Sail Far Live Free

OluKai believes that everybody, no matter where they are, can live Aloha. Live "hello"? No, not exactly. The word "Aloha" goes far beyond just a greeting. The true deeper meaning is love, peace and compassion. A life of Aloha is one when the heart is so full it is overflowing with the ability to influence others around you with your spirit. Now you're educated about Hawaii's most popular word, but what about popular Hawaiian shoes for sailing? Shoes might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about sailing gear, but good grip and comfortable feet can make life on deck or the dock better. Here's two pair of OluKai's I've been trying out lately that I recommend for boat use: Holona ( "Sailing, Traveling" ) Non-marking molded rubber outsole with "traction pods" Built for the water: quick drying and water-resistant 100% synthetic, 0% animal products SFLF remarks: I love the low profile design but ...

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." -Martin Luther King, Jr. I began my review of " The Fin " shoes from SoftScience on Martin Luther King Day, and since SoftScience strives for ultimate comfort, I thought the quote was fitting. Are your knees and faith shaken when you're challenged, or are you on solid ground? But on with the review... First, let me say that these shoes are different. They look different - like a Sperry/Crocs hybrid. They feel different - like a soft but supportive slipper. But I suppose the look shouldn't come as surprise once you learn who's behind SoftScience. The top two SoftScience executives have deep connections to Crocs. Scott Seamans is the Crocs founder and former chief designer while John Duerden is Croc's former CEO. Their goal at SoftScience was to create shoes that provid...

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You’re on your own, and you know what you know. And you are the guy who’ll decide where to go.” –Dr. Seuss You may have heard of Musto . They’re an England based company that focuses on technical clothing and their offshore sailing brand. But do you know Musto’s backstory? Keith Musto arrived in Tokyo as an unlikely choice for the British Olympic sailing squad of 1964. He was too light and short for the heavyweight Flying Dutchman boat he was competing in. Keith and his crew, Tony Morgan, quickly realized that their only chance of winning gold was to be fitter than their opponents. So they did the unthinkable. Every day, Christmas included, they did fitness training. Fellow competitors derided their training as unsporting, but a new breed of sailors was emerging. They were athletes. Keith recalls, "We sailed in Guernsey sweaters and old flannel trousers for years...

"Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else." -Margaret Mead A good shoe for sailing has a few unique ingredients - good grip, toe protection and waterproofing or quick drainage. Add to that some degree of comfort, durability and style for gracing the marina and you've got a winner. Keen has taken two cords and a sole and turned them into a really fantastic sandal that's versatile enough for the deck or the trail.  Aptly named the Keen Uneek , these new sandals check all the boxes by providing wet deck grip from the non-marking rubber outsole's razor siping, a degree of toe protection courtesy of the hand braided cord and fast draining and drying due to the microfiber footbed. What was unexpected was just how comfortable the Uneeks are on my feet. The polyester braided cord is form fitting and flexible enough that there are no pressure points anywhere yet the fit is still secure and...

If you're at all familiar with footwear for sailing from Zhik , their line of boots probably comes to mind first. But they also make a couple styles of deck shoes. I've recently been trying out the Zhik ZK Boatshoe and have to say, so far I'm impressed. The look of the ZK Boatshoe is fairly traditional (think Sperry Topsider/Sebago Docksides), but the build and materials are unique. Instead of canvas or leather, Zhik uses perforated neoprene for the uppers. The neoprene gives a snug and spongey feel and holds your foot firmly in place over the sole, but the upper stretches and contorts to your movements. I know that sounds strange, but it's actually really comfortable. The "ZK sole" uses a proprietary rubber formula to give excellent grip in wet conditions. It's a sticky sort of feel and is really reassuring on fiberglass and smooth surfaces. I'm not sure how long they'll stay sticky, particularly if I continue wearing them on the dock and o...

"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 ze...

"Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm." -Abraham Lincoln When the art of sailing gets technical, having a firm foothold on the deck is critical. If you've ever had to go forward to release a snagged jib sheet or tie in a reef when the seas are snotty, then you understand the importance of being able to stand firm in the most literal sense. I have a hard time narrowing my shoe choices when it's time to set sail for a cruise. Sometimes I like a shoe because of how it looks, sometimes because of how it feels, and other times because of how it performs. Occasionally there's a pair of shoes that checks all three boxes. Today I'm going give you the lowdown on four relatively new sailing shoes and see if any are the right place for a sailor's feet. [ Check here for for a couple of the sailing shoe reviews I've done in the past]. XTRATUF Finatic : First up is a pair of modest deck/dock shoes from a company that's known...

Earlier this summer I reviewed several good options for sailing shoes in this post .  As it turns out, the variety of shoes suitable for sailing is just about as varied as the boats on which they may end up.  The following are a couple of sailing shoes I tried out during this past season and can recommend as good choices. Sperry SeaRacer GripX3 : I absolutely love this shoe. It's become my "go to" shoe for times when I want maximum grip, support, and comfort while on deck. The styling is admittedly avant-garde, with plenty of color and a funky geometric rubber pattern over the mesh body. They look edgy and get plenty of comments on the dock. But how do they function? Sperry uses terms like "Hyrdo-Grip Rubber" and "Adaptive Wave Siping" to describe the sole, while I'll just say they're a darn sticky shoe on a wet deck. The sipes don't look like traditional sipes, but they seem to channel water away effeciently. The drawstring laces, runni...

Gear Review: Vibram FiveFingers for Sailing/Deck Shoes [For more sailing shoe reviews from SFLF, check these out: A Sailor's Sole: Sailing Shoe Reviews A Sailor's Sole: The Sequel Stand Firm: More Sailing Shoe Reviews Deck shoes seem to be a very personal matter to most sailors. Some swear by Sperry’s TopSiders or Sebago’s Docksider line. Racing sailors often seem to prefer a more snugly fitting athletic shoe with a sole specialized for the deck, such as those offered by Harken. I’ve always been much more casual with my choice of footwear for the boat. Typically you can find me in flip-flops, Crocs or often barefoot while sailing. Crocs provide a bit of protection from stubbing a toe on deck hardware and have a decent amount of grip in wet conditions when they are new. However, the sole loses its’ grip rather quickly, particularly if they are worn on hard surfaces such as asphalt and concrete. Admittedly, flip-flops usually don’t offer much grip, stability or prot...