Kate Middleton's comfy boat shoes are a chic alternative to trainers and this style is trending right now

Slowly but surely we’ve seen more flats making their way into the Princess of Wales’s shoe collection. She’s still a big fan of heels but has reached for her Boden Nya loafers multiple times in recent months and I can’t help wondering if behind-the-scenes she still has some of the flats she wore back in the day too.

Kate was never going to go sailing or climb to see cliff-top views wearing court shoes, so in 2011 she swapped them for boat shoes in Canada. The Prince and Princess of Wales were on their first royal tour as a married couple and she stepped out in these Sebago Bala shoes, indigo jeans and a Barbour utility shirt for a visit to Blachford Lake in the Northwest Territories.

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Her outfit was practical, timeless and relatively casual, particularly her choice of deck shoes. Coincidentally enough, boat shoes are a big spring/summer shoe trend for 2026 which is why we’re seeing them everywhere right now, and they are a great alternative to loafers and white trainers.

They’re a bit more polished than sports shoes and not quite as smart as loafers as their shape tends to be quite relaxed and not super structured. This style of shoe has lace detailing running round the sides and a moccasin-esque front.

The Princess’s boat shoes were made from taupe suede with a white trim for a touch of contrast. If you prefer your footwear to be even more minimal then I’d go for a pair in a block colour like tan or brown that would complement spring and summer colours.

That way you’re more likely to get wear out of them with your outfits this time of year. The slip-on design of deck shoes makes them easy to put on in a hurry and many of them have grippy soles. They naturally have a nautical feel though Kate wore her boat shoes a lot when she wasn’t around water too, like when she was attending polo matches or when she visited The Eden Project in Cornwall.

For her and William’s trip to Blachford Lake, she styled her shoes with dark wash skinny jeans and a simple utility shirt. Many people prefer lighter denim in the warmer months and you could recreate the Princess of Wales’s ensemble for 2026 with white or light blue jeans too.

"Boat shoes are a spring/summer classic and immediately conjure up summer holidays and warm weather style," says woman&home's Digital Fashion Editor Rivkie Baum. "The nautical style inspiration is polished yet laidback and works with a multitude of outfit ideas. Whilst most popular with jeans, boat shoes work well with skirts and dresses too, adding a little bit of a tailored and androgynous feel to softer, feminine silhouettes."

Kate’s jeans and shirt worked perfectly with her shoes as a combination and this was more of an everyday look. She went on to wear a very similar outfit formula to watch the polo with Prince George in 2015. When she and Prince William were given red hoodies by the Canadian Rangers she popped hers on over the top but otherwise went without a jacket in the summer sunshine.

During their time at Blachford Lake, the future King and Queen met with students and elders from the Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning and canoed over to a nearby uninhabited island.