54 | BOATINGMAG.COM | JULY/AUGUST 2018
BOAT DOCTOR ///BOATINGLABPHOTOS: (FROM TOP) JON WHITTLE (TIMBERLAND, HUK ATTACK, WORLD WIDE SPORTSMAN), COURTESY HUK GEAR (BREWSTER), RANDY VANCE (4, BOTTOM)CHECK OUT MORE BOATINGLAB TESTS AT BOATINGMAG.COM.TIMBERLAND
2-EYE BOAT SHOES
One of the fi rst things we do with
a boat shoe is walk in the water
with it. Our demo revealed the
wet shoe opened up a little more
than the dry shoe. It cradled the
foot in a foam pad perforated to
let water drain to the bottom,
but not out.
Nubuck and split leather are
hand-stitched to join the upper
and midsole leather, which is
then bonded to the rubber sole.
Inside, a super-soft three-
quarter-length leather insole
adds cushioning and breathabil-
ity to the foam foot bed. Eyelets
are antique brass. You can cus-
tomize your shoe with leather
color combinations for upper,
trim and insole for $120. Make
them match your boat if you like.
DRAINAGE: These shoes didn’t
drain but dried almost complete-
ly in an hour because the oiled
leather didn't absorb water.
TRACTION DRY: 40 degrees
TRACTION WET: 35 degrees
DUNK AND DRY, 1 HOUR: 2%
DUNK AND DRY, 2 HOURS:
0%
SIZES: Half-sizes from 6 to 10,
wide through 15.
COST: $95; timberland.com
HUK
BREWSTER
We took these out of the pack-
age and wore them to the Miami
Boat Show, logging about 12,000
steps a day on my Garmin Quatix
sports watch. We’ve washed
them twice, and they faded a
little but look better with jeans
every time. The squashable heel
adds sandal convenience on
the boat and around the house,
and the fabric seems to breath,
mitigating the effects of sweat.
They’re made of a light but
durable canvaslike material, and
the upper is joined to the sole
with adhesive. Simple in design,
a muslin-covered foam insole
is comfortable all day. They’re
available in fi ve colors: denim
blue, gray camo, khaki, brown
camo (that looks more blue-
green) and black.
DRAINAGE: It took 60 seconds
for them to drain, but they were
slow to dry.
TRACTION DRY: 33 degrees
TRACTION WET: 28 degrees
DUNK AND DRY, 1 HOUR:
40%
DUNK AND DRY, 2 HOURS:
34%
SIZES: 7 to 13
COST: $54.99; hukgear.comHUK
AT TACK
These have the feel of a
cross-trainer shoe but the
drainage system of a wading
boot. They are good out of the
box but will loosen up with
wear and vie for the top shelf
on your shoe rack. The laces
are ribbed to stay tied, and they
do. Extra support comes from
the EVA sole with feel-good
arch support and a molded
exoskeleton for stability.
Three Kryptec camo colors
from gray to blue to dark
offer style options. The sole
is dual-density EVA for shock
absorption and protection
from deck hazards. The GripX
Traction sole engaged well in
our traction test. They stick and
won’t scuff or pick up stones.
DRAINAGE: They drained in
53 seconds.
TRACTION DRY: 35 degrees
TRACTION WET: 32 degrees
DUNK AND DRY, 1 HOUR:
29%
DUNK AND DRY, 2 HOURS:
22%
SIZES: Half-sizes from 7 to
10.5, plus whole sizes 12
and 13
COST: $84.99; hukgear.comWORLD WIDE
SPORTSMAN
LAKEFRONT 2-EYE
These are track-shoe com-
fortable with a deeply padded
interior. These are not water-
proof and are best suited to
casual-dress boating in dry
conditions, but their soles are
nonmarring, and the tread de-
sign won’t pick up rocks. Bass
Pro Shops calls them slip-ons,
but it’s easier to use the laces.
A memory-foam foot bed
renders these ideal for boat
shows, yachts, and the offi ce
on casual Friday. Ventilated
sides let feet breathe, and oiled
leather uppers are bonded to
the fl exible outsole. The eye-
lets are bronze-fi nished metal.
DRAINAGE: Not all boat shoes
are advertised to be waterproof
and these aren’t. They didn’t
drain and dried slowly but were
comfy out of the box.
TRACTION DRY: 37 degrees
TRACTION WET: 35 degrees
DUNK AND DRY, 1 HOUR:
32%
DUNK AND DRY, 2 HOURS:
23%
SIZES: Half-sizes from 8 to 10,
plus 11 to 13
COST: $69.99; basspro.com