For more than 70 years, Sperry Top-Siders have been an icon of classic American style. Sperry shoes are the very essence of casual fashion with nautical flair, a representation of Americans’ long love affair with the sea. Whether you’re looking for reliable traction in wet environments or an instantly recognizable symbol of good taste, you can’t go wrong with Sperry.
It all started with lifelong sailor and Navy veteran Paul Sperry. When rough seas, a slick deck, and inadequate footwear almost cost Paul his life, he became determined to find a solution that would keep sailors safe. In 1935, Paul had an unexpected breakthrough: while watching his dog dash effortlessly across an expanse of ice, he realized that his answer lay in the dog’s paws. Carving grooves that mimicked the bottom of a dog’s paw into a rubber sole led to Paul’s very first boat shoe. Sperry Top-Siders have been saving lives—and making a timeless fashion statement—ever since. By World War II, the Sperry boat shoe was so renowned that the U.S. War Department named it one of the official shoes of the Navy, and when JFK was photographed wearing Sperry shoes on his sailboat, the Top-Sider was established as an enduring classic.
Today, Sperry Top-Siders (also called A/Os or Authentic Originals) are worn and loved all over the world by seafarers and style icons alike. Alongside their iconic boat shoe, Sperry also offers oxfords, lace-ups, sneakers, rain boots, chukkas, and flats for men and women. No matter which style you choose, when you slip into a Sperry shoe, you’re wearing an American legend.
