Boat shoes are casual shoes which can be either water resistant, or washable. The water resistant (not proof) ones are usually made from leather and boat shoe care can be a little trickier than other shoes because they are often subjected to wetness, because, well, they are worn on boats!
You can lace them up or slip them on. If you do want truly waterproof ones, just check the label. Boat shoes can be made from combination of weather-resistant leather and canvas. If you want your shoes to breathe, then you can consider synthetic leather with mesh. Fashion does enter into the choice for boat shoes. You can try them on with a pair of thin socks if the weather is colder, because they can be worn this way for semi-casual dress. If you want to wear your shoes without socks, then try them on sock less.
Consider buying well-known name brands as these are often more durable and look better. Lesser quality shoes can be made from hybrid material and they will be lighter, breathable and trendy. One thing about boat shoe care — do not wear the shoes day after day. They do need to dry out in between and this takes more than 24 hours. If you’re on your boat daily, find shoe sales and then buy several pairs of boats shoes and you’ll be okay.
Inserts with charcoal do a lot to kill odour. Replace insets every couple of months. Remember to get inserts that contain odor control in some form, not just those gel or foam ones. If the shoes start to get really nasty, then throw them in the washer. Remember that there isn’t any waterproof leather, only water-resistant. If you are out and about you can scrub off some moisture with sand and put them in a safe place (not a slippery deck!) to dry. Boat shoe care is a bit limited, but you can take some precautionary measures and by having several types of pairs you’ll do okay.
Boat shoes may be able to be re-soled because people like to hang onto favorite pairs. Often, you can even get them repaired by accessing Internet shoe repair shops. Check around and save yourself some time and you’ll soon be back out there boating. Before storing your boat shoes for the Winter, make sure that they are clean and dry and ready for Spring, then put into your closet or wardrobe with plenty of air circulation space around them. Boat shoe care can be simple, if you just look after them!
Boat shoe laces are often quite stiff because they are made from leather. Tie your first knot as you normally would, then loop your shoelaces around each other. When the crossed over loops are next to each other, pull the loose ends across. You should end up with a secure knot which won’t come untied. Unless you encounter a typhoon at sea, or such! Anyway, these few boat shoe care tips may help you keep your favorite shoes in great shape for a long time to come. We certainly hope so!