Summer is by far one of my favorite seasons for fashion. Bright colors, light breathable clothing, and best of all… Boat shoes.
With the first day of summer quickly approaching, I find myself pulling out last seasons boat shoes to pair with this seasons best. But before we get into that lets look into the history of these unsinkable yacht loafers.
Boat shoes were invented in 1935 by a leisurely gentleman by the name of Paul Sperry. One day he noticed his dogs ability to run easily over ice without slipping. Paul being the handy gentleman he is, pulled out his pocket knife and cut siping into the soles of his shoes. By doing this he created the perfect sole for decks of boats. With this the Sperry Top-Sider was born.
The main reasons i enjoy these shoes so much are:
- They are unbelievable comfortable
- They are the laziest foot attire I can wear while still looking classy.
All I have to do it put on a pair of shorts or chinos and a polo shirt and slide my feet into a pair of boat shoes and I am ready for a day on the patio. “dos beergarita’s por favor”. Also did i mention that they look fantastic? Well they do!
Currently I have a mix of both Sperry’s and Sebago’s. Now I am sure not everyone will agree with me when I say this, but I prefer the Sebago’s. I find them to be of higher quality and the styling is a tad more modern. Now with that being said, I still love my Sperry’s and will continue to buy both until they go out of style (never). To find out which ones work best for you. Take both brands for a test drive. Everyone has there own style and make sure you select the ones that suit you the best. You have a lot of options so they should be a reflection to your individual personality and style.
Alright.. Now we run into one problem with these shoes. Bare feet + Leather + Sweat = Stinky feet! This is a game that no leisurely gentleman wants to play. Th
ere are a few ways around this and I am going to tell you how.
Option 1: Spray the inside of your shoe with leather protectant. This way the moisture from your feet will not absorb into the leather on the inside of the shoe. No sweat equals no bacteria and brings us to the final point… No smell
Option 2: These little life saver socks called Mocc Socks from MS and Co. These basically give you all the luxuries of socks without anyone noticing you are wearing any. It is a win-win in my books.
Option 3: For really stinky feet, use Options 1 and 2.
And there you have it. Say no to sandals unless you are planning a day on the beach and say yes to the boat shoe. You won’t regret it!
Leisurely Yours,
Gabriel
Sebago’s Website
Sperry Top-Sider’s Website
I love those grey & red boat shoes! What brand are they and do you know if they are still available?
Thanks!
Cathy
Hi Kathy,
Those are Sperry Topsiders. Unfortunately, We haven’t been able to find them anywhere. We will keep on the lookout and let you know if we can track some down.
Bryan
PS- Great taste in boat shoes
Where can i find these grey and red boat shoes in this picture?
Hi Nick, See the reply above.
I believe those are actually Docksiders based on the tag hanging on the side. Those aren’t on Sperry’s.