How to Wear Boat Shoes in Summer | Curated Mint

Clear out the plimsolls, switch up the flipflops and try some new footwear this summer. We’ll teach you how to wear boat shoes so you can bridge the gap between versatility, shape and style.

White trainers seem to be the go to staple footwear for the summer, but sticking with only these can limit your style options. Boat shoes have the comfort of trainers, the style of brogues and the versatility of plimsols, so they’re a great option for the summer months.

Despite the fact that they’ve got a little more detail to them, they’re not automatically going to the steal the show when it comes to your outfit. However the versatile shoe can be worn on many occasions and in many different ways.

Casual

Keeping things casual, especially in summer, is difficult. However if you are wanting to support the boat shoe, pair with some slim fit jeans and a fitted T-Shirt. Try to avoid bold, modern prints on your T-shirt, as this can clash with the classic look of the boat shoes.

Smart-Casual

Just to prove how versatile these shoes really are we’ll tackle the hardest category – the dreaded smart-casual. Often it’s easy to lean one way when trying nail the summer smart casual look and either go too casual or smart. But the detailed and classic look of boat shoes means it’s easy to bridge that small gap. Boat shoes are the ideal smart casual shoes to wear with chinos as they play along with the light, summer feel making them the perfect partners.

Pair some blue boat shoes with slim fit chinos and a plain button up shirt, if chino’s aren’t your thing some smart slim jeans will do the trick. As long as you’re balancing out something smart with something a bit more casual the boat shoes will add a neutral element to the smart casual weigh up. Boat shoes with jeans can however be risky business, but if you wear the correct shirt, the whole outfit will come together. If you want to add an extra smart touch, if you’re feeling a little too casual, throw on a navy blazer and wear undone so you are still showing off the button up shirt.

Smart

It’s easy to wear boat shoes with a smart suit as long as you follow the golden rule and don’t wear them with socks. If you can’t bear this idea then try some smaller ‘boat shoe socks’ that usually only cover half the foot which makes sure they can’t be seen, as boat shoes with socks is always a big fat no. Other than that you can wear your shoes how you want, and with any style of suit. A lighter colour is always a good choice, more summary choice though as it’ll also fits more with the style of the boat shoes. This creates a finished off outfit that will look summery, smart and sophisticated.

Boat Shoes With Shorts

As boat shoes and shorts are both key summer staples, they are of course the perfect combination for the hotter weather. The light look of the shoe along with the tan or blue basic colour options makes them appropriate for wear with shorts. As boat shoes and socks should never be worn together (unless you wear secret socks) having a gap between the shoe and bottoms is acceptable as there will be no awkward sock nightmare.

For a casual look pair your boat shoes with either denim or chino shorts, the shorts should be just above the knee and of a slim fit. Wear this with either a T-shirt or loose summer, patterned shirt. This will give off that effortlessly cool, just thrown on a quick outfit yet I look stylish look. Keep colours in similar tones to the boat shoes so sick to browns and navy’s.

The Best Boat Shoes

Finding the best boat shoes may be difficult but with our help you will be able to find the perfect pair for you. Always keep the colours fairly neutral as this will enable them to be worn with most of your summer wardrobe, Navy’s and tans are the most ideal as they create a good base for any outfit. Although boat shoes can be worn both casually and in a smarter way, for casual boat shoes opt for a smaller sole as this portrays a lighter looking shoe. For the more formal type of deck shoe a chunkier sole will add a little more structure and smartness to your outfit.

Boat Shoes In Summer

• Boat shoes are the perfect shoe to nail the smart casual dress code.
• Wearing boat shoes with a lighter suit is the perfect outfit for a summer wedding.
• Shorts are a summer staple and so are boat shoes making them a perfect match.
• Always remember that boat shoes and socks don’t mix well and shouldn’t be an area to experiment with.

On That Note

Boat shoes and summer go together like the sun and a beer garden, like a roast dinner and a Sunday, like, well you get the picture. So it will be rude not to invest in a good pair of boat shoes that will last you summer after summer and will reduce the hassle of trying to find that perfect pair of summer shoes. Wear them with jeans, shorts, suits and chino (so basically your whole wardrobe), just remember to keep it summary so light colours are your best friend.

Feature image from Pinterest