Boat shoe

A siping pattern is cut into the soles to provide grip on a wet deck; the leather construction, along with the application of oil, is designed to repel water; and the stitching is highly durable.

[1] Modern boat shoes were invented in 1935 by American Paul A. Sperry of New Haven, Connecticut after noticing his dog's ability to run easily over ice without slipping.

[3] Sailors use boat shoes, as the name suggests; however, since the 1970s they have become casual footwear in coastal areas of the Netherlands, the United States, Canada, Argentina, Australia, China, France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Germany and the United Kingdom.

[citation needed] Boat shoes are popular for school, church, and everyday wear.

Many schools with uniform requirements allow boat shoes to be worn as they are made in part or entirely of leather.