Boat shoes are light leather (or suede) shoes with a characteristic lacing that runs around through eyelets and ties at the side, and a white non-slip sole. They were invented by Paul Sperry in the 1930s specially for yachtsmen: the special siping on the sole did not slip on a wet deck, and the water-repellent-treated leather withstood damp. From yachting footwear boat shoes became a classic of preppy and nautical style, a symbol of relaxed, aristocratic summer leisure. They are traditionally worn barefoot with chinos or shorts. Boat shoes are leather deck shoes with a non-slip sole and characteristic side lacing, in which functional yachting roots combine with the preppy aesthetic of relaxed aristocratic summer that made them a classic of nautical and everyday style.
