"Are we talking to each other on the poop deck of a majestic schooner? Is the salty brine stinging my weather-beaten face? No? Then why the f–k are you wearing a pair of deck shoes, man?"
Originally designed in 1935 to stop sailors sliding across wet decks, the boat shoe has spent the better part of a decade parked in the preppy bin alongside popped collars and pastel chinos. You only have to ask Succession’s Tom Wambsgans to know that.
And while those not-so-fashionable items will (quite rightly) join skinny jeans and whatever the hell those Kanye glasses were, firmly left in the past, boat shoes are seemingly back, walking the Spring 2026 runways and a handful of pre-silly season events in Sydney.
And, frankly, for a country that spends half the year within walking distance of a beach or a marina, boat shoes make more sense in Australia than just about anywhere.
So, here they are: the best boat shoes you can buy in Australia this spring, spanning heritage American originals, Australian labels big and small, and a handful of pairs that cost more than your first car.
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Men's Authentic Original 1-Eye Leather Red Brown
Every boat shoe on this list owes something to the original Sperry design from 1935. The OG design was released to the world by Paul Sperry after watching his dog run across ice without slipping. He then cut a sole to mimic the grooves in its paws (true story).
Nearly a century later, the Authentic Original remains the blueprint, with that same lineage now carried through the brand’s Men's Authentic Original 1-Eye in a tasteful reddish-brown. It arrives with a premium leather upper, full leather lining, cushioned insole, and Sperry's razor-cut Wave-Siping outsole. If you only ever buy one pair, you could certainly do a lot worse than the one that started it all.
$199.95 at sperry.com.au
Quoddy Classic Boat Shoe Unlined Whiskey Cavalier
Worn by modern icons such as the Kennedys, Steve McQueen, and Paul Newman, the Quoddy boat shoe sits only second in this list for the simple fact that we can’t have two atop the podium; such is the revered legacy of this American shoemaker that earns its name from the Native American ‘Passamaquoddy’ tribe, who originally inhabited the area around Maine.
Quoddy still makes each and every one of its boat shoes in its Maine workshop with all the regular hallmarks of the category: a hand-stitched apron, white rubber sole, and leather lace. Each pair is intended to be repairable over the course of its lifetime.
$595 at doublemonk.com
R.M. Williams Dockyard Moccasin Boat Shoe
Now, we couldn’t exactly have a list of best boat shoes in Australia without the country’s menswear mainstay: R.M. Williams has spent close to a century perfecting footwear for the Australian outback, built usually for (much) dustier trails than the well-presented deck of a NSW marina. But they’ve managed to do a stellar job with this next one.
The Dockyard is crafted from pull-up leather in a moccasin construction, with leather lacing and a treaded rubber sole. If you want something softer, the Islet moccasin ($299) in tan pull-up leather is also a winner.
$329 at rmwilliams.com.au
Timberland Authentic 3-Eye Lug Handsewn Boat Shoe
If Sperry wrote the original rulebook, Timberland was the brand that took the dog-eared page off the beaten path. I mean that as a compliment.
The 3-Eye swaps the traditional razor-thin sole for Timberland's signature chunky lug outsole, matching the original Sperry brief of a sturdy underfoot, even if it’s now better suited to wandering away from the marina to the pub via the coastal walk.
It's hand-sewn from Timberland's premium leather with a padded leather collar, leather lining, rawhide laces, and a 360° lacing system.
$249.99 at timberland.com.au
Rollie Boat M Low Step
Melbourne's Rollie has built a cult following on one promise: shoes that feel broken in from the first wear. So, its Boat M Low Step is certainly worth a second look.
Sitting over a memory foam footbed, the shoe is part of Rollie's Vibram range and comes with an upper of hand-finished premium leather that the brand says moulds to your feet. It's the most contemporary interpretation here, and won’t look out of place wandering down Fitzroy on a Saturday morning.
$340 at rollienation.com
Charles Tyrwhitt Leather Boat Shoes
We've already sung the praises of Charles Tyrwhitt's shirting, but the London label doesn’t just stop at its cotton. And at this price, it's one of the best-value boat shoes on the list.
Hand-sewn in a wrap-around silhouette from European calf leather certified by the Leather Working Group, it's finished with a half-leather insock and a sturdy rubber sole. The Chocolate Brown is a rich, forgiving shade that pairs easily with navy, white, and everything in between.
$149 at charlestyrwhitt.com
Sebago Docksides Made in USA
The other great American name in boat shoes, Sebago has been making hand-sewn moccasins in the New England tradition since the 1940s.
The brand’s best-seller has to be the Portland (named for the Maine city where it all began), an original since 1970 that arrived in a premium cut with full-grain leather; each pair is crafted at Rancourt & Company, the historic Maine manufacturer with several styles and colours to choose from. We’ve gone for this more chocolatey hue. Delicious.
$275 at sebago.com
Morjas The Boat Shoe
Trust the Swedes to land on the list with an American staple, made from premium Italian suede (that’s handstitched in Italy). But given the Scandinavians have spent centuries figuring out how to dress impeccably well on the water, perhaps it isn’t such a strange fit, after all.
Morjas’ take on the boat shoe is classic moccasin construction, left unlined for a lighter construction. It’s a shorter, cleaner silhouette than some of the chunkier pairs up and down, sitting somewhere between the traditional deck shoe and the sort of thing you could happily wear with tailored shorts on a warm afternoon.
$300 (~AU$426) at morjas.com
Frescobol Carioca Marina Deck Shoe
Frescobol Carioca takes its name from the bat-and-ball game played on the beaches of Rio. So one for the Bondi locals, I reckon.
The Marina is handcrafted in Italy from supple full-grain leather with moccasin stitching and rawhide lacing. It’s certainly a dressier option than the more pragmatic pairs on this list.
Set on a Vibram rubber sole for grip on wet surfaces, it sits in a sweet spot between the heritage American pairs and the luxury heavyweights further down this list. By no means the cheapest, but one you could easily rock at a summer garden party.
We’ve picked the black here for a touch of variety in the sea of brown. But Frescobol Carioca’s version is also a stellar option in the list.
$810 at frescobolcarioca.com
Akana Barefoot Boat Shoes
One for those who like a story with their shoes, Akana is a small Melbourne label founded in 2020 by Can and Serenay. Each shoe is handcrafted by artisanal shoemakers in Turkey, which the brand says takes around two days to complete.
The design is a little unconventional – certainly compared to some of the more recognisable silhouettes in this list – but that doesn’t make the boat shoes from this Victorian brand any less fashionable.
The pair is crafted in premium crazy horse leather (not a mad stallion, but a hard-wearing, oil-treated hide that develops its own natural patina) with a tanned leather lining, buffalo skin midsole, and a zero-drop, wide-toe barefoot sole.
If comfort is the priority, few pairs here will match it.
$269 at akana.com.au
Burke Marine Flinders Leather Deck Shoe
For readers who actually own a boat (or at least have a mate who does), Burke has been making no-fuss gear for Australians on the water since 1971.
Its Flinders deck shoe is the most affordable pair on this list, which makes it a smart buy for a pair you won't mind wearing for the wet, salty, scuffed conditions that usually arise around amphibious endeavours.
$129 at burkemarine.com.au
Brunello Cucinelli Suede Boat Shoes
Nobody does quiet luxury quite like Brunello Cucinelli, and its boat shoe takes the conversation away from the Great Lakes and places it firmly within the dolce vita.
Crafted from supple suede in a cream colourway with tonal stitching, it's a pair that demands its wearer order an Aperol, smoke a European ciggy, and stay up past midnight on some sun-kissed cobbled square.
Granted, you'll never want to wear them anywhere near an actual boat, but on a long lunch somewhere along the Amalfi Coast (or Watsons Bay), they're unbeatable.
$1,990 at shop.brunellocucinelli.com
Edward Green Saltash Suede Boat Shoes
Edward Green has been making shoes by hand in Northampton since 1890, specialising in premium artisanal leather pieces for the modern gentleman and counts Ernest Hemingway, Cole Porter, and the Duke of Windsor amongst its many fans. So, naturally, any attempt at the humble deck shoe is bound to impress.
It's made from Edward Green's delapré leather and set on a leather sole, balancing an apron-toe silhouette with an open-laced construction. You may have already guessed, but that much leather (especially on the sole) means that these should almost never be seen on a boat – or at least, one that’s actually sailing the high seas. Stick to the marina, sailor.
~$2,983 at mrporter.com
John Lobb Tide
And finally, the most expensive boat shoe on the list, from a house that needs no introduction.
John Lobb has been equipping its wearers for a life in movement for more than 150 years, with a history that stretches from the Cornish coast to London (allegedly by foot!), Australia, and, eventually, Paris.
At more than $3,000, it's certainly an indulgence. But centred around a shoe built to last decades rather than seasons. If you're after the best of the best, this British bootmaker is where the category tops out.
~$3,152 at johnlobb.com