Sebago has been making boat shoes for decades and they are much loved by sailors over the pond and in the UK. We put a pair of their Sebago Portland Lea shoes to the test

The Portland Lea shoe is made out of oiled leather. Credit: Katy Stickland Credit: Katy Stickland

Sebago Portland Lea

Pros:

Comfortable fit
Hard wearing

Cons:

Expensive

Price as reviewed:

£120.00

The Sebago Portland Lea is part of Sebago’s Dockside range, which are designed to be worn on and off a boat, writes John Stickland.

I have spent the last three months testing a pair of Sebago Portland Lea.

Made from oiled leather, which promises to make them strong, the shoe is available in a two-tone tan brown and black with contrast stitching.

After wearing them regularly, they barely show any signs of distress or cracking, and the stitching is all still intact.

The oiled treatment means even after wearing them in the rain, and while sailing, where they got regularly drenched in spray, the leather cleaned up really well, with no marks or stains and was still soft.

The eyelets are robust

The leather sock lining makes the shoes comfortable enough to wear with or without socks, even when new, and I experienced no rubbing.

There is extra cushioning to protect your instep arch, giving good support.

A full-grain leather collar also helps keep your foot firmly in the shoe when barefoot.

The other great performance feature is that so far, there is no hint of smell, despite wearing them on the water and barefoot.

On previous boat shoes, the eyelets are often the first things to go, but, so far, they have remained firmly in place.

Raw hide laces means the shoes do not come undone. Credit: Katy Stickland

The rawhide laces rarely came undone, which is reassuring when on deck, especially when I was club racing over the summer.

The soles are made of non-marking anti-slip rubber and are sipped, so gripped well when stepping on wet decks or pontoons.

A good all round boat shoe, although quite expensive at £120.

I guess you have to pay for quality.

Sebago Portland Lea. Available in sizes 5.5 (EU 39) – 11.5 (EU 46.5).

Price: £120

www.sebago.co.uk

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