The One
Get a Grip on Slippery Surfaces in John Lobb’s Reimagined Boat Shoe
The loafer-like Isle will fete your feet, whether on the water or off.
John Lobb’s Isle boat shoe.
Photographer: Stephen Lewis for Bloomberg Businessweek
Originally designed by Seaman First Class Paul Sperry in 1935, the nautical slip-on has risen from practical solution to ubiquitous preppy affectation. John Lobb’s $1,420 Isle version faithfully maintains useful features such as white soles (to keep decks scuff-free) and an interlaced collar (to ensure a tighter fit), while adding the kind of refinement that comes from more than 150 years in the bootmaking business. The shoe is newly outfitted this year with a fully lined apron on the toe and is now available in suede.
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