ON DECK

A preppy staple and occasional punchline), the boat shoe is ready for its latest turn in the spotlight

- JONATHAN EVANS

THERE MUST BE SOMETHING IN THE WATER. Suddenly it seems like every brand is taking a fresh look at the boat shoe and saying, "Yeah, we can do something really cool with that." This isn't a new phenomenon for preppy staples. Every few years or so, on a rotating schedule that only the style gods fully understand, society takes stock of tried-and-true pieces like chinos and oxford-cloth button-downs and realizes there's a very good reason these items became classics in the first place. Cue the remixes, reinterpretations, and reinvigorated mass appeal.