It's the season for open-backs, and Timberland's rather abruptly named Mule Vibram is right on trend.

Timberland's Mule Vibram lives up to its name as a mule with a Vibram sole. But it also looks like a top-off remix of Timberland's 3-Eye Lug Boat shoe. So, it's really a boat shoe mule.

The all-leather prep shoe has three-hole lacing and loafer-like padding at the front as per usual, but now it sits atop a lugged Vibram outsole. That added grip and traction are sure to come in handy for any slippery boat days or White Lotus cosplays, assuming you don’t need heel security. They do love a good boat moment, don't they?

Boat shoes that clack to the beat of their own drum have become a recent hallmark of Timberland’s footwear offering.

In March, Japanese label Hender Scheme turned Timberland's boat shoe into a glossy, fringed-out dock-stepper. It was part loafer, part moccasin, all luxe.

Last year, Timberland and END. released a woven suede boat shoe that may be texturally concerning for actual boat days (suede and salt water? IDK), but it is hands down one of the most stylish boat shoes out there.

This means a lot, considering five years ago, I wouldn't have even thought to put "intriguing" and "boat shoe" in the same sentence.

And lest we forget Packer’s wildly western collaborative Timberland boat shoe, done up to look like a rough-ridin’ cowboy boot? The Yee-haw agenda prevails.

Preppy staples, like these deliciously backless boat shoes, have entered their come-up season. From Vans to Miu Miu, brands of all calibers are busy reviving the boat shoe's name.

Timberland's loafer offerings are especially key in upsetting fratty stigmas of prep-style fashion, sailing the humble boat shoe towards a brighter future.