Deck shoes
Most of the advice on sailing shoes is about the sole. Gill calls a non-slip rubber sole the basic requirement for a sailing shoe, recommends non-marking soles, and advises against flip-flops.
NauticEd explains how good soles grip. Siping, the thin cuts across the sole, channels water out from under the foot so the shoe does not hydroplane on a wet deck. Its quick check is to press the sole: if it is soft and pliable, it will grip. NauticEd's other advice:
- Replace shoes once the sole has gone hard or slippery. Cleaning will not bring the grip back.
- Change into your boat shoes once aboard, so grit picked up ashore does not scratch the deck.
Boots and water shoes
NauticEd separates two kinds of sailing boot:
- Dinghy boots
- Waterproof and flexible, with ankle support.
- Offshore boots
- Waterproof, often lined with Gore-Tex, with a gaiter at the top that seals over your foul weather trousers.
Gill says sailing boots suit offshore, ocean and cold, wet conditions, but that water can come in over the top if you end up in the water. It suggests neoprene water shoes for dinghy and inshore sailing where you are often immersed. These are the manufacturer's own recommendations.
What the RYA and PBO suggest
The RYA's beginner advice is water shoes or old trainers for dinghy sailing, and non-slip shoes or sailing boots on yachts.
PBO says neoprene boots work for dinghy sailing in both summer and winter. Its author offers one caution from experience: after wearing wet neoprene boots for long periods, they developed a fungal nail infection and switched to deck shoes. That is one writer's account, not a study.
For keeping feet warm in a small boat, see dinghy clothing. On bigger boats, offshore boots pair with the trousers covered under foul weather gear.
Gloves
PBO says sailing gloves prevent blisters, but that gloves which are both warm and thin are hard to find. For cold weather it mentions neoprene gloves, or rubber gloves worn under sailing gloves.
The rest of what we found on gloves comes from a single source, the boating retailer Better Boat, and we could not confirm it elsewhere. Treat it as one seller's description of what is on the market:
- Cuts. Fingerless (three-quarter fingers), three-finger (thumb and index finger left open) and full-finger. Fingerless gloves let you use touchscreens and handle gear without taking them off.
- Palms. Commonly synthetic leather such as Amara, or real leather, with reinforced palms and fingers against rope burn and blisters.
- Cuffs. Short cuffs suit racing and checking a watch. Long gauntlet cuffs add protection and warmth.
We found no independent test of sailing gloves or deck shoes. If you are choosing gear, our gloves and footwear guide groups them by use.