Since 1935, the Sperry Top-Sider has been in production revolutionizing the boat shoe. Paul Sperry invented the first boat shoe after needing better traction while out at sea. He noticed his dog had exceptional balance on the slippery wet surface, and modeled the shoe after this design. After looking over his dog’s paws, he noticed they contained wavy patterns. And thus, the boat shoe was born with those exact waves incorporated in the blue prints for the first ever Sperry Top-Sider.

What I love most about the boat shoe is its versatility; you can dress them up to a wedding, wear them on a night out on the town or use them for what they were intended for, boating. The best part is that brands from Gucci to Sebago put their own spin on the boat shoe, so you have the best variety to choose from. Boat shoes come in a slew of materials such as canvas, leather and even wool (perfect for the fall season). The color ways for boat shoes are another characteristic that set them apart from your typical shoe, coming in solid colors to patterns to tie-dye.

The boat shoe has managed to stay relevant through the years because of its simplicity. They symbolize cleanliness, comfort and class, and because of that will be relevant for another 70 years. In fashion purchasing, something that will be “in” for a year is typical, so to purchase something you could be stylish your whole life with is priceless.

Over the years, however, the boat shoe has seen its fair share of collaborations with everyone from A Bathing Ape to Band of Outsiders. It doesn’t stop there either. The design has been changed and evolved to stay relevant even in the colder months, such as the chukka and the boot style. It’s great that companies are putting their own tweak on the boat shoe with the style now gaining more momentum than ever. I can’t wait to see what fusion happens next.