Skechers Status 2.0 Pexton Review: casual boat shoes that feel like slippers

I’ve been wearing the Skechers Status 2.0 Pexton in taupe canvas as my everyday casual shoes for a while now. I use them mostly for walking to work, running errands, and trips where I know I’ll be on my feet a lot. I’m not a sneakerhead or anything; I just want shoes that don’t wreck my feet by the end of the day and that don’t look out of place with jeans or chinos.

What pushed me to try these was the mix of “boat shoe” look with sneaker comfort. I’m used to stiff leather loafers that look smart but feel like bricks after a few hours. With these Skechers, I was hoping for something that sits between trainers and casual shoes – decent enough to wear at the office on casual days, but comfy enough to walk several kilometres without thinking about my feet every five minutes.

In day-to-day use, the main thing that stood out is how light and cushioned they feel. The Air Cooled Memory Foam insole isn’t marketing fluff – it actually feels like a soft, slightly squishy layer under your foot. Not bouncy like running shoes, more like a padded insole you’d buy separately, but already built in. First time I put them on, I didn’t need any breaking-in period, which is rare for me.

They’re not perfect though. The comfort is great, but the sole material is EVA, which is softer and tends to wear faster than a thick rubber sole. I can already see where this is going long term: very comfortable shoe, but not a tank. If you’re expecting something that will survive years of daily abuse, you might be a bit disappointed. But if you want a light, easy-going shoe that feels like a slipper for walking and everyday life, they do the job pretty well.

Price-wise, people on Amazon mention paying around £30–35 for these, which is roughly what I’ve seen too. At that price, I’d say the value is pretty solid, mainly because of how comfortable they are right out of the box. You’re basically paying for convenience and comfort rather than long-term durability or premium materials. The 4.6/5 rating with over 3,000 reviews isn’t random – a lot of people clearly find the comfort-to-price ratio worth it, some even buying multiple pairs over the years.

Compared to other casual shoes I’ve owned in this range (cheap leather loafers, basic canvas sneakers), these definitely feel nicer on the feet. The memory foam insole and lightweight build put them a notch above generic no-name shoes. On the other hand, you can find more durable trainers from sports brands if you’re willing to spend a bit more or catch sales. Those might not look as neutral for office wear, though, and often come with louder styling.

For value, you have to be honest about how you’ll use them. If you plan to wear them every day, all year, then the cost per year might end up higher than a tougher pair that lasts longer. If you rotate them with other shoes, or mainly use them for holidays, weekends, and casual days, then they’re good value for money. You get a very comfortable, easy-going shoe that looks decent and doesn’t destroy your feet, for not a huge amount of cash.

I’d put it this way: there’s better durability for the price if that’s your main concern, but for pure comfort and casual versatility at around thirty-odd quid, they’re hard to complain about. If you’re okay with the idea of replacing them every so often, the value is there. If you want one shoe to do everything for years, you might want to look at something sturdier.

Design-wise, these Pextons are pretty low-key. The taupe canvas colour is very neutral – kind of a greyish-beige that goes with jeans, shorts, chinos, and even some casual trousers. It’s not the kind of shoe people will comment on, which for me is fine. I wanted something that doesn’t clash with anything and doesn’t look like a running shoe. The boat-shoe label is a bit of a stretch visually; to me they look more like relaxed canvas sneakers with slightly more stitching detail.

There are some small design touches that help: the contrasting white rubber-like outsole, stitched detailing around the sides, and the Skechers logo on the heel and side. The logo is visible but not huge. If you hate big branding, you’ll probably still be okay with these. The laces are thin fabric ones, easy enough to tie, and they stay in place; I haven’t had them randomly untie more than any normal shoe. One user mentioned being worried about the laces but ended up finding them good – I’m in the same camp: they look basic, but they work.

On foot, the shoes have a low profile and don’t make your feet look massive, which I appreciate. Some trainers in my usual size look like boats; these are more compact. The toe shape is round but not clownish, and the overall silhouette is clean. You can wear them without socks or with low-cut socks and they still look fine. With long trousers, they pass as casual office shoes easily, especially in this taupe colour that doesn’t scream “sport”.

If I had to nitpick, the design is a bit bland. There’s nothing really distinctive or stylish about them; they’re just “nice enough”. If you’re into fashion or want something that stands out, these will probably feel too basic. But if you want a safe, neutral shoe that doesn’t look cheap, the design gets the job done. It’s more about not getting it wrong than making a big style statement.

This is the main reason to buy these: comfort is genuinely very good for a casual shoe in this price range. The Air Cooled Memory Foam insole feels like stepping onto a soft mat. It’s not too squishy; you don’t sink in like a memory foam mattress, but there’s a clear cushion under your heel and forefoot. After a full day of walking around town – I’m talking 8–10k steps – my feet felt tired in a normal way, not sore or beaten up.

There’s moderate cushioning overall, which is about right for this type of shoe. If you’re used to running shoes with big foam midsoles, this will feel flatter, but compared to leather loafers or standard canvas sneakers, it’s a big step up. The flat heel and arch profile are clearly suited to people with neutral or flat arches. The spec even says “arch type: flat”, and you can feel that: there’s not much built-in arch support. For me (slightly flat feet), it works. If you need strong arch support or have plantar fasciitis, you might want to add your own insoles.

Breathability is good thanks to the textile upper and lining. I’ve worn them on warmer days and my feet didn’t overheat. You can even get away with wearing them barefoot for short trips; the lining is soft enough. With thin socks, they’re great. One reviewer compared them to walking in slippers, and that’s pretty accurate – they’re very light, and after a while you kind of forget you’re wearing them. That’s probably why people keep buying multiple pairs of the same model.

The only comfort downside for me is the long-term support. Because the sole is EVA and the shoe is so light, you don’t get that solid, planted feeling you get from a heavier shoe with a thicker rubber sole. If I wear them several days in a row doing a lot of walking, my legs feel a bit more worked than in proper walking trainers. So I’d say they’re excellent for casual, moderate walking and everyday life, but not something I’d use for back-to-back full tourist days over a week without rotating with something more supportive.

Let’s talk materials, because that’s where the strengths and weaknesses show up. The upper is mostly textile / canvas, with some soft suede bits depending on the colourway. It’s breathable and light, which is good for long days and warmer weather. The lining is also a soft, breathable fabric, so you don’t get that sticky plastic feeling some cheap shoes have. The insole is manmade with Air Cooled Memory Foam on top, and the sole is EVA (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate) with a rubbery outer layer.

In practice, the canvas upper feels comfortable from day one. No hard seams digging into my toes, no rubbing on the heel. The fabric has a bit of give, so if your foot swells slightly during the day (which happens to me when I walk a lot), the shoe doesn’t suddenly feel tight. The downside is that canvas doesn’t offer much structure or protection. If someone steps on your foot, you feel it. And they’re not water-resistant at all; any rain or puddles go straight through, so this is more of a dry-weather shoe.

The sole material is where I’m a bit mixed. EVA is light and cushioned, and it definitely helps with comfort. But it’s not as tough as a full rubber sole. One of the Amazon reviewers mentioned the sole wearing thin in about 6–7 months of use, and that lines up with what I expect from this type of material. You get that soft, cushy feel, but you pay for it in long-term durability. The grip is okay for normal pavements and indoor floors; I haven’t slipped, but I also wouldn’t trust these on wet grass or anything like that.

Overall, the materials feel decent for the price bracket – comfortable and light, but clearly built with everyday casual use in mind, not heavy-duty abuse. If you treat them as your main shoe in all conditions, you’ll probably see wear on the sole and the canvas faster than with a leather shoe and a thick rubber outsole. If you rotate them with other pairs and keep them mostly for dry days, they should hold up reasonably well.

Durability is where you feel the trade-off for all that comfort and lightness. The upper canvas on mine is holding up fine so far – no tearing, just some creasing where the toes bend, which is normal. Canvas will always show wear earlier than thick leather, but the stitching looks decent and nothing is coming apart yet. The colour also hides dirt fairly well; taupe is forgiving. And the fact that you can machine wash them is handy if they start to look tired, though I’d use a gentle cycle and air dry to avoid beating them up.

The real question mark is the EVA sole. This material is light and cushioned, but it tends to compress and wear down faster than a solid rubber sole. One Amazon review mentioned that the soles started to wear thin in about 6–7 months, which doesn’t surprise me. If you wear these every single day for long walks, you’ll probably see the heel and forefoot areas flatten and lose some grip over time. For me, wearing them a few times a week, I expect maybe 1.5–2 years of decent use before they look and feel tired.

Inside, the memory foam insole will also pack down a bit with time. Right now it still feels soft, but I can already feel some shaping to my foot. That’s normal, but it means the “new shoe” comfort will fade a bit over months. The good thing is that the shoe is flexible enough that even when the foam compresses, it should still be wearable with a replacement insole if you want to stretch their life.

So, durability is okay but not impressive. If you’re the type who buys one pair of shoes and expects them to last 3–4 years of daily wear, these probably won’t meet that expectation. If, like some reviewers, you’re fine replacing them every 1–2 years because the comfort and price work for you, then it’s a fair deal. They’re more like a very comfy consumable than a long-term investment piece.

In actual use, these shoes perform best as everyday, low-stress walkers. I’ve used them for commuting, casual office days, supermarket runs, and a couple of city trips where I walked several hours. On regular pavements and indoor floors, they feel stable enough, with decent grip from the contrasting rubber outsole. I haven’t had any scary slips on smooth tiles or wet supermarket floors so far. They flex easily when you walk, so your foot movement feels natural, not stiff.

For walking, they’re clearly tuned to comfort over everything else. The memory foam insole absorbs a good part of the impact, especially if you’re just doing 3–8k steps a day. I’ve done longer days in them – around 12–15k steps during a weekend trip – and while they held up, I started to feel the lack of strong arch support compared to proper walking trainers. For occasional long days they’re fine, but I wouldn’t rely on them as my only shoe for a two-week walking-heavy holiday unless you have pretty forgiving feet.

At work, they do the job nicely. They’re quiet (no squeaky soles), easy to slip on and off, and look casual but not sloppy. If your dress code is business formal, forget it, but for casual or smart-casual offices, they blend in. Standing for a couple of hours at a time is okay; again, that soft insole really helps. I can see why some reviewers say they feel like slippers – if your previous shoes were hard leather ones, the difference is pretty big.

Where they don’t perform as well is in bad weather and rough use. They’re not water resistant, so any serious rain and your socks are done. The canvas also picks up dirt faster than leather, although you can machine wash them, which is a plus. Also, based on my experience with EVA soles and what one reviewer said (soles wearing thin in under a year), I’d say they’re not built for daily heavy-duty walking over years. For light to moderate use, performance is solid. For hardcore use, you’ll probably wear through the sole faster than you’d like.

On paper, the Skechers Status 2.0 Pexton are sold as “boat shoes”, but in reality they’re more like casual canvas sneakers with a boat-shoe vibe. Mine are the taupe canvas version in size 8 UK. Out of the box, they look fairly simple: low profile, round toe, fabric laces, and a white contrasting sole. Nothing flashy, but that’s kind of the point – they’re shoes you can throw on with almost anything and not think about it.

The upper is a mix of vintage washed canvas and a bit of suede, with some stitching details and small Skechers logos. The branding is there but not screaming at you. You get a lace-up closure, standard eyelets, and in my box there was a spare pair of laces in a matching colour, which is a nice small bonus. They came well-shaped, no weird creases, and no strong chemical smell when I opened the box. Just that typical new-shoe scent that fades fast.

They’re classed as walking / everyday life shoes, and that’s accurate. You’re not going to run or hike in these; they’re made for pavements, shops, offices, airports, and holidays. The fit is true to size for me – I normally wear 8 UK in most brands, and 8 in these is spot on: enough room in the toe box, no heel slipping. People with wider feet should be okay too; the canvas has a bit of give and they don’t feel narrow.

Overall, in terms of what you actually get: a light pair of casual shoes, flat heel, round toe, soft lining, and a cushioned insole. No fancy tech apart from the memory foam, no waterproofing, no leather luxury feel. Just simple, functional shoes that lean more towards comfort than style, but still look clean enough for casual work settings.