Kit Review – Quayside Dockers – Sydney

****Update 2nd October 2018****

As I mentioned in the post below, these shoes are the most comfortable things I’ve had on my feet in many a year. 15 401 nautical miles,  7 stops in 3 countries over 6 months later….and look how good they still look! They’ve been shoved in dry bags, bashed about the boat, clambered up and down ladders and masts, soaked, dried and soaked again (repeat approx eleventy billion times), had hot water/food/god-knows-what dropped on them, held bloody (yes, actual blood) toes together and at one point housed a flying fish. These shoes have lived a a life of their very own. And that’s not even counting the year I had them before the race!  They’ve been with this sailor from total noobsville to becoming an experienced yachtie and barely left my feet.

Sadly, I am going to have to retire this pair and that makes me sad. They have done me proud but now it’s time they had a rest. Besides, no amount of washing has been able to get the smell of that fish out of them. Urgh. I will be looking at another pair of these beauties to take me further in my sailing!

In short: If you are looking at getting yourself a pair of fantastic, reasonably priced boat shoes that will do the job and then some, get these on sale here. They’re bloody wonderful.

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From November 2016:

Take note people. You are looking at The Most Comfortable Pair of Shoes Ever Made. Fact.

I went to the Southampton Boat Show with the intention of trying to pick up a few bargains but balked at a lot of the prices that I saw for some of the kit I need. I hadn’t really done sufficient research on some of the items on my shopping list (dry suits and liners, etc) so was not too keen to spend the squids just yet. Shoes, however, I know. I know them well. I couldn’t give a rats about makeup, jewellery, clothes, handbags…in almost every sense, I am the opposite of the girlie girl. That said, my shoe collection would shame Imelda Marcos (WikiLink for my younger readers….*sigh*). Suffice to say that I know my shnizzle when it comes to footwear.

I saw the Quayside stand and some of the price tags that they had displayed for their stock of lusciousness and thought….hmmm….either this is a trick or they’re going out of business or they’re tatty. Certain that I am, in fact, not a cat, I allow my curiosity to get the better of me and wander over.

The Verdict

Oh what bliss and joy! OK, not all of the shoes on display matched the style that I like but that’s life. Every single pair I put on, though, felt like I was sticking my feet into a cloud. Comfort in spades, people. SPADES. The ones I wanted – which were in the “super cheap” category for a change – were not available. The proprietor, no doubt reacting to the pained expression on my face, pointed me in the direction of these bad boys and agreed to give me a little extra off the sticker price as consolation…and they were on special for the Boat Show anyway. WIN!

The Quayside Sydney (Navy) Shoes are listed as a man’s shoe but I found them to fit my feet perfectly. Then again, I’ve been told I have feet like my grandad…make of that what you will.

They are soft and “spongy” on the inside with proper arch support and a fully “textile” footpad and laces. They also feature a non-slip, non-marking sole and water-resistant upper which includes ventilation through side panels along the arch and near the heel. Perfect for on and off deck.

I have been wearing these shoes non-stop since I bought them. My other shoes are getting jealous. I may even partially relinquish my vertiginous heels for these. It’s pretty serious.

Not only are these the best “dockers” I’ve ever bought, they make me feel like I’m a proper sailor when I’m wandering around the marina. Double Win.

Buy these shoes. They’re bloody wonderful.