After falling overboard and into the ocean, Paul Sperry didn’t blame the slippery ship deck — he blamed his shoes. He set out to create a non-slip shoe ready to take on soaked decks and the boat shoe as we know it today was born in 1935. His brand has been the go-to brand ever since for nautical footwear and a staple of preppy style. Now, its latest release infuses a wabi-sabi mindset into its shoes with patina-ready natural vegetable-tanned leather.
Part of its premium Cloud collection, the release features four shoes with full-grain leather linings and footbeds for both durability and comfort. While the two sneakers feature vulcanized rubber construction and siped soles — the invention that made Sperry a success — the boat shoe and the tassel loafer stand on thick Vibram soles with welted construction.
But, the highlight of the collection has to be the uppers. All four shoes in the collection are made using natural, undyed vegetable-tanned leather. Because it’s left in its natural, undyed state, the leather starts out light pink. But with wear, exposure to the sun and gathering of oils over time, the leather will drastically change and form a deep patina that’s unique to you. Think of it like raw denim — you wear it in and achieve your own fades.
Courtesy SperryCloud Authentic Original 3-Eye Boat Shoe
Courtesy SperryCloud CVO Deck Sneaker
Courtesy SperryCloud Chancla Sneaker
Courtesy Sperry