Best Boat Shoes For Men 2024

Best Boat Shoes For Men 2024

Boat shoes are a quintessential summer fashion staple. While they were originally intended to provide extra traction on slippery boat decks, this preppy casual shoe has evolved as an everyday style for guys everywhere. The best boat shoes for men—including our top picks from Sperry, Rodd & Gunn and L.L.Bean—are comfortable, versatile and well-designed for active days and relaxed living, too.

Most traditional boat shoes have white soles with herringbone-like grooves—called siping—for extra grip, a moccasin toe construction and a 360-degree leather lacing system. But many modern styles incorporate different materials and sole silhouettes. So whether you’re a boat shoe purist or you’re looking for something in different widths or that’s water-resistant, there’s a docksider for you.

Editor’s Picks: The Best Boat Shoes For Men

Shop All The Best Boat Shoes For Men

Sperry Gold Cup Authentic Original 2-Eye Boat Shoe

Sailor Paul A. Sperry originally invented the boat shoe in 1935, and his Sperry boat shoes have achieved icon status several times over. This Gold Cup pair features water-resistant leather, a moccasin toe construction, 360-degree rawhide lacing and a lambskin lining with cushioned insoles. Of course, it also has a non-marking white outsole. This style comes in brown and navy, which both look great with linen, madras or a worn, old-school pair of Nantucket reds.


Peter Millar Excursionist Boat Shoe

Constructed from supple kidskin with a luxe nap, this style has a slightly dressy feel. It comes in three colors—whiskey, navy and paprika—and features a non-slip sole and leather laces. Bear in mind that even though the suede is water-resistant, this pair is more “dinner out at a restaurant” than “coastal clambake on a wet and sandy beach.”


While this isn’t technically a boat shoe, think of it as a docksider with a dressy twist. It has a typical moccasin toe and white sole, but it’s sans laces, which gives this soft goat suede pair a streamlined look. Reviewers report that it’s both comfortable and high quality. The Malibu Moccasin 2.0 comes in shale and navy.


Cole Haan GrandPro Windward Boat Shoe

Think of this as a traditional docksider, but with extra layers of EVA cushioning for a more comfy wear experience. The sole is a departure from the norm, too—this style has Cole Haan’s proprietary Anchortrac outsole, which provides extra grippiness in both wet and dry environments. This shoe comes in four colors, including dark chocolate and paloma.


Rodd & Gunn Viaduct Boat Shoe

New Zealand brand Rodd & Gunn makes quality menswear with a preppy bent—think Oxford shirts, polos and crewneck sweaters. This low-key boat shoe is another effortless classic, featuring a cushioned footbed and flexible sole. It comes in charcoal, denim and tan. Pair these with a pair of flat front shorts and a linen shirt for easy summer style. For another option we like, try the Gordon’s Bay Boat Shoe.


For when you need a boat shoe you can walk longer distances in comfortably, this pair has extra cushion and support in the midsole. The Kennebec comes in two easy-to-style colors—dark earth and dark mushroom—and has a breathable engineered mesh upper so feet won’t overheat. The upper has a durable water-resistant treatment so you’ll stay dry in wet conditions. The only additional accessory you may need is an L.L.Bean Boat And Tote.  


Maine shoemaker Rancourt and Co makes quality, handcrafted shoes, and they’ve got a wide selection of boat styles. This particular pair features a thicker, lug-like camp moc sole. Another key trait is that it’s broad through the toe box to allow extra room for toes.


Made with eucalyptus fiber for comfort and breathability, this pair has flex to adapt and move with your feet while walking. They’re even machine washable, so you can wear them sans socks and not worry about them getting smelly. The Tree Skippers come in four classic colors and two limited edition shades.


Made with a mix of leather, breathable mesh and synthetic fabric, this boat shoe has a collapsible heel and elastic laces that allow for easy on and off. A lightweight grippy sole makes them great for fishing or just for wearing around town, and reviewers report they’re comfy right out of the box. They come in both standard and wide widths, and in five colors.


Made of rubber and TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane), Swims’ loafer is meant for a day on the water. This breathable shoe has a unique drainage system for when things get wet, a comfy, cushioned EVA midsole and non-marking soles with special treads for safety. In terms of care, this shoe is even machine washable. The Swims Braided Lace Loafer comes in lots of colors, including brights like orange and aqua, as well as neutrals such as gray and navy.


Olukai’s casual boat shoe may be less formal than some other docksiders, but they feature thoughtful details that will make them your everyday go-to. They have a drop heel so these shoes can function as a slide, they’re cut from lightweight and breathable mesh and they have an anatomical silhouette with a springy EVA midsole and a gel insert for comfort. Also great: the no tie laces and grippy soles for non-slip traction. 

Why Trust Forbes Vetted

Forbes Vetted’s fashion editors have considerable experience covering footwear, including both formal and casual men’s and women’s shoes. Our breadth of expertise includes everything from the best tennis shoes for men to the most comfortable sneakers for men.

  • Forbes Vetted contributor Molly Calhoun frequently covers men’s footwear. Some of her favorite men’s footwear stories include the most comfortable dress shoes for men and the best walking shoes for men. She has purchased two of the pairs of boat shoes on this list for her husband—Rodd & Gunn’s Viaduct Boat Shoe and Allbirds’ Tree Skippers.
  • Forbes Vetted Deputy Editor Kari Molvar frequently writes about and personally tests shoes, and she has overseen the editing of countless footwear articles. She holds a certificate in fashion styling from the Business of Fashion.
  • This story is regularly updated to reflect new options on the market as well as changes in pricing and availability. It was last updated in July 2024.

How We Chose The Best Boat Shoes For Men

Upper Materials

To determine the best nautical-inspired styles, we looked at the quality of the upper materials first and foremost. We determined if leather styles were constructed with oiled leather uppers to make them more long-wearing. We also looked at whether synthetic fabrics had a water-resistant (DWR) finish, like the L.L.Bean Kennebec Boat Shoe. If the boat shoe style was more formal, we assessed if it had soft, flexible leather—like that on Peter Millar’s Excursionist Boat Shoe—that would be durable and not cause blisters when worn without socks.

Cushion And Sole

While early docksider styles offered minimal padding, updated iterations typically have a bit more cushion, which translates to comfort. We looked at whether specific pairs had a padded EVA midsole—like the Cole Haan GrandPro Windward Boat Shoe—and we also evaluated sportier styles with thicker soles, like the Olukai Moku Pae Boat Shoe.

Style Versatility

One of the best things about boat shoes is that, from a style perspective, they’re often interchangeable with fashion sneakers and loafers. A good pair of docksiders can get you great cost-per-wear because they go with everything from chinos to shorts to denim to linen. Since boat shoes have an inherently casual feel you may not want to wear them with anything overly structured. Most often, boat shoes are worn without socks, so we investigated which pairs have comfortable linings that won’t rub, such as Allbirds’ Tree Skippers, which can be washed if they start to get stinky.


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