The Garment District: Style Classics: The Boat Shoe
Thursday - February 28, 2008By: Arnold T. Pants
It's never to early to start getting your kick game ready for summer. For some, that means stockpiling white uptowns. Others, unearthing rare gems from deep in the stash. Aside from the sneakers, a loafer to rock sock-less or a boat shoe is a classic.
For me, the boat shoe is the best bet. Why? Because, ultimately, the silhouette moves more fluidly from casual to slightly more refined environments, and is equally useful with jeans, khakis and shorts. A really versatile choice for summer.
This year, it seems the streetwear massive is catching on to that (a few years after Visvim, of course) and quality releases based on the traditional boat shoe are abundant. Adidas and Nike have had their play, though to little fan fair. Creative Recreation has also had a boat shoe inspired model. However, it seems the trend is really picking up not just in look, but in real quality.
Here's a rundown of three of the best:
Billionaire Boys Club
Mount a traditional upper on the classic vans sole, and bang, you've got a pretty clean looking sneaker boat shoe hybrid. Nigo was spotted wearing some of these joints a few months back, sparking rumors (low and behold true) of an eventual release. These are pretty on point, and balance two aesthetics cleanly. Against the other like offerings from Nike and Creative Rec, these are tops in the sneaker/boat shoe category. The shoe folds nicely into the current BBC line, which takes solid cues from preppy mainstays like the v-neck sweater and blazer.
Vael
New on the scene, but with a long pedigree for footwear design thanks head honcho Coleman Horn, Vael has produced the true winner in this summer's boat shoe stakes. A direct take on the traditional make up, the Vael model employs beautiful and subtle decorative stitching to really set it off. These joints are money.
Sperry Top-Sider
Always hard to argue with an originator. Here's a tip, they are usually pretty inexpensive at West Marine stores. Sperry has some good color options too. If coordination is your thing, the two tone jump-off's might be your bag. Going with brown is always the sound move.
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