Bare feet on board

[SailingHarmonie]

Another one of those things that generate way more passion than it should.

I always wear shoes. I find it gives me much better grip than my bare feet give. Your feet on your deck might be different. I guess my feet are smoother and more tender than some others. �� Even aside from that, I know when I stub my toe, I flinch, and reflexively pull away. Not the kind of thing I want to do on a pitching deck in the dark. So I consider shoes with cap toes a safety item.

That’s what I do, and ask my crew to do. On your boat you can do as you wish, of course. Just let me wear my shoes.

[JPA Cate]

First offshore passage. Descend from boat to tie her up. Baby toe and dock cleat. Toe broke, not cleat. Mmmy! that smarted! Treatment? Taped to adjacent toe for 2 weeks.

Shoes for docking, but often barefoot on boat, except where it is cold.

Ann

[Mike OReilly]

I have poor balance, and delicate tootsies, so I always wear shoes when the boat is underway. But once we're anchored, I tend to shift to bare feet if the weather allows.

[Shanachie]

I've lived in South and West Florida for 45 years. Not only do I not wear shoes on the boat, I do not wear them at home. In South Florida, this is common.


I have one pair of shoes I wear in public, one pair for cycling and boots for when I go skiing. I'm retired, so I may have a pair of dress shoes somewhere in the back of my closet.

[Benz]

I wear footwear in any context only if it would be illegal not to, or if it's cold. Shoes on a boat? Never, unless forced to by circumstance.
I once went several months in Isla Mujeres without putting on so much as a pair of flip flops. They have no silly shoe laws in restaurants there.
Never broken a toe from being barefoot.

[Pegu Club]

Bare feet are fine for hanging out/cocktails, but when actually sailing, foot wear prevails on Pegu Club, no smashed toes when going forward,

Fair winds,

[Fore and Aft]

What if your shoe is the boat? Do you just wear one?
Cheers

[EmeraldCoastSailor]

I normally wear running shoes most everywhere I go. They are replaced onboard with proper boat shoes with decent traction. I like my toes.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Bowdrie

It might be interesting to find out how many of the recent participants in the Golden Globe around the world race chose to run around on their boats barefooted.
I'm guessing somewhere between very few and none.
If your sailing solo a broken toe might not be much fun.
A calm/lazy day with little wind is one thing, when things are more exciting I will not be without shoes.

Well the lady that won the GGR was often barefoot while sailing and during the refit of her boat.

[John_Trusty]

I prefer barefoot, like Shanachi growing up in South Florida. Naturally, modified for cold weather, or stepping onto streets or splintery docks. Big difference in athletic demand between aggressive racing and walking forward calmly on a calm sail.

[ixnax]

Originally Posted by EmeraldCoastSailor

I normally wear running shoes most everywhere I go. They are replaced onboard with proper boat shoes with decent traction. I like my toes.

I'm with you. Good running shoes on shore, and good non-marking deck shoes onboard when underway. I screw up sometimes and charge off barefoot and pay the price but that's life.

Guests coming on board for dinner or cocktails are asked to leave their shoes before entering the cockpit.

[Bowdrie]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Well the lady that won the GGR was often barefoot while sailing and during the refit of her boat.

Haha, Haha,, yeah, and I've no doubt that when she and the others were in sweltering heat that they wore a lot less than shoes.
As I tried to say, it's not a yes/no, it depends upon conditions and the work at hand.
For those who never wear shoes and have never broken a toe it's better to give thanks than to brag.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by Bowdrie

For those who never wear shoes and have never broken a toe it's better to give thanks than to brag.

My daughter broke two metatarsals while wearing steel toed boots a couple of years ago. Footwear is not a guarantee.

[clownfishsydney]

In over a year living on boat our boat, I never wore shoes once. Never stubbed a toe or did anything else to hurt me.

[pesarsten]

Well, all i can say is Never Say Never