, some of you might think I mistreated and didn't take care of the shoes shown in the pictures. I wouldn't say so. Unless you ask me to treat the leather every single month.

My question to you is:
What is the worlds most durable rugged boat shoe? I'm not necessarily looking for the exact same design at the ones I have owned - something similar is OK. I don't care about the price at all. I just cannot accept my shoes falling apart anymore. Can I get a boat shoe with life time warranty? Actually, life time warranty does not make sense if I have to ship the shoes across the globe every time they need to be fixed . I just need a pair of boat shoes that can take A LOT of abuse. Am I asking too much?

Thanks, Lucas


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## hardline_42 (Jan 20, 2010)

Bikemaniac, welcome to the forum! I own a pair of the Timberland 3-eye boat shoes you linked. I find them perfectly suitable, but I wear them maybe 5 times a month. The first thing I noticed about your post is how often you wear them: "almost every day." The most you should wear a leather shoe is every other day. They need to rest 24 hours between wearing so the moisture they've absorbed throughout the day has some time to evaporate. Otherwise, the shoe starts to fall apart. The insole glue dissolving is one of the first signs. Second, two years is not a short life for boat shoes worn that often. They're often regarded as casual "throw-away" shoes and many would rather just buy a new pair every couple of years.

As far as suggesting a more rugged shoe, you won't find it in the new models of Timberland 3-eye. They're actually worse than what you could get ten years ago. The "handsewn" parts of the shoe are not handsewn in the traditional sense. The holes are prepunched by machine and then a person with a needle and thread simply connects the dots, making no allowance for irregularities in the leather, grain orientation etc.

Another consideration is whether a moccasin construction is best for durability. A moccasin where the sole is stitched directly through the vamp puts a lot of stress on the leather. A welted moccasin still has the welt stitched through the vamp, but the stresses are divided among the vamp-to-welt and the welt-to-outsole seams. The addition of a leather midsole makes it even more durable. An example of this from Rancourt can be seen in member dorji's post .

However, a Goodyear welted shoe with a moc-toe would be a better compromise with a true boot construction but the looks of a moccasin. Something like a Thorogood Moc-toe Oxford or similar.


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## Patrick06790 (Apr 10, 2005)

I am a fan of the LL Bean version. It's got the white siped sole. It looks right. And I use them year-round _ in cold weather they serve as house slippers.

I'm on my second pair in four years, and both pairs are currently in service.

https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/46112?page=mens-casco-bay-boat-mocs


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## bikemaniac (Dec 16, 2012)

hardline_42 said:


> However, a Goodyear welted shoe with a moc-toe would be a better compromise with a true boot construction but the looks of a moccasin. Something like a Thorogood Moc-toe Oxford or similar.


Thanks for your interesting reply. Actually, I'm aware of the moisture problem and the fact that shoes should rest for a day. But then again, I travel often and don't have space for carrying various shoes. Also, it doesn't make sense in my mind to have an ongoing sequence where shoes are rotated.

It's funny that you mention the moc toe. A few months ago, in total frustration of my ruined boat shoes, I went out and bough a pair of Redwing Moc Toes:

They set me back 330 dollars over here in Europe. The idea was exactly like you described above: Get a similar low cut shoe with a more rugged sole system. The Redwing shop owner told me he would replace the moc toes if I was able to ruin them within 2 years. That was good news.
That bad news is comfort. They totally lack the comfort of a real boat shoe. They are rock hard compared to boat shoes even though I have worn them in for sevaral months. My Redwing Gentlemans Traveler which is a tall boot, looking even more rugged/solid than the Redwing Moc Toe is more comfortable to wear than the moc toes. I believe that the RedWing moc toe problem is their white outer sole. This sole is super stiff and thus will not easily bend. I'm about to stash these shoes very soon and have to acknowledge that those 330 dollars are lost.

Lucas


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## godan (Feb 10, 2010)

Bikemaniac: Excellent first post! You say you walk in your boat shoes, and nothing more. Do you need (or insist on having) boat shoe soles? Would camp mocs serve you better? Without the precise knowledge of purists, I think of camp mocs as robust boat shoes with thicker, usually lugged, soles. My several pair from Timberland, Eastland, Quoddy, Dunham and others have lasted several years, worn in rotation during dry seasons. I wear camp mocs with jeans and pressed, but not creased, chinos, often with a sweater and/or shirt, but never with a tie.


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## hardline_42 (Jan 20, 2010)

godan said:


> Bikemaniac: Excellent first post! You say you walk in your boat shoes, and nothing more. Do you need (or insist on having) boat shoe soles? Would camp mocs serve you better? Without the precise knowledge of purists, I think of camp mocs as robust boat shoes with thicker, usually lugged, soles. My several pair from Timberland, Eastland, Quoddy, Dunham and others have lasted several years, worn in rotation during dry seasons. I wear camp mocs with jeans and pressed, but not creased, chinos, often with a sweater and/or shirt, but never with a tie.


Look at the pics and links in the OP. None of the shoes he has are equipped with boat soles. They're all lug-soled bluchers that are technically boat shoes because they have 360* lacing.


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## fishertw (Jan 27, 2006)

I've had nearly every boat shoe brand made over the past thirty years. By far, the most durable and nearly indestructable boat shoe is the Gokey bullhide shoe sold by Orvis. I've had a pair for over ten years and continue to return to that shoe over and over. The leather is thick, stiff and the most durable of any boat shoe I've ever seen. It takes a while to break them in, but they wear like iron.
Tom


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## ashcroft99 (Dec 12, 2008)

*Alden boatshoe?*

Have you given the Alden boatshoe a try? Not sure if they are still available--but I recall well seeing a pair at the D.C. Alden store: impressively solid, at least by the lights of a cursory inspection.


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## bikemaniac (Dec 16, 2012)

godan said:


> Bikemaniac: Excellent first post! You say you walk in your boat shoes, and nothing more. Do you need (or insist on having) boat shoe soles? Would camp mocs serve you better? Without the precise knowledge of purists, I think of camp mocs as robust boat shoes with thicker, usually lugged, soles. My several pair from Timberland, Eastland, Quoddy, Dunham and others have lasted several years, worn in rotation during dry seasons. I wear camp mocs with jeans and pressed, but not creased, chinos, often with a sweater and/or shirt, but never with a tie.


No, I don't insist on boat shoes. I have chosen boat shoes because:

1. Only made out of leather - also inside. This ensures that they will never smell badly and this feature is very important to me
2. They are extremely comfortable with plenty of air around the foot when walking. 
3. They are just slip in/slip out and the sole is not too hard = it will bend with the foot (unlike the rock hard Redwing moc toes).

So yes, I am open for something new (same comfort level, just more durable). Even loafers. But I'm still young and prefer not to have a shoe which puts me in the granddad class 

Lucas


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## Himself (Mar 2, 2011)

Patrick06790 said:


> I am a fan of the LL Bean version. It's got the white siped sole. It looks right. And I use them year-round _ in cold weather they serve as house slippers.
> 
> I'm on my second pair in four years, and both pairs are currently in service.
> 
> https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/46112?page=mens-casco-bay-boat-mocs


I've always worn Sperry but those look at least as good, maybe better -- and quite a bit cheaper, especially w/ periodic LLB discounts.


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## godan (Feb 10, 2010)

hardline_42 said:


> Look at the pics and links in the OP. None of the shoes he has are equipped with boat soles. They're all lug-soled bluchers that are technically boat shoes because they have 360* lacing.


Hardline: Can you explain in more detail? I have always thought that the essential characteristic of a boat shoe was a sole that would not mark the deck, typically a white, un-lugged sole. By 360* lacing, do you mean a single lace that extends back around the heel? I searched on AA for a definition without success. Wikpedia (hardly a Trad authority) mentions the non-marking sole. What is the Absolute Truth? Thanks.


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## Topsider (Jul 9, 2005)

Personally, I think you would be better served by buying a second pair of shoes and alternating them. Wearing shoes every day without allowing them to dry out in between wearings is a fast track to destruction. You're fortunate that they're lasting two years. Based on your photo, however, I'd have thrown them away a long time ago.

As far as your question as to which boat shoe will hold up better under those conditions than others, I'd say "none." They're all disposable.


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## hardline_42 (Jan 20, 2010)

godan said:


> Hardline: Can you explain in more detail? I have always thought that the essential characteristic of a boat shoe was a sole that would not mark the deck, typically a white, un-lugged sole. By 360* lacing, do you mean a single lace that extends back around the heel? I searched on AA for a definition without success. Wikpedia (hardly a Trad authority) mentions the non-marking sole. What is the Absolute Truth? Thanks.


A traditional boat shoe is as you describe it. Somewhere along the line, Timberland came along and put a heavy, lugged sole on a 3-eye boat shoe upper so wearers could wear their "boat shoes" all year long (though it's currently called the 3-eye classic lug). Since the upper is identical to a traditional boat shoe, I can understand the OP and others referring to it as a "boat shoe" though it's obviously useless in that regard.

The 360 degree lacing is also as you describe it. The laces are threaded around the entire opening of the shoe. This is common on boat shoes, canoe mocs, tassel loafers and a non-functional version is also used on welted tassel loafers.


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## Jughead (Feb 19, 2009)

The only boat shoes I buy are Sperry Top Siders, Gold Cup, been wearing them for years and I love em.


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## Dockside (Nov 16, 2012)

Buy 2 pair of the Timberland shoe. Wear each shoe for 1-2 days and let it rest for 1 day. PS: It's not possible to rockclimb in Denmark. Hehe...


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## Haffman (Oct 11, 2010)

I have never owned a boat shoe but would like to try one, one day. A friend of mine was raving about Quoddy and they seem to be 'handmade in New England' ?Maine. I would certainly be prepared to pay over the odds for that. Are they any good?


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## hardline_42 (Jan 20, 2010)

Haffman said:


> I have never owned a boat shoe but would like to try one, one day. A friend of mine was raving about Quoddy and they seem to be 'handmade in New England' ?Maine. Are they any good?


They are very good. Expensive, very long wait and, on rare occasions, not up to snuff, but mostly good. The Made-in-Maine boat shoes available today (Rancourt, Quoddy, Oak Street, Eastland, etc.) are more of a niche product and don't really make sense if you plan to use them as disposable outdoor shoes (for sailing, fishing, mowing the lawn etc), but are a nice investment for casual shoes that will see modest use.


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## Haffman (Oct 11, 2010)

hardline_42 said:


> They are very good. Expensive, very long wait and, on rare occasions, not up to snuff, but mostly good. The Made-in-Maine boat shoes available today (Rancourt, Quoddy, Oak Street, Eastland, etc.) are more of a niche product and don't really make sense if you plan to use them as disposable outdoor shoes (for sailing, fishing, mowing the lawn etc), but are a nice investment for casual shoes that will see modest use.


Thanks Hardline, they sound up my street. I will add them to my iPhone 'clothes wishlist' (my 2013 attempt to stave off impulse purchases or at least make them more considered! :redface


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## bikemaniac (Dec 16, 2012)

I would like to give an update. Summer 2014 i bought a pair of Gokey worlds most durable boat shoe. Now 1.5 years have passed and the main top sewings have ripped just like with less expensive shoes. The leather itself is in perfect condition everywhere ... i have treated it often to avoid damaging the leather. The sole itself is also in a perfect condition. The shoe itself it very comfortable, but i am disappointed by the top sewings where the shoe bends at every step. Right there the sewings cannot withstand the forces and are slowly abraded away until they rip. Now it is a matter of time before the entire upper sewing completely falls apart and i can see my own toes .

Lucas


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## MythReindeer (Jul 3, 2013)

Are you still wearing them every day? As was repeated, no shoe will last very long if worn every day.


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## mfs (Mar 1, 2009)

I have been living here at the beach for 40 years and the boat shoe of choice by the overwhelming majority is Sperry. I would suggest your shoes are just now getting broken-in. If you insist on new one's, try Sperry Topsider AO's and wear them in good health.


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## godan (Feb 10, 2010)

Is it possible that the regular treatment of the Gokeys was with something that could have weakened the thread? What did you use?


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## David J. Cooper (Apr 26, 2010)

godan said:


> Hardline: Can you explain in more detail? I have always thought that the essential characteristic of a boat shoe was a sole that would not mark the deck, typically a white, un-lugged sole. By 360* lacing, do you mean a single lace that extends back around the heel? I searched on AA for a definition without success. Wikpedia (hardly a Trad authority) mentions the non-marking sole. What is the Absolute Truth? Thanks.


To be honest, if you showed up with those Timberland jobs to charter one of the boats in our fleet I would send you to the store around the corner to buy some proper "deck shoes".

I also find that our guests from Europe to be the most prepared with proper footwear and soft sided luggage.


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## CSG (Nov 22, 2011)

I've been buying Sperry AO's since the early 80's. Don't know where they were made then but the new ones from various countries seem to last just as long. As they're a casual shoe for me and I own many pairs, they don't wear out very often. For $80-90 a pair, they are still my casual shoe of choice. And yes, I first started wearing them when I learned how to sail although our instructor (an Aussie) was barefoot all the time.


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## boltonguy (Apr 26, 2009)

I have had very, very good luck with Sebago Schooner boat shoes. They have been my go to for the past 10 years which is 3 pairs. They have held up very well at $120 US. Good luck!

====

Just checked my current pair (in the basement) and it turns out I had been buying the Cape Horn which is lined and was super comfortable and is now, unfortunately, discontinued


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## Giblets (Mar 7, 2016)

Out of interest I have a pair of the timberlands, (my second pair), what's the best way to care for the leather? I used a bit of dubbin on my last pair, but sure that's not optimum, would renovateur and shoe polish do better? 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## PalmettoMan (Jan 1, 2016)

godan said:


> Is it possible that the regular treatment of the Gokeys was with something that could have weakened the thread? What did you use?


I was thinking the same thing, except in reverse. Over treatment, as I've experienced it leads to leather that won't hold stitches under stress. They rip right through it.

I've been wearing Sperry A/O's for 15+ years. I wipe them down with a wet cloth when dirty although I only wear the dark brown ones. Saddle soap if I get soaked in salt water or mud. The soles will wear through well before there is any problem with the leather.


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## CSG (Nov 22, 2011)

Giblets said:


> Out of interest I have a pair of the timberlands, (my second pair), what's the best way to care for the leather? I used a bit of dubbin on my last pair, but sure that's not optimum, would renovateur and shoe polish do better?


I've been using Obenauf's for about 20 years. Great product for my Timberland and Sperry boat shoes as well as some outdoor leather boots.


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## swils8610 (Mar 12, 2016)

I have 2 pairs of Quoddy's and they are fantastic. Rancourts are also highly rated.


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## gsgolf54 (Jan 9, 2012)

+1 on the Quoddy's.


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## godan (Feb 10, 2010)

Giblets said:


> Out of interest I have a pair of the timberlands, (my second pair), what's the best way to care for the leather? I used a bit of dubbin on my last pair, but sure that's not optimum, would renovateur and shoe polish do better?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Langlitz Leather Dressing or Sno Seal - or any other wax. At least, wax is what works best in arid Colorado. You might ask locally for what experienced people prefer in your climate.


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

Giblets said:


> Out of interest I have a pair of the timberlands, (my second pair), what's the best way to care for the leather? I used a bit of dubbin on my last pair, but sure that's not optimum, would renovateur and shoe polish do better?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I used Kiwi polish on mine and that worked remarkably well in my opinion. Enjoying 7+ years of wear from a heavy duty pair of Timberland camp mocs is about the best one can expect and I believe the Kiwi polish was a part of it!


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## orange fury (Dec 8, 2013)

I've worn Sperry A/O's since high school, and my dad has worn them since at least the late 70's or early 80's. They're comfortable, durable, and inexpensive- I've found no reason to go elsewhere for boat shoes.


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## FLMike (Sep 17, 2008)

^I agree with OF.


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## Stuart Midgley (Apr 3, 2017)

I've just been this morning to try and buy my first pair of Sperry AO Topsiders. When racing in the past I used to wear more 'technical' deck shoes but I'm shortly heading off on a month-long beach/sailing/diving holiday to the Great Barrier Reef so thought something more classic would be in order.

My local boating store had them two pairs in stock in my size (different colours). One had a mis-shaped inner, where the rubber lining had bent away from the side-wall and was pushing into the foot (in fact the whole instep area was mis-shapen), and the other pair had glue leaked out and set on the outside all around the toe stitching in about three places. It looked awful. Both pairs were made in Indonesia. 

Has anyone had recent purchasing experience with them? I'm not sure if the last two in the store just happened to be bad ones that other people had passed over or if this is Sperry quality now? I know it's only a casual boat shoe but surely they shouldn't have things like mis-shapen insoles or glue all over the outer?

EDIT - Also, the sole had almost no siping on it that I could see, and I see now that Amazon is full of reviews from the last 12 months dissing the gripping ability and complaining that the current AO's aren't anything like the previous ones. Thoughts?


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## blue suede shoes (Mar 22, 2010)

^^ I stopped buying Sperry shortly after they moved their production out of the US. I think Sebago has better quality.


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

^^Indeed, present day, they are more cheaply and insubstantially made than they used to be made.


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## tda003 (Aug 16, 2009)

I have been wearing Sperry Billfish boat shoes for over 16 years. I have walked through the soles on two pair in that time and still have two or three in the batting order. I walk in them and there are many who have never seen me in an "island casual" outfit in anything else. They seem impervious to everything thrown at them but oil stains and, until my feet finally gave up the ghost, have been very comfortable, providing some arch support. (I now use prosthetics.)

On, incidentally, you can wear them on boats, too!


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## Stuart Midgley (Apr 3, 2017)

tda003, any of your pairs purchased in the last 12 months? It seems the bad reviews on Amazon started in the last year or so.


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## tda003 (Aug 16, 2009)

No. Mine are all older then that. My back have always been Seabago. Are folks still likeing them?


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## godan (Feb 10, 2010)

tda003 said:


> No. Mine are all older then that. My back have always been Seabago. Are folks still likeing them?


In addition to the heavy Timberland camp mocs that several of us praise above, I should also mention my long-lived Sebago Docksides. Mine have Filson labels on the tongues and were purchased several years ago, when Filson products could be trusted. I do not have any recently-made Sebago shoes to compare.


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

Just three thoughts pertaining to my experience(s) with boat shoes:

1. For many years I wore Sperry's and was quite satisfied with them, but they never were very durable. I cannot recall ever getting more than a couple of seasons of wear from a pair. Though I do have a pair I have kept as painting shoes for the past 10 years, or so.

2. Quoddy Trail's are more bio-mechanically supportive than virtually any boat shoes I have worn and the fact that I have been able to have a pair resoled twice makes them more or at least as durable as any other boat shoes I have worn (including the Timberland three eyelet, lug soled boat shoes I wore for seven+ years).

3. In the past year I have become familiar with SAS Boat shoes and am here to tell you they are as supportive and comfortable as my Quoddy Trail's and are made of materials that, at this point, appear to be superior to that used in Sperry's.

:thumbs-up:


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## Walter Denton (Sep 11, 2011)

I have been very happy with Sebago Crest Docksides. They have much better construction and a better sole than other moderately priced boat shoes I have worn. Mine are Horween leather although they don't specify which one. Rancourt makes my favorite boat shoe but for under $100 on Amazon the Sebago Crests are a great deal.


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## straw sandals (Apr 14, 2010)

Does anyone have the Quoddy boat moc 2 with the sewn-on vibram sole? They look nice, but I wonder if they'll hold up over time...


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## godan (Feb 10, 2010)

Walter Denton said:


> I have been very happy with Sebago Crest Docksides. They have much better construction and a better sole than other moderately priced boat shoes I have worn. Mine are Horween leather although they don't specify which one. Rancourt makes my favorite boat shoe but for under $100 on Amazon the Sebago Crests are a great deal.


The Amazon price likely reflects real value. As an experienced Filson customer, I knew the two little Filson labels sewn onto the tongues of mine were expensive, but, if memory serves, $50 each seems a bit too much.


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## Patrick06790 (Apr 10, 2005)

I repeat from the beginning of this thread: the LL Bean boat shoe is durable, has the white sole, and is inexpensive. I just brought out the pair I got three years ago. Here they are in action, with wooly accessories. In these shoes I fear nothing, not even incontinent newborn lambs.


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## paxonus (Dec 26, 2016)

Anyone tried the AE Eastport?They are on sale now:

https://www.allenedmonds.com/shoes/...F43502.html?dwvar_SF43502_color=43502#start=3


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## CSG (Nov 22, 2011)

Amazing how many people seem to be able to make Sperry AO's explode on their feet. I bought at least one pair this past year and they are just fine. Made properly and haven't exploded yet.


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## August West (Aug 1, 2013)

CSG said:


> Amazing how many people seem to be able to make Sperry AO's explode on their feet. I bought at least one pair this past year and they are just fine. Made properly and haven't exploded yet.


I think it really boils down to how often, and how hard you wear them. I was lucky to get a year out of them back in college; but they were worn practically every day in rain, snow, cutting through the woods to the pub etc.

Sperrys last a lot longer now that my lifestyle is far more predictable, and I have many more pairs of shoes.


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## M635_Guy (Sep 20, 2015)

Any shoes that get some rest last longer. Trees help.


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## tda003 (Aug 16, 2009)

My original reason for choosing the Billfish was comfort. They provided some arch support and had thicker soles which made for more comfortable walks. The classic white thin soles were little different than walking barefoot on concrete and, with the passing of youth, "my feets hurt" when wearing them. Neither type marked up the deck of my boat. The marks left by athletic shoes my friends wore took a lot of scrubbing to remove.

I'll be looking for an acceptable replacement in a few years. I'll ask the Scooter Store for help coordinating shoes to scooter at that time.


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## CSG (Nov 22, 2011)

Shoes aren't meant to be worn day in and day out. Splurge and buy thee pairs of AO's for the price a one pair of Quoddy's. Or don't. My experience with Sperry's going back to the early 80's is nothing's changed but the price and location of manufacture. I fully expect my newer ones to last a good ten years or more.


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## crispyfresh (Jan 30, 2016)

Sperry gold cup topsiders. Thats all you need...


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## swils8610 (Mar 12, 2016)

straw sandals said:


> Does anyone have the Quoddy boat moc 2 with the sewn-on vibram sole? They look nice, but I wonder if they'll hold up over time...


I have a pair. They are fantastic. My favorite of all my Quoddy's. They have held up very well and are 3 years old.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


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## straw sandals (Apr 14, 2010)

Thanks! Any chance that you could post a photo of them on your feet?



swils8610 said:


> I have a pair. They are fantastic. My favorite of all my Quoddy's. They have held up very well and are 3 years old.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


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## Chrisone (Aug 25, 2014)

I have pair of boat shoes from Oak street bootmakers in They are several steps up from the Sebago docksides of my youth. Most rugged? I can't answer that. But they're excellent quality, entering their third (or is it fourth?) year of use as we speak. The leather has aged well and is great looking.


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

Boat shoe design, + rugged construction, + comfort on the foot, + a long and useful service life, and all at a budget price, = Timberland Three Eyelet, lug soled boat shoes! I just cannot imagine there is a better deal out there.


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## fishertw (Jan 27, 2006)

eagle2250 said:


> Boat shoe design, + rugged construction, + comfort on the foot, + a long and useful service life, and all at a budget price, = Timberland Three Eyelet, lug soled boat shoes! I just cannot imagine there is a better deal out there.


I fully agree "eagle"! For fall and winter wear that's my "go to" shoe. I need a shoe that will accommodate an orthotic and this shoe fits the bill and provides great traction in sloppy/slippery conditions. Ive also recently purchased a pair of the newly released bison hide boat shoes from Orvis. They are quickly becoming my Spring/Summer casual shoe of choice. Orthotics fit nicely and they are not quite as stiff as the other Orvis Gokey offerings.
Tom


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## swils8610 (Mar 12, 2016)

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


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## swils8610 (Mar 12, 2016)

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


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## swils8610 (Mar 12, 2016)

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


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## straw sandals (Apr 14, 2010)

Those are really nice looking, and have held up incredibly well for three-year-old shoes. I'm sold!


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## David J. Cooper (Apr 26, 2010)

tda003 said:


> My original reason for choosing the Billfish was comfort. They provided some arch support and had thicker soles which made for more comfortable walks. The classic white thin soles were little different than walking barefoot on concrete and, with the passing of youth, "my feets hurt" when wearing them. Neither type marked up the deck of my boat. The marks left by athletic shoes my friends wore took a lot of scrubbing to remove.
> 
> I'll be looking for an acceptable replacement in a few years. I'll ask the Scooter Store for help coordinating shoes to scooter at that time.


I bought a pair of Billfish as well for just this reason. I wore them a bit last year, but when I put them on a few weeks ago I noticed the sole was coming unglued from the upper.

While passing the Mephisto store on my way to buy wine I saw a pair of shoes that looked almost the same as the Billfishs. They were Dunhams. A New Balance company. I told the sales person about my problem with the Sperry's and he removed the insole and showed me they were sewn together.

I bought them and love them. They seem to have much more support and cushioning then any deck shoe I have owned. I took them on vacation to Hollywood and logged a few 12,000 step days on hot side walks. I'm 95 points on these.


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## Dmontez (Dec 6, 2012)

I pretty much live in boat shoes. To my eye the above mentioned billfish and timberlands are not aesthetically pleasing at all. You may as well just wear nike running/walking shoes.

Sperry is a non-starter the quality has diminished to the point that you'd be lucky to get a summers worth of wear out of them.

I have a pair of quoddy boat Mocs that have seen plenty of wear over the last 3 years and you can't really tell. They don't have much for cushion or support, but are still quite comfortable.

This past winter I found some Polo Ralph Lauren Telfords made by Rancourt&co. They are tan with a white vamp basically spectator boat shoes, I get lots of compliments from random women while wearing them. They are comfortable, and seem to be holding up very well. I expect to get a couple of years out of them. Enough good cannot be said about these. I plan on using rancourts custom made option to get a pair in a more useful color, maybe even go the shell cordovan route.


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## CSG (Nov 22, 2011)

"Sperry is a non-starter the quality has diminished to the point that you'd be lucky to get a summers worth of wear out of them."

What a load...


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## Dmontez (Dec 6, 2012)

CSG said:


> "Sperry is a non-starter the quality has diminished to the point that you'd be lucky to get a summers worth of wear out of them."
> 
> What a load...


well, sorry for bursting your sperry fanboy bubble, but the fact is that the shoes they are producing today, are not the shoes that they produced even ten years ago.


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## Kyle76 (May 5, 2017)

This has been the problem with my last two pairs of Sperry Billfish in less than a year. I used to wear them until the soles were no longer any good. The company has replaced them, but something has changed quality-wise.


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## Himself (Mar 2, 2011)

CSG said:


> Shoes aren't meant to be worn day in and day out. Splurge and buy thee pairs of AO's for the price a one pair of Quoddy's. Or don't. My experience with Sperry's going back to the early 80's is nothing's changed but the price and location of manufacture. I fully expect my newer ones to last a good ten years or more.


I agree with this, though I'm guilty of overwearing a single pair! Give yourself some color options too.

Ideally, all leather shoes should be allowed to rest and dry out for a day or more, after wearing all day.


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## David J. Cooper (Apr 26, 2010)

Kyle 76. Exactly what happened to my pair. After very little wear as well. I have shoe gooed them back together but my guess is that won't last.


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## Corcovado (Nov 24, 2007)

FYI for those who have not forsaken Sperry, The Shoe Mart has them on sale for 15% per the email I got this week. Use code MOM15. I don't own any boat shoes myself. *tiptoes out*


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## rwaldron (Jun 22, 2012)

I was a Sperry Guy for years, but a couple of years ago, I needed a new pair of boat shoes in the late summer/early fall time period, and I didn't like Sperry's offerings. I sucked it up and spent the $250 on a pair of Rancourt boat shoes, that while nice, were not as durable as my Sperrys had been. I wore through the soles in less than a year and found myself needing another late summer/early fall pair.

I saw a pair of Sebagos that caught my eye and bought them. I have not looked back. They have been the most comfortable, most durable boat shoes that I've ever owned. I am a true Sebago convert!


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## FLMike (Sep 17, 2008)

My Sperry Billfish top-spiders are going on well over 10 years.


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

I'm wearing Quoddy Trail Boat Shoes that have been resoled twice and have given me more than 10 years of comfortable service!


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## straw sandals (Apr 14, 2010)

I wore through the sole on a pair of Quoddy Boat Moc IIs in about a month. They told me that the version of the sole that I have is outdated and that the repair would be covered under warranty. I'll be sending them out this week, and hope that the new sole won't be as unreliable. They're beautifully made shoes, but the strange Vibram sole seems to be problematic!


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## cortman (Dec 30, 2017)

I agree that Sebago are the most rugged of any I've used. I've had a pair I've used for yard work and rough dirty stuff, and still look fine after three years of it.


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