December 20th 2010
Favourite Footwear for 2010 | Women’s Sperry Top – Sider
I don’t have that sixth sense for fashion like some of my friends, but I always manage somehow with the use of a few secret sources to put it together. I’m simple, I love T-shirts, jeans, polo shirts, running shoes, etc…I’m not a label whore, but I love vintage pieces that will survive the test of time. From time to time I like to comment or write about things that caught my eye. Fashion is different for everyone ladies and gentlemen. It’s not necessarily about what’s trending. It’s about what caught my eye!! Today I was shopping for shoes. Generally I’m pretty conservative so I was looking for something comfortable, fairly new on the market & trendy in this case. My first stop as usual was Getoutside shoes on Queen St | Toronto | ON. I was greeted by a cool dude named “Vince”. Vince knew a little about every shoe in the store. I have heard of Sperry’s, but never knew what the story on them was …that’s always important to me.
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Durable Comfort
- Genuine Hand-Sewn Tru-Moc Construction
- 360° Lacing System with Rust Proof Eyelets & Signature Rawhide Laces
- Added Comfort with Shock Absorbing EVA Heel Cup
- Non-Marking Rubber Outsole with Wave-Siping™ for Ultimate Wet/Dry Traction
Now if you don’t know what all this means that’s cool because neither did I before I went into Getouside Shoes on Queen St | Toronto | ON.The Story | Sperry Top-Sider is a brand of boat shoe designed in 1935 by Paul Sperry, older brother of author/illustrator Armstrong Sperry. The Top-Siders were the first boat shoes introduced into the boating market and have never left. Sperry was an avid boater who, like most boaters, risked injury while walking on the slippery deck of his boat. His successful design was inspired by the pattern of grooves or cracks on his dog’s feet and combined a leather upper-shoe with a herringbone pattern of grooves on the sole. The cutting of grooves in the sole of the Top-Sider was an implementation of a process of splitting or siping a shoe sole invented and patented in the 1920s by John Sipe.Sperry’s shoe quickly became popular with boaters not only for its non-slip sole, but also for its white color, which prevented the shoe from leaving marks on a boat’s deck. The shoe remained a niche product until 1939 when the U.S Navy negotiated the right to manufacture the shoe for its sailors. As a result of the Navy contract, Sperry’s business was purchased by the U.S. Rubber Co., which then marketed the shoe across the country.The brand is owned by Collective Brands Inc. Performance and Lifestyle Group, formerly Stride Rite Corp. The brand currently uses the advertising slogan “A Passion for the Sea”. Sperry product still features its signature non-slip soles.Today, the boat shoe remains popular with younger generations. East coast fashion is often seen incorporating the shoe as well.
I must say that these Sperrys are the most comfy shoes that I’ve bought in a long time. They’re light, well ventilated and extremely comfortable.
