Abstract: A boating shoe, comprises an upper unit, a midsole and a high traction outsole attached to the bottom of said midsole. The upper unit includes a padded tongue made of a substantially nonabsorbent material and an inner lining having at least two plies. The outer ply adjacent the wearer's foot is made of a hydrophobic material and the inner ply is made of a hydrophilic material with good wicking characteristics. A bottom sock made of a fabric material through which water can flow freely is sewn to the bottom of the upper unit. The midsole is molded from a plastic material and includes forward and rear drainage cavities, each having a plurality of upstanding projections for supporting the wearer's foot. Drainage channels extend from each of the cavities through the midsole to its outer surface so that water flowing into the cavities of the midsole will be drained from the shoe.