Blog 6, Revised Definition Paper, Shoes on Water

Shannon O’Malley December 14, 2012

Boat Shoes Mrs. Basko  

Shoes on Water

Everybody wears them, and if not, it’s on everyone’s holiday and birthday list. Thousands of stores sell these magnificent shoes. Sperry sells them, Famous Footwear sells them, Zappos.com sells them even Macys sells them. They are everywhere. They are everyone’s desire.

What possibly could that be?

The famous boat shoe.

Originally,boat shoes were typically canvas or leather with non-marking rubber soles designed for use on a boat. Today, this shoe is not worn on boats, but rather a casual shoe that people wear with shorts, jeans, and occasionally dressier outfits. There ought to be a design for everyone, whether it’s Bahama style, Billfish style, Women’s Pelican Too Black Quilted, Bluefish, Leopard, Angelfish, shiny, striped, plain, textured or even boots, shoes, rain boots, slippers, men’s shoes or women’s shoes, there’s one out there. This design was a brilliant invention that changed the way deck crews operated.

What is a boat shoe? According to Dictionary.com the formal definition of a boat shoe is

1. A type of loafer with a flexible rubber heel and sole to provide good traction on boat decks.

2. A siping pattern is cut into the soles to provide grip on a wet deck, the leather construction, along with application of oil, is designed to repel water, and the stitching is highly durable. Boat shoes are traditionally worn without socks.

Obviously the most common intended use for these shoes was for sailors, however since the 1980s they have become fashional footwear in America, the UK, Argentina and France. Although they had a popularity boom in the 1980s, the acutal boat shoe was invented in 1935 by a man names Paul Sperry.

His invention was sparked when he witnessed his dog’s ability to run across ice without slipping. Using a knife he chiseled away at the soles of his shoes and created a non-slipping grip. His white color also prevented marks from being left behind on the deck. His inspiring idea sparked another idea to create a shoe company called Sperry Top-Sider, which remains as one of the top shoe companys today.

These fantastic shoes can be worn with any outfit, which is what makes these the perfect shoe. Wheather they are worn with long pants, jeans or not, capris or even shorts, these shoes are a perfect match. Infact these shoes are so popular they were named the 2009 Brand of the Year. In the same year, Sperry opened its first five retail stores with locations in Tampa, Florida, Orlando, Florida, Boca Raton, Florida, Kansas City, Missouri and Dallas, Texas; in November 2010, the brand opened stores in Burlington, Massachusetts, Houston, and Westchester, New York.

Popularity has made boat shoes one of the most successful shoes created.