A kind of American version of the Original Playboys, Bates Floaters from the Wolverine Shoe Corp had a similar profile to the playboy but with a man made cushion sole. Often featuring a shearling or mock shearling inner, they were featured as comfort shoes or more commonly bad weather or apres-ski boots.
The brand still exists but like most other vintage American products is now but a pale imitation of the original concept. Quite nasty, in fact.
UPDATE: Just had a great email in from Joe B with this background info on Bates Floaters:
Hi, your information on Bates Floaters is a bit off. The company that made them, Bates Shoes, was based in Webster, Mass. They made the original floaters, which competed with Hush Puppies. the styles you liked (me, too) were when bates was an independent. They peaked in the mid-1960s, I think. My father was a shoe retailer in New York and he carried several dozens styles and colors then. They had cushion crepe soles. They also had a line of chukka boots that competed with the original Clarks Desert Boot. They also sold winter, fur-lined boots, including a quite popular zip-up boot with flags icons from Innsbruck and Zermatt. They were sold sometime in the mid-1970s to Wolverine, which owned Hush Puppies. That’s when the decline of the Floaters started.
Got plenty of other shoe info if you need!
Cheers–
Joe
