This year, Sperry Top-Sider, the iconic boat brand, is celebrating their 75^th anniversary as the favorite footwear of those with a passion for the sea.

The brand’s birth can be traced back to a wintry day in 1935 when sailor Paul Sperry watched his cocker spaniel, Prince, run across a frozen pond by his Connecticut home.  Mr. Sperry noticed his dog’s amazing ability to maintain traction on the slippery surface.  He examined Prince’s paw and observed hundreds of tiny cracks and cuts going in all directions.  These wave-like grooves became the inspiration for Mr. Sperry’s latest patent, called Razor-Siping™, and were instrumental in maximizing the traction and performance of the Authentic Original Sperry Top-Sider first introduced in 1935.

To celebrate their 75th birthday, Sperry Top-Sider is releasing an anniversary collection from the archives that features the original outsole Paul Sperry carved onto his sneaker to mimic nature’s ingenious design of Prince’s paw.  This collection is being offered in limited edition shoeboxes that are replicas of the original packaging the first shoes were sold in.

More images below from the 75th anniversary collection…

SPERRY TOP SIDER

J.CREW