It is finally happening: those shoes that your posh friend’s dad wore to slope to the shops are being spotted on trains, buses and pavements everywhere. Their return has been rumoured in industry circles for some time – Vogue even dubbed 2024 the year of the boat shoe in February – but no one was quite sure if it would materialise in the real world, outside Nantucket. But lo and behold, there they are, on the feet of people who don’t know their port from their starboard, miles from any boats.
The resurgence of the design can be traced back to the catwalk. Miu Miu, the label designed by Miuccia Prada, featured multiple boat shoes in its spring/summer show. Its versions are for sale for £660 but the label is so influential that resale app Depop credit it for a rise in the popularity of boat shoes. Searches were up 39% last month, with Timberland and Sebago popular brands, available from £12 to £90.
