Equipment special: Sure-footed on board: 14 sporty boat shoes put to the test
Felix Keßler
· 30.05.2019
But it won't be long before summer finally arrives. When it comes to choosing clothing, sailors will no longer wear the thickest and warmest clothes in the wardrobe, but will instead opt for light and airy materials. This also applies to shoes. While clunky sea boots are still the first choice in spring, every water sports enthusiast is looking forward to the time of light footwear, when walking across the deck and in the cockpit is literally more light-footed again.
Every year, new models enter the market, mostly made of synthetic materials, often colourful, with sophisticated sole constructions designed to increase comfort. In contrast, the classic leather boat shoe remains as popular as ever and looks timelessly good.
Normally, men might feel discriminated against when looking at the display in shoe shops: Men's shoes are often underrepresented. It's a different story at water sports outfitter - here it's more difficult for women to find something suitable. And when they do find something, it is often a unisex model, i.e. simply the men's model in a smaller size and a different colour. For this test, this meant that four models in the list below were compared directly with the men's models from the shoe test, allowing their quality on board to be categorised well. All results are available here as PDF-Download.
The Hydropower 4 from Helly Hansen and the models from Musto, Sebago and Zhik performed well in the test.
The ZKG from Zhik is also very good value for money in the women's shoe category. And the sole was characterised by the second-best holding power in the test.The summary of the test results for women's shoes:
When is a shoe comfortable - and for whom? This is difficult to say and is usually a subjective impression. Although we have listed the comfort ratings in the table, we have not included them in the score. This should also be taken into account when evaluating men's shoes.
The test criteria and conditions:
The most important evaluation criterion in the test was grip, as the shoe should primarily guarantee a secure footing on deck. In order to compare the function of the soles, the maximum angle of inclination at which the shoe does not slip was determined on teak pole decks, structured GRP and the Treadmaster deck covering. Not all models were slip-resistant, which can lead to injuries at sea.
What we also assessed: the condition of the sole. For example, whether it tends to pick up stones when jumping ashore. Some sole structures are real dirt magnets, bringing heaps of dirt on board and scratching the deck. However, wearing comfort and durability as a road shoe did not play a role in the assessment.
The selection of men's models is significantly larger. This test from YACHT 10/ 2016 includes many established manufacturers of water sports clothing such as Helly Hansen, Henri Lloyd, Marinepool, Musto, Sebago, TBS and Zhik. There is also a model from Decathlon, a somewhat unusual pair made of rubber-like plastic with a classic look from Swims and sailing shoes from Adidas.
And the winner is....A pair from Herzogenaurach. The TA01 from Adidas won by a large margin. In total, it scored 95 points - it could hardly be better. Everything was just right: low weight, low moisture absorption and quick drying, plus very good grip on all common surfaces, both dry and wet. What's more, no stones get stuck in the sole. Nevertheless, the shoes are not necessarily suitable for long walks on land. The downside is that you can easily get your feet wet due to the drainage in the sole.
The complete test results are available here as PDF for download.
