The Best Summer Moccasins for Men: Camp Mocs, Boat Shoes, Driving Mocs, and Loafers
Growing up in New England, summer had its staples. Sam Adams Summer Ale, lobster rolls, Nantucket red shorts, and leather moccasins.
Summer shoes can be tricky. Sneakers look clunky and casual. Sandals can look sloppy. Dressy shoes are usually too much, and are bad in the heat. That leaves the great middle ground of summer moccasins.
Camp mocs, boat shoes, blucher mocs, driving mocs, and loafers all live in the same general family. They are casual leather shoes with old-school American roots. They work with shorts, chinos, jeans, polos, linen shirts, oxford cloth button-downs, and the occasional unstructured blazer.
But they are not all interchangeable.
Affiliate Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post contains affiliate links to products I personally use and recommend. If you click a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions are my own based on real-world experience, daily use, and travel.
What Is a Moccasin?
A moccasin is less about one specific shoe and more about a construction style.
The classic moccasin idea is a soft leather upper that wraps around the foot, often with visible stitching across the toe. Over time, that basic idea evolved into several different summer shoes: the camp moc, the boat shoe, the driving moc, the blucher moc, and the loafer.
Some are built for boats. Some are built for cars. Some are built for casual walking around town. Some can even pass with a blazer.
That is what makes the category useful. A good summer moccasin gives you the comfort of a casual shoe without looking like a running shoe.
I think the easiest way to organize all these similar shoes is by the number of eyelets they have. For consistency, I have used L.L. Bean to illustrate each variant, except for the driving moc, which L.L. Bean does not carry. Links are primarily to Amazon products that have extensive reviews and may offer free shipping in the case you need to test a couple sizes.
No eyelets - the Driving Mocs
Sperry Harpswell Venetian Driver Loafer - front
Sperry Harpswell Venetian Driver Loafer - back
Driving mocs are soft, relaxed, and comfortable. The giveaway is the sole: rubber pebbles or pads that often wrap up the heel.
They were designed for driving, not long walks. That does not mean you cannot wear them around town, but they are usually better for patios, travel days, casual dinners, and relaxed summer outfits than serious mileage.
Driving mocs look good with shorts, linen, polos, lightweight chinos, and casual resort wear. They have a slightly more continental feel than camp mocs or boat shoes. Less Maine, more Italian coast.
The problem is durability. Many driving mocs have thin soles that wear quickly if you treat them like normal walking shoes.
Best for: casual dinners, travel, patios, resort wear
Works with: shorts, linen shirts, polos, lightweight chinos
Formality: casual, but refined
Weakness: not ideal for long walks or wet conditions
No eyelets - the Loafer Mocs
L.L. Bean Casco Bay Venetians
Loafers are not always thought of as moccasins, but many live close enough to this family to belong in the conversation.
The big difference is structure. A loafer usually looks more like a proper shoe. It has a cleaner shape, a more defined sole, and more dress potential. A penny loafer can work with shorts, chinos, jeans, seersucker, linen, and a navy blazer.
That makes the loafer the most formal option here.
But it is also the least relaxed. If the rest of your outfit is very casual — swim trunks, T-shirt, beach gear — a loafer can look a little forced. It shines when the outfit has at least a little polish.
Best for: smart casual summer outfits
Works with: chinos, jeans, OCBDs, polos, linen, blazers
Formality: highest of the group
Weakness: less useful for true beach or pool settings1 eyelet - the Camp Mocs
One eyelet - the Camp Moc
L.L. Bean Camp Moc II
The camp moc is probably the best all-around summer moccasin.
It usually has a handsewn moc toe, a simple lace system, and a relaxed but not sloppy shape. It feels casual and outdoorsy, but not nautical. That matters, because boat shoes can look a little costume-y when you are nowhere near water.
A good camp moc works with shorts, chinos, jeans, and casual button-downs. They can be worn with or without socks and are generally good for three season wear. It can go to the pool, the lake, a brewery, a casual dinner, or a summer weekend trip. With the right pair, you can even wear them with a casual blue blazer.
That range is why the camp moc is the safest one-shoe answer.
Best for: all-around summer wear
Works with: shorts, chinos, jeans, polos, OCBDs
Formality: casual, but versatile
Weakness: not quite as sharp as a loafer, not as water-specific as a boat shoe
Two eyelets - the Boat Shoes
L.L. Bean Casco Bay Boat Moc II
Boat shoes are the classic summer moccasin, but they are also the most specific.
They were built for wet decks, which is why they usually have non-marking rubber soles, wraparound lacing, and good grip. Around a marina, beach town, lake house, or sailing club, they look exactly right.
Away from water, they can still work, but they look a little out of place. Boat shoes say “summer weekend,” but they also say “boat shoe guy.” That can be good or bad depending on the rest of the outfit.
The safest way to wear them is casually: shorts, khakis, polos, rumpled button-downs, and anything that looks like it belongs within sight of a dock.
Best for: boats, beaches, lakes, coastal towns
Works with: shorts, khakis, polos, casual button-downs
Formality: very casual
Weakness: less versatile inland
Three (or more) eyelets - the Blucher Mocs
L.L. Bean Blucher Moc II
The blucher moc is the more substantial cousin of the camp moc.
It usually has more eyelets, a sturdier sole, and a more shoe-like structure. Where a camp moc feels easy and relaxed, a blucher moc feels tougher and more substantial.
This is a good choice if you want something that still has moccasin character but can handle more walking, cooler weather, or slightly dressier casual outfits. It is not formal, but it has more presence than a boat shoe or camp moc.
A blucher moc looks especially good with chinos, jeans, flannel shirts, rugby shirts, waxed cotton jackets, and casual outerwear. It is less of a beach shoe and more of a New England weekend shoe.
Best for: rugged casual wear
Works with: chinos, jeans, fatigue pants, heavier casual shirts
Formality: casual to smart casual
Weakness: can feel heavy in very hot weather
Formality Ranking
From least formal to most formal:
Boat shoe
Camp moc
Driving moc
Blucher moc
Loafer
The exact order can change depending on the specific shoe. A sleek driving moc can look dressier than a chunky blucher moc. A beat-up loafer can look more casual than a new camp moc. But as a general rule, this ranking works.
The boat shoe is the most casual because it is the most tied to a specific activity. The loafer is the most formal because it is the least tied to one setting.
Which One Should You Buy?
If you want one pair, buy a camp moc.
It gives you most of the ease of a boat shoe without looking as nautical. It is more relaxed than a loafer, more walkable than a driving moc, and lighter than a blucher moc.
If you live near the water or spend a lot of time on boats, get a boat shoe.
If you want something tougher and more substantial, get a blucher moc.
If you want something soft and relaxed for travel or dinner, get a driving moc.
If you want the dressiest version of this idea, get a loafer.
Bottom Line
Summer moccasins are useful because they sit in the space between sneakers and dress shoes.
They are casual, comfortable, and classic, but they still look intentional. For most men, the camp moc is the best all-around choice. It works almost everywhere a boat shoe works, but it has more range away from the water.
The boat shoe is the classic. The loafer is the dressiest. The blucher moc is the most rugged. The driving moc is the most relaxed.
But the camp moc is the one I would buy first, and the one I wear all summer.
