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  • The Boat Shoe
  • The Boat Shoe
  • The Boat Shoe
  • The Boat Shoe
  • The Boat Shoe
  • The Boat Shoe
  • The Boat Shoe
  • The Boat Shoe
  • The Boat Shoe

The Boat Shoe

£445.00

US 6.5
US 7
US 7.5
US 8
US 8.5
US 9
US 9.5
US 10
US 10.5
US 11
US 11.5
US 12

A shoe designed for versatility in the summer: a lightweight, unlined, low-vamp moccasin. 

Details

A shoe designed for versatility in the summer: a lightweight, unlined, low-vamp moccasin. 

Soft enough to slip on sans socks, yet smart enough to wear with a linen suit, the boat shoe was made in collaboration with August Special founder Joseph Pollard, previously head of footwear and outerwear at RRL. 

The design was inspired by models from Ralph Lauren offered in the 80s and 90s, as well as an old pair of loafers of Simon's. The veg-tanned leather is deliberately left to patinate quickly, giving it lots of character, and the leather laces are functional, allowing a little tightening around the top. 

The vamp and counter of the shoe are hand sewn, and there is a Maine-guide style seam as an extra design detail. All made in a family-run factory in Italy.

For full details on the background to the project, read the launch article here.

Material & Care
  • The boat shoe is made in a soft calf leather with only a light wax finish. It is intended to age noticeably and quickly, creating a personal patina
  • If there is a chance of wearing it in the rain, a waterproofing spray such as Saphir Super Invulner is advised
  • Shoe cream will be useful in the long term to maintain the leather: perhaps once or twice a year depending on use
  • Use of shoe trees will keep the shoe looking smarter, if that’s desired. The team have not been using them
  • The shoe is Blake-stitched with a thin leather sole, and so the sole can be replaced at many shoe-repair shops. If done carefully, this can be done two or three times
Simon says

"The nice thing about those shoes was they were casual in design (leather lacing, hand-stitched apron) but the low vamp and slightly elongated last made them elegant as well. 

For our summer version, we took that idea and an old pair of boat shoes I had, and created a new, custom last that emphasised comfort in places like the width at the joints, but used elements like the shape of the apron to push the more refined style."

What our customers say

"As always Simon – you have read my mind without even knowing so! Love the styling and construction."