This next concept is a nod to the current popularity of boat shoes and moccasin toes. Personally, I’d have a hard time wearing a traditional Sperry-esque boat shoe because it’s just not my personal aesthetic. When I started this design, I wanted to create something that would lean a little closer towards a sneaker so it wouldn’t looked dated when boat shoes fell out of favor. The first and most obvious design choice was to add the vulcanized rubber outsole, as the look of the traditional boating shoe immediately suggests wealth and class, neither of which apply to me.
I designed this shoe to be made of canvas or ripstop nylon with flat athletic laces in place of raw-hide leather or round decorative laces. This would help pull it further away from its conservative leather original and give it enough of sneaker spin that it would appeal to a larger demographic. Lastly, the contrast stitches of the lateral logo stripe visually break up the traditional eyestay overlay and make the overall design sit with the other footwear concepts.
