Last time that Vans' loafer-ish boat shoe came up, it was part of an overseas pre-order announcement. Cool but distant, a mere tease of a skate-ish shoe we may never get to slip our feet into this side of the globe.

Now that the rollout's actually hitting stores in Japan, it was hard to resist taking a closer look at these bad boys to understand just how viable a competitor Vans' boat shoe could become to ye olde Timberlands or Sperrys. Spoiler alert: Pretty viable.

Compared to its sibling products, the Vans 2 EYELET is among the preppiest sneakers in the Vans arsenal though it does fall right in line with some of the company's recent pivots toward slightly fancier footwear.

Think of those Bottega-fied Vans, the suede loafer lookalikes, or even that ridiculously functional rucksack pair if you need a refresher, all of which veered away from the Californian brand's classic skate styles.

Both the rich brown and the elegant black leathers lend a welcome but unusual formalness to these Vans, with distinct-enough qualities to distinguish them from other Vans and other boat shoes.

Actual moccasins, not mock-assins, you know?

Though Vans 2 EYELET model's crocodile HOUYHNHNM-collab from way back when might've been a tad too out-there, the simplified variations could easily rival your better known boat shoe makers, if only Vans ever made them more widely available (and same for the skate loafer and the other great Vans Japan sneakers).

So, "Vans, ahoy!" when?