Boat shoes (also known as deck shoes) are typically canvas or leather with non-marking rubber soles designed for use on a boat. A siping pattern is cut into the soles to provide grip on a wet deck; the leather construction, along with the application of oil, is designed to repel water; and the stitching is highly durable. Boat shoes are traditionally worn without

socks A sock is a piece of clothing worn on the feet and often covering the ankle or some part of the calf. Some types of shoes or boots are typically worn over socks. In ancient times, socks were made from leather or matted animal hair. In the late ...

History

Modern boat shoes were invented in 1935 by American Paul A. Sperry of

New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134 ...

after noticing his dog's ability to run easily over ice without slipping. Using a knife, he cut siping into his shoes' soles, inspiring a shoe perfect for boating and a company called

Sperry Top-Sider Sperry or Sperry Top-Sider is an American brand of boat shoe designed in 1935 by Paul A. Sperry. Sperrys, or Top-Siders, were the first boat shoes introduced into the boating and footwear markets. Today the Sperry brand is owned by Wolverine Worl ...

. Sperry Top-Siders are still a popular brand of boat shoe today, among many others, including Boatman Shoes, Portside, Sebago and Timberland. Boat shoes are worn by both women and men. Boat shoes are used by sailors, as the name suggests; however, since the 1970s they have become casual footwear in coastal areas of the

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, the

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, Australia, China,

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and the

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. Some boat shoes today have traditional white, non-marking soles, though many others today have dark non-marking soles. They usually have a ''moc-toe'' (like a

moccasin A moccasin is a shoe, made of deerskin or other soft leather, consisting of a sole (made with leather that has not been "worked") and sides made of one piece of leather, stitched together at the top, and sometimes with a vamp (additional panel o ...

) construction. They are usually seen as somewhat of a status symbol (boat shoes suggest ownership of a boat with a deck large enough to walk around on). In the 1980s through to the early 1990s, they became a fashion trend and returned in 2007-2008 and the 2010s. They were worn with every day and dress wear by boys, girls, men and women. The fashion was widely popular from upper elementary to college age in many countries. They are sometimes worn with socks, especially low-cut, ankle socks or crew socks in white or bright neon and pastel colors. In the 80s to early 90s they were worn with

slouch socks Slouch socks (slouchy socks) are a type of sock featuring a heavy non-elastic upper that may be pushed down into heavy folds around the ankles or pulled up to the knee In humans and other primates, the knee joins the thigh with the leg and c ...

, often with tight rolled/French rolled jeans to show off the

. Sebago,

Sperry Top-Siders Sperry or Sperry Top-Sider is an American brand of boat shoe designed in 1935 by Paul A. Sperry. Sperrys, or Top-Siders, were the first boat shoes introduced into the boating and footwear markets. Today the Sperry brand is owned by Wolverine World ...

and Eastland were the most popular brands then (and have remained so through the 2008 into the 2010s revival). Boat shoes are a common component of the preppy fashion and associated lifestyle. Many schools with uniform requirements allow boat shoes.

References

External links

* {{Footwear Shoes History of fashion American inventions