Best flip flop?
- Thread starter RNC725
- Start date
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Just say no to flip flops 
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I love my Tevas both on and off the boat!
https://www.amazon.com/Teva-Hurrica...ie=UTF8&qid=1542576961&sr=8-12&keywords=tevas
.I love my Tevas both on and off the boat!
https://www.amazon.com/Teva-Hurrica...ie=UTF8&qid=1542576961&sr=8-12&keywords=tevas
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I'm fine with bare feet but flop flops are a menace on a sail boat....
Flip flops very dangerous for boat work. I have a pair that I use only for inside the boat. The one pair that I use for deck work during the cruising season grips like glue even on a wet deck. When that pair wears out, I will replace it with this: http://www.swim2000.com/20/product/...&utm_content=GSAPI 5bc0ec3585352#.W_H67y2ZNNA
Well. I appreciate the replies and the advice. I had a pair of Chacos that had a boatshoe bottom for years but they finally failed me and they notify me they were no longer making that bottom anymore. Have several pair of various brands of boat shoes and they work fine but I thought I might try a pair of flip-flops that I would just leave on the boat.
I like teva sandals but I hate flip flops. I step out of them everytime I take a step backwards, like one might do when they look up and see the boom swinging towards them.
-Will (Dragonfly)
-Will (Dragonfly)
I tried on some in WM this week that I really liked. Reef brand. Reef “fanning” they were called. Good sturdy feel, comfy, bottle opener on the bottom of the sole, if you’re into that sort of thing.
I’m a flip flop aficionado. In a perfect world they would be the only footwear I needed. I sail barefoot though.
I’m a flip flop aficionado. In a perfect world they would be the only footwear I needed. I sail barefoot though.
I used to like the Sperry flip flops, but they are kind of pricey, they don't last forever, & they keep changing the styles with gradual reduction in quality. I tried a pair of West Marine sandals, but the traction wasn't so good. I agree with Gene that Reef makes some good ones. They also make lower end ones that hold less interest for me. Surprisingly, I have found some fairly good ones at Walmart for around $10-$20 recently. The $1 specials are disposables. The $5 specials only last for a few weeks, & don't have a deck grip bottom. Some of the $10 ones there are on par with the $45 ones from Sperry. At this time, I have Reef, Sperry & $10 Walmart specials. I rotate between them. On boats below 24 feet, I usually sail barefoot. On larger boats, I usually wear boat flops, unless it's really clod out, then I switch to boots. I do also have a few pairs of boat shoes, different types of Sperrys, Air-Siders, Crocks, etc. I only wear them occasionally.
I made that mistake (ONLY ONCE). I had a control issue on an early boat of mine and had to beach the boat to avoid a T-storm. I had to walk my boat along the shore for over a mile in rip-wrap in flip flops. Never again.
I know they are ugly but for me the go-to shoes are crocs. They are as comfortable as air, they have great grip but most importantly they FLOAT!
Topsiders (original boat moc) is my go to boat shoe. Usually get a new pair every two years and rotate them between home & boat. Probably been wearing top spiders for close to 40 years. Only complaint is that mellinials have discovered them and driven the price skyward!
OMG!
I think Crocs are the most dangerous shoes in the world. Everyone seems to like them. For me, they are super slippery when wet. I would never have them on a boat. Their bottoms may do OK, but when wet, I can't stay in the darn things. I get foot cramps from trying to grip them with my toes constantly. They are worse than flip flops.
-Will (Dragonfly)
Seldom used flip flops aboard except when heading for a shower but this time I was in a friends boat and I guess I felt I could ease my concerns so I kept my flops on. We got underway and the wind picked up so I was asked to go forward to tie up something and on my way I slammed a toe against a cleat I had not noticed before. It hurt like hell and the toe ended up bent in an unnatural way. I finished my task and limped back to the cockpit where I had to tape toes together to act as a splint. It took weeks to heal and still felt the effects months afterwards. Had to go up a half size on shoes. Don't do it, don't sail in flip flops or barefooted, not worth it.
We've owned our boat for 20 years. I never go out into the cockpit without shoes on. Benny's right. Ain't worth the potential damage. I can drop my anchor and raise it with my eyes closed, but I wouldn't go close to thinking about doing anything on our boat with those toe-stomper things on. Simply too dangerous.
Reminds me of a decade ago: I broke my leg skiing. 84.6% of the folks I met who "used to ski" told me that they stopped because they broke a bone. On their "last run," whether that was at 4:00 pm or the r=first run of the day, it was their very LAST run.
Same thing with flip - flops. Why bother? Don't say you haven't been warned.
Be "foot safe."
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I wear Sperry Topsiders, and they actually make a shoe now that's more to my liking. I prefer the ones that look like this:
Than the ones that look like this:
Why? Simply because:
- the lip on the bottom shoe ALWAYS gets caught on something
- the top shoe is not made of leather
- the top shoe typically costs around 50 bucks or so
- the bottom shoe typically costs an arm and leg and firstborn child
The newer model of topsider (similar to the top picture) that Sperry produces looks good, but actually has stitching that keeps the sole of the shoe attached to the rest of it so it won't come apart and do that weird thing they always do:
If you're looking for just a flip flop to wear willy-nilly and not on the boat (which, like everyone else, I recommend), then, don't laugh too hard, but Walmart and Payless actually have cheap ones that will last you a good while if you pick the right pair.
Than the ones that look like this:
Why? Simply because:
- the lip on the bottom shoe ALWAYS gets caught on something
- the top shoe is not made of leather
- the top shoe typically costs around 50 bucks or so
- the bottom shoe typically costs an arm and leg and firstborn child
The newer model of topsider (similar to the top picture) that Sperry produces looks good, but actually has stitching that keeps the sole of the shoe attached to the rest of it so it won't come apart and do that weird thing they always do:
If you're looking for just a flip flop to wear willy-nilly and not on the boat (which, like everyone else, I recommend), then, don't laugh too hard, but Walmart and Payless actually have cheap ones that will last you a good while if you pick the right pair.
Yeah, one of our Sea Scouts actually lost two toes (the middle ones) because he was helping give a hand on deck without permission. He had been taking a nap in the cabin, and heard the commotion of the crew struggling with the anchor on the foredeck. As he was in the V-birth, he decided to pop outta the fore hatch and "render aid" with flip flops on. I was on helm and in command, so I was too busy keeping the boat positioned correctly to notice his footwear. Now, this boat (Tartan 34) has a reasonably heavy anchor, and it usually takes at least two scouts to lift it off the bow roller. As it was covered in mud, the one kid who thought he was tough enough to pick it up lost his grip on the shank. The anchor dropped to the deck, landing on the kid's toes. We had to call the Coast Guard to get him ashore and hospitalized. Say no to flip flops.