Shoes
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Shoes |
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Sailing Shoes, Boots, and Socks Once upon a time, we covered our feet in leather moccasins, canvas 'boat shoes', or some kind of heavy stiff waterproof boot. It took a while, but we have figured out that if we can get the 'shoe' part right for our boat - grip, flex, protection, drain fast, fit - we can use the same 'shoe' with a variety of liners depending upon conditions. So our modern shoes are good, really good, compared to the old stuff. The trick now is what you wear between the foot and the shoe. Wear the shoe barefoot in warm conditions. Wear a light liner in coolish conditions. Wool still works, one of the new synthetic liners is a good choice. Wear a heavy sock in cold water, warm air. It could be wool, or it could be a neoprene wetsuit sock. When it gets nasty, wear waterproof socks (Jim's favorites are Seal Skins.) And when its time to get out the ice chisel, then put heavy socks (wool!) under those waterproof socks. And about 'padding' that some dinghy sailors think they need on the top of the shoe; they might have missed an equipment change in the past couple decades, we now use padded hiking straps, putting the padding where needed instead of carrying it around on our feet - and straps are much cheaper to replace!
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Sebago SPS Force 8
And they are pretty close to right. Lots of wonderful features - plenty of protection, especially for the toes, more that enough padding the right places, a conventional lacing system that allows them to be worn either barefoot or with the bulk of neoprene socks, drains fast so never feels waterlogged, great sole with lots of grip. The one feature I really like is the Vibram toe cap over the top of the toes. Holding these shoes in my hands, I was ready to fall in love with them. All the features, including color/design, the weight, the overall 'feel', everything about them said "winner". Then I put them on. Oops. For those of you not familiar with how shoes are made, they are formed over 'lasts' that are the shape of the foot, separate lasts for R and L and for each size. So far, it makes sense, but all lasts are not equal - or the same. Biggest difference among standard lasts is that the American and European foot have different shapes. Hard to believe that foot shape varies that much, but it does, a European last is wider at the heel and narrower at the ball of the foot compared to the average American foot. If you are a cross country skier, you may have already experienced this, most cross country ski boots are made on European lasts. These shoes appear to be made on a modified European last, wider in the heel, narrower at the ball - and strangely, longer at the toe. But that is not the real problem, it is that somebody somewhere messed up the sizing. My first pair was an 11, my normal size for everything on my feet. When I put these on however, there was enough room at the toe to store three days of food and my GPS. Sebago went out of their way (thanks, Sebago) to then swap the 11s for a pair of 10s. These fit, still a bit long in the toe but I didn't want to go shorter because the 10s were getting snug at the ball of the foot. So, finally out on the water, a weekend on a dinghy, one catamaran day, and two days running around on the deck of a Melges 24. These are great shoes, a bit too much in a dinghy, but great on a deck. Plenty of side protection to guard the foot from all those things that litter keelboat decks, like cleats, lifeline stanchion bases, winches, and a stiff enough - without being too stiff - to also protect the bottom of the foot from all the things that might get stepped on. I was also impressed with grip, a very good sole design matched to the right density in the sole material. However, they felt 'clunky' trying to cross the tramp on a cat, and my feet just felt over-dressed in the dinghy, the urge to go barefoot was strong with these on my feet. Some dinghy sailors prefer a heavier feel, so we'll leave room for personal preference here. Final answer; great on a deck, keelboat or a larger scow, great on the dock, you don't have to treat them glently and wear them only when on the boat. These could also become replacements for my favorite coaching shoes, a pair of Tevas from a few years ago. In other words, these are real 'boat shoes', not dinghy boots or anything you would want to wear on a catamaran. If you want and need a real 'boat shoe', these - or one of the related, less expensive shoes offered by Sebago - could be the right answer. But - because of the size hassle, these are shoes you need to try on, and not risk ordering by mail, either out of a catalog or from a web site, unless the retailer has a bullet-proof exchange policy. In the past decade I have worn a lot of different shoes of the new 'watersport' breed, searching for the right shoes for different uses - dinghies, keelboats, coaching, catamarans. Major brands include Bass, a previous favorite, Merrell, sole too sticky for a dinghy but OK on a deck, and Teva, one of which has become my preferred coaching (driving a motorboat) shoe. I have already gone through all the major 'sailing' shoes, the padded things ranging from stiff boots to simple padded wetsuit booties. This new Sebago is a huge leap forward from some of the recent 'sailing shoes' that were simply running shoes disguised for sailing with a wavy-cut sole. You'll probably see these Force 8's on my feet next summer whenever I am not sailing in a dingy or catamaran. UPDATE late 2012; after a year of use, I still love the technology, but hate the fit, they are simply too narrow for me - and I have a standard medium-width American foot. You need to try these on, if they fit your foot, you will love them. They are a universal shoe, equally at home in a coach boat, a dinghy cockpit, the deck of a sport boat, or trapezing on a fast cat. I'll keep wearing these, on a coach boat, simply because they work so well, and hope the days don't get so long that the sides of my feet start to complain about being cramped. Suitability: Dinghies: 3 Stars Price range: $175 Sebago and Docksides are trademarks of Sebago, Vibram is a trademark of Vibram
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Sebago
is one of the old names in sailing shoes, known for their Docksides leather
deck shoes. They have a wide product line, including a couple less expensive
shoes similar to the Force 8 that are worth a look. I went straight for the
top end shoe, since they claim it is perfect for the 'professional sailor'.