The best men’s boat shoes for summer 2026
Once the rubber-soled embodiment of given-up dad style, the beleaguered boat shoe has been the unlikely subject of a high-fashion resurrection
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Boat shoes are back, baby. Of course, the moccasin-toed, non-mark slip-ons never actually disappeared. They certainly never went extinct from the stands of Twickenham during the Summer Internationals. Nor did they become hard to spot on the riverbanks of Henley come Regatta week. Indeed, for their anti-scuff credentials, we’re pretty sure that solidly-made soft-soled deck shoes never fell out of favour with, you know, actual boat owners.
Still, it’s hard to remember a time when that most barbecue-friendly of fair-weather footwear ever bothered the style pages of glossy fashion magazines (see the bit about Twickenham and Henley). Boat shoes were never HIGH fashion. They were never street. Well, turn the ship around. Because now it seems the humble, wear-with-anything slipper is both hip and, as we’ll see below, increasingly square.
For proof that the boat shoe is now bona fide cool see the SS26 runways where brands as distinct as Loewe and Miu Miu offered their take on the nautical classic. This isn’t the first time the boat shoe has charmed designers though. The silhouette has been a mainstay of many a lookbook at streetwear supernovas Aimé Leon Dore and Off-White while elegant luxury brands Crockett & Jones, Loro Piana, Brunello Cucinelli, Christian Louboutin, and Manolo Blahnik are just some of the names that have jumped on board, joining the likes of traditional boat shoe-makers – Rockport, Sebago, G.H. Bass and the OG of deck shoes, Sperry – in offering contemporary reboots of your old man’s favourite summer slip-on.
These are the most ship-shape boat shoes of summer 2026…
Sebago Dockside Portland Boat Shoe
Sebago had been doing a healthy trade in penny loafers for a quarter of a century before it launched the Dockside in 1970. It was the hand-sewn, slip-resistant boat shoe, however, that would become the American brand’s defining creation – since seen on the feet of Pharrell Williams, Steve McQueen, Paul Newman and Kate Middleton. The latest tan leather Dockside features a leather sock lining and a rawhide lace system. Newman, we’re fairly confident, would approve.
Polo Ralph Lauren Merton boat shoe
No shoe says ‘Ivy League’ better than a boat shoe. And no brand is more successful at channelling that preppy American aesthetic than Ralph Lauren. Step in (pun intended) the label’s leather Merton deck shoe. With a classic silhouette and traditional lacing, it’s the deck shoe you think of when you think ‘deck shoe’.
Hush Puppies Tan Reuben Boat Shoes
The brand of the basset hound (named Jason, by the way) is about as American as a bald eagle eating apple pie. The company was founded in 1958 and within five years it was said that one in every 10 adults in the United States owned a pair of Hush Puppies. The brand’s Reuben boat shoes have become a middle-of-the-road classic. The latest design is the must-have shoe this season, and possibly the comfortable yet – as snug as your favourite pair of slippers.
Tom Ford Theo Suede Boat Shoes
Who said boat shoes had to be cut from brown leather? How about black suede instead? Look good, don’t they? The traditional front lacing and eyelets are there, but the fashion house takes the classic shoe and brings it bang up to date with a slick, modern twist. This one’s for Mr Cool, who rushes from business meetings to the pub.
Loewe + Paula's Ibiza Campo Suede Boat Shoes
Loewe’s new season boat shoe, from the label’s capsule collection with Paula’s Ibiza, is something of a talking point. What you might first see as traditional, you’ll soon notice is modernised with a bulbous, square toe silhouette creating quite the stylish scene. Slip on for a simple style that’s sure to make a statement.
R.M.Williams Islet Leather Boat Shoes
About as classic as they come. R.M.Williams’ latest deck-ready slip-on features a moc-toe, leather laces and metal eyelets, and are set on a low, slim rubber sole. Simple, uncomplicated and versatile, an oldie but a goodie.
Sebago Triton legacy boat shoe
Another one from Sebago: if you associate the brand with preppy types to whom ‘port’ is a Portuguese fortified wine, and not the left side of a ship, then, well, yeah. But Sebago is also the real McCoy, beloved by captains and crews across the seven seas. The brand has also crossed the cultural divide to make waves in the world of fashion. Thanks, in no small part, to fun, irreverent footwear like these contrasting nubuck and mesh panelled deck shoes.
Timberland boat shoe
It may be best known for its six-inch boots, but the other footwear that helped put Timberland on the map was its three-eyelet boat shoe. A mainstay of the brand since 1978, Timberland’s slip-on is more rugged than conventional deck shoes, thanks to a ridged rubber sole and padded ankle surround. A standout from its boat shoe collection? This staple brown pair. Timeless.
John Lobb Foil suede boat shoes
British bootmaker John Lobb, known for, well, its hardy boots since 1866, has put its expert craftsmanship to work on boat shoes. This Foil suede pair renders the classic in an alternative grey hue for a fresh and summery aesthetic that is undeniably dapper.
