Best Sailing Boots and Shoes for Dinghy Sailing

Choosing the right sailing footwear is key to maintaining your comfort and safety while on a boat. Whether you’re gearing up for a new season or winding down after significant time on the water, there’s never a bad time to look for new sailing boots.

At Sailboats, we’ve got more than 40 years of experience in sailing. Tony and Antony Lincoln started the business in 1982 because they were frustrated sailors who couldn't get a decent range of dinghy equipment and chandlery without a long drive. They still own it, so these recommendations come backed by real-life expertise.

In this blog, we cover what to look for in sailing boots to avoid losing grip on the gunwale and suffering through cold, numb feet. 

Best Sailing Boots and Shoes at a Glance

When it comes to choosing boat shoes, it's often a choice between proper sailing boots and more middle-ground trainer-type options.

We've now paired Zhik's carbon insole with four boots in the range as well, so you can buy them together at a discount rather than separately. The insole uses Carbitex carbon, which stiffens the platform underfoot without adding much weight. Bundles run from the Performance Ankle Boot up to the Hiking X, saving around 20 per cent against buying the two on their own.

Best Dinghy Boots 

Zhik High Cut Boots

The Zhik High Cut Boot is the best all-rounder in our opinion. It's 4mm neoprene with a 2mm rubber upper, which is the sweet spot for UK sailing (warm enough for March, not so hot you're miserable in July). The moulded sole and quick-lock lacing hold your foot properly, so you keep feel for the boat rather than sloshing around inside the boot.

The lacing system means it takes a moment to get on and off compared to a zipped boot, but that's the trade-off for a fit that doesn't move. If you sail one boat all year and want one pair of boots, this is the pair we’d suggest.

Zhik Hiking X Boots

The top of Zhik's range and built for hiking hard. If you sail an ILCA or anything where you're locked under a strap for the whole beat, the reinforced upper is the difference between finishing the race and finishing with bruised insteps.

It's one of the more pricey sailing boots we stock and for good reason frankly. If you sail twice a season it's overkill, but if you're racing a full circuit, it pays for itself in the first regatta.

Pair it with the Zhik Hiking X Carbon Insole if you want the full setup.

Zhik Lightweight High Cut Boot

This boot is the lighter sibling of the High Cut boot. Where the standard option is 4mm neoprene, this drops to 2mm with a thinner sole, so you get more feedback through your feet and it dries faster. Less warmth, more feel.

Gill Aero Boots

Gill’s Aero boots are a sensible first pair. Thinner sole than the Zhik boots, less bulk, and roughly half the price of the top-tier options. Crew on the wire tend to prefer them because the thin sole helps you find the gunwale by feel.

If you're new to dinghy sailing, or you need a second pair for the car, start here. You can spend more later once you know what you actually want.

Also Worth a Look

The Zhik Performance High Cut Boot and Zhik Performance Ankle Boot sit in the middle of the Zhik range. The Performance High Cut is the closest thing to the Hiking X without the price tag, and the Ankle Boot is the pick if you want ankle mobility over support, which suits trapeze work and active footwork on a skiff.

The Gill Edge Boots sit between the Aero and the Zhik range on both price and warmth.

Best Sailing Shoes

Boots are the default for dinghy sailing, but they're not always the right answer. In warm weather or coaching from a RIB, a shoe is more comfortable and just as grippy.

Zhik Surge Performance Shoes

Our pick for the best sailing shoe is the Zhik Surge. Proper support, proper grip, and it's built as a performance shoe rather than a trainer that happens to be waterproof. If you're spending long days on the water in warm conditions, this is the one.

Zhik ZKG Amphibious Shoes

The ZKG is the shoe for people who don't want to look like they're wearing a wetsuit on their feet. Skate-style upper, non-marking grip sole, and drainage that means it doesn't hold water when you've been in and out of the boat.

The honest caveat is that it's a deck shoe, and deck shoes are flat. There's no meaningful arch support or cushioning, because a thick cushioned sole would cost you the feel and grip that make it work on the water. Great on the boat and fine around the club. Not the shoe for a long walk. Available in black and deep teal.

Gill Aquatech Shoes

The budget option is Gill Aquatech Shoes, but it’s a solid choice. A reasonably cheap, credible sailing shoe with a non-marking sole. It does the job for occasional use or as the spare pair that lives in the kit bag. The Gill Pursuit Shoe is cheaper still if price is the deciding factor.

What Matters When You're Choosing Sailing Shoes

There are a few things that are nice-to-haves when it comes to sailing shoes and boots, and then there are the non-negotiables.

• Non-marking soles: Black rubber soles scuff decks and most clubs will have something to say about it. Every boot and shoe on this page has a non-marking sole.

• Grip beats everything else: A siped or razor-cut sole pushes water out from under your foot instead of aquaplaning on it. This is the single biggest difference between a sailing boot and a wellie.

• Fit should be snug: If your foot slides inside the boot then you've lost the feel you paid for. Neoprene gives a little when it's wet, so a boot that feels firm in the shop is usually right on the water.

• No dinghy boot keeps your feet dry: This surprises people but once water gets above the rubberised section, the neoprene wets out. What a good boot does is keep you warm while wet, which is a different promise.

• Neoprene thickness sets the season. 2mm for summer and for feel. 4mm and up for year-round and for cold water. If you're between seasons, a thinner boot with neoprene socks underneath beats a thicker boot on its own because you can take the sock out in spring.

Sailing Shoe Sizing Information

Sailing footwear is sold in unisex sizing, so don’t bother looking for men’s or women’s sailing boots specifically. Zhik boots are known to run tight, and the European size conversions don't map neatly to high street sizing. Check the size guide on the product page rather than assuming your usual size. If you're between sizes, size down. A loose boot fills with water, gets heavy, and makes your feet cold.

If you wear a drysuit with fabric socks, or you plan to wear a neoprene sock underneath, factor that in. That's usually a half size up, not a full size.

Looking After Your Sailing Shoes

Rinse your sailing shoes or boots in fresh water after every sail. Salt crystals work like sandpaper on neoprene and they'll seize a zip inside a season. Dry them upside down somewhere shaded and breezy, but never leave them wet in the kit bag. That’s how boots start to really smell. A splash of white vinegar in the rinse water helps if they've already got there.

Boots are consumable, so two or three seasons of hard sailing is a realistic life for a soft-compound sole. The thing that makes it grip is the thing that makes it wear.

Who Are We?

Sailboats.co.uk started in 1982 as Northampton Sailboats, run by Tony and Antony Lincoln, two dinghy sailors who were tired of driving miles for a decent range of kit. The first shop opened on Balmoral Road in Northampton in 1985. The Lincolns still own the business today.

Since then we've moved to a distribution centre at Spinney View in Northampton and we ship worldwide, but the job hasn't changed. We've sold to National, European, World and Olympic champions as well as to people rigging their first boat, and we've sold enough footwear to know what actually holds up on the water.

Check out our 2026 Buoyancy Aid Buying Guide for more real-world sailing chandlery recommendations.