The Spider Rubber outsole of the Teva shoe ûwraps up and over the toe. On our test pair it ûbegan to separate after about six months of ûwear.

Shoes are important to sailors if for no other reason than they provide foot protection on deck (from such nasties as open cotter pins in rigging turnbuckles), and traction to prevent slipping. A fall can cause injury, and if it’s over the side…well, potentially fatal.

Shoes can be tough to test, because they involve fashion, and fashion is a subjective thing. Even so, over the years Practical Sailor has tested most major brands of deck shoes. Until about 10 years ago, these were universally the moccasin type—Sperry Top-Siders, Sebago, Timberland, Rockport and a bunch of other companies make similar designs. …