Cover photo credit: United Arrows x Timberland
Boat shoes are cool.
I talk about it a little in the presentation of our Karysta : I really think that we can do very cool things with boats.
They replace derbies very advantageously by being a little more relaxed. They can almost see each other
In fact, I find that the boat is a very good casual/chic shoe , which we see too little in my opinion. There is a card to play for your style by adopting them.
And because a picture is worth 1000 words, here are 11 looks classified by style to show you everything you can do with these shoes, whatever your style universe.
1. Between casual and workwear
Boat shoes go very well with casual and workwear clothing. Boats will go perfectly with jeans, a denim jacket, a sweatshirt, chinos, a parka or even a work jacket.
Credit: Aimé Leon Dore
Expect to see several Aimé Leon Dore looks in this article. They have done several collaborations on the boat with Timberland , so we see quite a few on their lookbooks, which are always very successful in fact.
Here is a first look that is both simple and elaborate:
- Simple in its basics : a navy blue jacket, bleach jeans, black boat shoes, a NY cap
- Developed by two strong pieces : a floral jacket and smoked lens glasses which add personality, dog, to this outfit. This jacket is well balanced, it's a beautiful strong piece : the background is a subtle cream, the pattern is present but not psychedelic, the collar contrasts slightly by taking up the colors of the jacket.
You can easily reproduce this outfit without the jacket and glasses for a very sober and classic look. Or you can add your own strong piece to spice it up.
Credit: Mr. Porter
The vibe isn't too far off from the look above: you have blue jeans and a green top. Note the green/blue/brown combo, which works every time.
The vibe is a little more street with all the pockets (4 on the vest, 2 fatigue pockets on the jeans) and the fairly imposing boats, but if necessary, you can apply this idea to a less marked outfit with classic jeans, more discreet boats, a mottled sweatshirt and a vest with fewer pockets.
It's a very good outfit base to try with boat shoes, which you can add your own twist.
Two silhouettes with the same idea: a blue workwear set and boat shoes.
On the left you have a darker outfit with a raw denim ensemble and navy leather boats, contrasted by a burgundy t-shirt. You would only need a navy blue t-shirt here to make it monochrome.
On the right, you have a lighter outfit , with a set in cotton that leans a little towards the “working blue” color and bright, “gold” brown boat shoes. The gray sweatshirt soberly finishes everything off.
Two outfits in a slightly more workwear style, simple and effective.
Another very nice Aimé Leon Dore look in a “softened workwear” atmosphere.
Brown boat shoes, olive military jacket and… white jeans (with the socks that go with them). No very thick raw jeans, but light pants which add a touch of light.
We've been praising the merits of white pants at BonneGueule for a long time, here's another good example of their usefulness.
Moreover, you will regularly see this olive military jacket and white jeans combo from dear Alessandro Squarzi :
@alessandrosquarzi
Finally, the look is even softened with a colorful scarf which adds a touch of pep and patterns to the whole.
2. Casual chic
Would you like a little casual chic?
These two silhouettes come from the United Arrows x Timberland collab and I think they look great.
On the one hand, you have this look which is quite simple to reproduce with:
- Chalk striped pants (for example our MC pants ), probably woolen (has
- A light blue shirt, perhaps chambray (e.g. our Shiro shirt )
- As a first layer, a camel t-shirt or sweater with a high collar (for example our Pietro camel sweater )
And therefore quite sober leather boats. The shoes here are not too visually massive , they go well with the pants which have a more fluid appearance.
We are typically looking at an example of an outfit where boats would replace derbies or moccasins.
You also have this outfit, in monochrome earth tones with gray, taupe, olive and brown.
The colors are soft, the cuts are loose, the whole thing is well balanced.
You can try something like this, with simpler clothes and a little more contrasting colors , for example by combining brown boat shoes, green wool pants, a dark flannel shirt (plain or checked) and a sleeveless vest. in brown/taupe tones.
All that's missing is a beautiful coat on these two outfits to finish them off in style!
3. Elegance here we come
Wear boat shoes in dressier outfits?
Here are two outfits that I found at the Japanese store Beams .
The silhouettes respond to each other so I will analyze them together.
Here is the recipe for wearing boats in a more elegant way :
- Choose them in a rather dark smooth leather , to bring them aesthetically closer to classic dress shoes.
- Do not wear them with an overly formal suit (dark and in smooth wool) but rather combine them mismatched with wool pants or chinos, and a blazer
- Choose elegant clothes that lean towards casual , and vice versa. Choose chinos (casual) with pleats (elegant). Choose a blazer (elegant) in a slightly lighter color, or with a pattern (casual). Take a shirt (stylish) but with an oxford, denim or chambray fabric (casual).
4. Sportswear
We finish with two slightly more sporty/street outfits from Aimé Leon Dore.
On the left, you have a blue, purple and black theme that runs from top to bottom. The whole thing is very fluid in terms of colors. Let me explain: the jacket is purplish on the sleeves and ecru on the torso. These colors are found on the hat (note the label which is white) but also on the striped pants (blue and white). The transition to black shoes is made possible by gray socks.
I really like the idea of boats with striped pants of this type like you find at Stan Ray for example.
It smells like a cleverly designed lookbook outfit!
On the right, it's also very coherent but it's easy because the pants, the jacket and the bucket hat seem to be made in the same color and with the same material. It looks like a “set”, made to be worn together.
Color wise, we are on a shades of brown with a medium brown on the shoes and overall, camel and a sort of light khaki. The white socks bring a touch of contrast here and support the sporty theme of the outfit.
Our own boat shoes
Robust, water-repellent and comfortable, discover the Karysta, our first boat shoes, to wear in a wide range of styles:
