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The Sperry Top-Sider was originally invented back in 1935. Paul Sperry, the creator of the shoe had been sailing when he accidentally slipped and fell off his boat. After he had pulled himself back on board his sailboat, he had decided there was a need for slip-resistant boating shoes.
As he experimented with many different designs, he eventually settled on a unique pattern that was inspired by the paws of his beloved cocker spaniel. He noticed that his dog was able to run up and down icy hills without ever slipping, and so he shaped the sole of the Sperry Top-Sider to mimic this pattern.
Top-Siders And The U.S. Naval Academy
The boat shoe became an instant success and was proven to be very adept at providing traction even out at sea. The original design came in a canvas top with a herringbone tread. Later, a leather version of the Sperry Top-Sider would also be developed.
Everything changed in 1939 when the United States Navy sought to provide the shoe as part of the Naval Academy uniform. After heavy negotiations, the increase in production meant that Sperry would have to sell the Top-Sider to the US Rubber Company. The brand would later be purchased from the US Rubber Company, along with Keds by Stride Rite in 1979.
80s Sperry Top-Siders
Realizing the potential of the Sperry Top-Sider, Stride Rite wasted no time in marketing the shoe for casual wear. By 1985, advertisements for the Top-Sider began appearing in magazines around the country.
