More new sailing shoes: Astral Porter Review

"If a man's fortune does not fit him it is like the shoe in the story; if too large it trips him up, if too small it pinches him." - Horace

This is starting to look bad. I never intended it to turn out this way. However, I can no longer deny that my collection of boat shoes has now surpassed my wife's total amount of shoes.

The latest culprit to push my tally past Erin's? The Porter shoe from Astral. Astral is probably best known for producing lifevests and shoes for kayaking and river water sports, but the Porters can easily cross over to sailing. In any case, the crew at Astral seems to know water and water recreation quite well.



I was first drawn to the Porter by their simple looks and color combinations, so apparently my vanity initially ruled over my sense of comfort and function. But it didn't last long because the Porters are SOOO comfortable to wear. They're light and airy (much more so than they look in pictures) and for once have zero pressure points to cause blisters on bare feet. For me, if a boat shoe can't be worn comfortably (and odor free!) without socks, then it's not really a boat shoe at all. The Astral Porter shoes pass this test with flying colors.

The uppers on the Astral Porter are constructed using Cordura fabric, something more often seen on backpacks and luggage, but it works well on a shoe and should provide good durability and resistance to abrasion and scuffs. Different, yes...but I like it a lot! The tongue and topside over your toes is a breathable mesh. The "Wetgrip" sole is rubbery and features a sipped non-marking tread that has held very well for me on our wet decks and dock. There are also drainage ports at the heel and front sidewalls that quickly let the water out, just like scuppers!

Good for sailing. Good on the dock. Just fine for a stroll in to town or down the beach. All in all, a very simple, comfortable shoe that's going to see a lot of deck time on my boat.

Can't get enough of sailing shoe reviews? Try the others we've written:

Stand Firm - Sailing Shoe Reviews

A Sailor's Sole - The Original Reviews

A Sailor's Sole - The Sequel

Deck Shoes or Dive Boots - Zhik ZK Boatshoe Review
>> Don't forget to visit SFLF's Gear Review page for more sailing gear reviews/tests. <<

Comments

  1. 57 degrees North24 August

    I don't know if I'll ever get over the envy of folks who are fortunate enough to wear shoes for boating... Up here, boots and bibs are mandatory even on the (rare!) sunny days... Sigh... palm trees anyone?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Deb18 September

    I may have to check these out. My Keens are on their last legs and I'm exploring options. Thanks for the review!

    Deb
    S/V Kintala
    www.theretirementproject.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. SailFarLiveFree18 September

      Hi Deb. The Porters are definitely comfortable and will serve as good deck and dock shoes, but they aren't as good for beach and trail work as are Keens. My mom recently purchased a pair of Porters and loves them too...even for her super sensitive feet.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Top 10 Favorite Affordable Bluewater Sailboats

Image
I've always said that my favorite boat is whichever one I currently own. Being able to call it "mine" makes it my favorite by default. My first boat was a $400 derelict that I loved (still love) deeply. And she loved me back. However, that doesn't mean there aren't other boats I love that I'd like to call "mine" someday. The following is my personal ranking of my favorite affordable (available for ~$50k) sailboats. I've rather arbitrarily set the price limit around $50k and called it "affordable" in hopes that one day one of these boats might fit my budget and help my family and I to sail far and live free. Also note that other than the top 3, these rankings change in my head almost daily and I really struggled to narrow the list down to just 10.   As you peruse my list, you'll notice that they're all bluewater cruisers . You won't find any modern designs, fin keels, spade rudders, sugar scoop transoms, carbo...
Read more

Go Small and Go Now! 5 Pocket Cruisers to Take you Anywhere

Image
"Go small, go simple, go now!" -Lin & Larry Pardey Iconic cruisers Lin and Larry Pardey are well-known among cruising enthusiasts for the above statement. Can it really be that easy? Grab yourself a small boat, outfit it properly but simply for offshore work, and get going while your dream and your body is still alive! Lin and Larry not only made the statement, they lived it. If you're looking to do the same, maybe some of the micro- or pocket-cruisers I've listed below can serve as your "go small" portion of the equation. Going small and choosing one of these or several other pocket cruisers will lead to trade-offs. Of course first and foremost you'll be giving up length, both on deck and at the waterline. This often leads to less storage space, less weight capacity, and slower sailing. But the upside is presumably less maintenance (less paint, less wood, fewer systems) and more affordable expenses. For example, replacing the s...
Read more

Escape to the Sea: How to get from the Great Lakes to the Caribbean

Image
Let's say winter's chill was something you could no longer take as a Great Lakes sailor. Or perhaps you just want to extend your sailing season beyond the boundaries of summer. What options do you have?  You could just opt for a bareboat charter somewhere in the Caribbean and consider the itch scratched. But then you'd miss out on all the adventure of moving a boat between the Great Lakes and the Caribbean. And you wouldn't be sailing  your  boat. I'm here to convince you that the best option is to sail your own boat south. What follows is an overview of the route you could take to get you and your boat to warmer water and weather from the Great Lakes. Route 1: St. Lawrence Seaway (including Lake Champlain shortcut) You're adventurous if you choose this route. From most starting locations in the Great Lakes, you'll also be seeing the most scenery and passing the ...
Read more