As Paul Sperry watched his cocker spaniel, Prince, run across the ice on a winter's day in Connecticut, he noticed his dog's amazing ability to maintain traction on the slippery surface. Turning over Prince's paw, he 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. Since inventing the first boat shoe, our brand continues to share our "Passion for the Sea" with those who enjoy the good life in, on and around the ocean.