I bought my Borns about a month ago to replace my worn out
Sperry Makos. I was attracted to Borns by the reviews saying how comfortable they are: it's true. These shoes were comfortable right out of the box. The have a wide toe box so there is no pinching or pressure points. The sole and
insole provide some
arch support without overdoing it. The leather uppers are light weight without being flimsy, and in fact, the heel counters are fairly stiff for a boat shoe, yet surprisingly well formed. I have tried a number of soles for traction while sailing on big and small boats over the years and the best, in my opinion, is still the siped sole pioneered by
Sperry. The Born sole sole has a rippled ridge pattern; narrow ridges and wider gaps between them. While I have not yet been on a wet deck with the Borns, I would be surprised if the traction can match the
Sperry in bad conditions. Nevertheless, I suspect they will acquit themselves adequately in less demanding circumstances. Oh, almost forgot, I wore a 13 in
Sperry, but the 12 Born fits very well. I rate these as true to size; some other shoe makers have suffered size inflation.