Surprisingly, the Sperry Top-Sider® story begins with a cocker spaniel named Prince. On a raw winter day in New England when avid sailor and hobbyist inventor Paul Sperry let out his dog for its daily exercise he noticed that Prince was remarkably stable, even at a full run on the snow covered, icy crust.

An idea was born.

Paul raced back to his laboratory to begin working. Soon, with pieces of rubber, a razor blade and an ordinary sneaker, Paul had pieced together the prototype of the world's first boat shoe. Subsequent designs yielded the original Sperry Top-Sider now known as the Authentic Original.

Since that day back in 1935, Sperry Top-Sider has been a leading brand of footwear for those who love the water. From its introduction of the world's first siped rubber outsole for non-marking traction, to advanced technical fabrication to combat the elements, Sperry Top-Sider remains the vanguard of high-performance amphibious footwear. Sperry Top-Sider is the official footwear of the U.S. Sailing Team, Zodiac Academy, the World Billfish Series, and the Shimano Fishing Tour.