Sailing style is perennially on the fashion horizon. From Princess Diana and Laura Ashley's love affair with sailor collars in the 1980s to last year's Simone Rocha for Jean Paul Gaultier Couture's embrace of the bejewelled sailor hat, maritime designs are rarely out of the style set's spyglass.
And this spring it's no different, with all of the coolest girls on our feeds and sitting front row swapping out their beloved winter loafers for a pair of boat (or deck) shoes.
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Like many a micro trend, Miu Miu is the catalyst for the latest renewal of boat shoe love, last seen in the times of Indie Sleaze. Miuccia Prada deftly made deck shoes the stealth accessory star of her collegiate SS24 collection, and by the SS25 show the following year both Emma Corrin and Nara Smith were donning their own pairs.
And it's not just on the front row that boat shoes are being worn, social media is awash with ways to wear the preppy shoe: influencer Molly Blutstein pairs her suede Vince boat shoes with bloomers and a t-shirt for a casual feel, while Hedvig Sagfjord Opshaug layers cashmere and suiting with her Bally deck shoes for a more sophisticated look.
They've even made their way into the ELLE UK office with out own Deputy and Culture Editor, Lena De Casparis, owning a pair. 'My brown Timberland boat shoes have taken the space in my spring wardrobe my Gucci black leather loafers held all this winter,' De Casparis said. 'They work with work suiting, jeans or even a weekend rugby top and tracksuit pant - as the most versatile (and comfy) shoe. Ever since I saw the brown Miu Miu ones I was hooked.'
So, if you're stuck on what shoe style to invest in this spring, consider setting sail with a pair of boat shoes.
Shop Boat Shoes Now
Reformation Fia Boat Loafer
Bally Pathy Boat Shoes
Sezane Caroline Loafers
Aeyde Harris Leather Boat Shoes
Gianvito Rossi Vandée Suede Boat Shoes
Miu Miu Bleached Leather Loafers
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Daisy Murray is the Digital Fashion Editor at ELLE UK, spotlighting emerging designers, sustainable shopping, and celebrity style. Since joining in 2016 as an editorial intern, Daisy has run the gamut of fashion journalism - interviewing Molly Goddard backstage at London Fashion Week, investigating the power of androgynous dressing and celebrating the joys of vintage shopping.
