do you by any chance own a boat?

don't even live near water

i have plaidish ones

they have holes for water to drain out. so useful

i haven't worn deck shoes since high school, when i sailed on a regular basis, but if i were to get them again it would HAVE to be the classic white sole, brown shoe, with natural ties.

Ummmm....1985 called and they want their shoes back!!!

no, the captain called, he wants them back

yeah, i don't think i got rid of mine until 1987, though.

and they were moldy. river water + leather = .....

If you wear those shoes, you are required to frequent places like this
.

I'm very disappointed that 80s fashions are back. Let's look forward, instead.

lb's right if you're wearing these shoes as part of a series of fashion decisions. but i expect there are places along the east coast - stinky fish-smelling places with oyster shell roads - where these shoes are still common. when it comes down to it, they're good, functional shoes when used for the purpose for which they were designed.

the top sider was invented in the 1930's so it's hardly an 80's fashion item. until other types of water shoes were introduced in the late 80's, the top sider was really the only choice for those needing a non-slip, non-marking shoe (which if you spend any time on a boat or dock is a very good thing). that said, most hard-core boaters like myself have moved on to more modern shoes. as great as the top sider soles are, the leather uppers are pretty nasty when wet. I think most top siders today are sold to landlubbers or wannabe's.

yeah landlubbers thats me. i used to only wear converse and then the chicks started wearin them. so i changed to vans slip ons. same thing with the chicks and posers. so then i went to top siders and it took a while for the chicks and posers to catch up but i like them lots so i'll just deal with it. i moved towns anyway.

the trifecta

Ha. I sit down after taking my GRE to check the nect, and phuyaka has identified half of my wardrobe.

tanquerary is where it's at. however i don't second the pink shorts.

Don't they need to have white bottoms to be Official Top-Siders?
Hence the scuff-free Boat deck?

eastcoastarch03, Nantucket Red is a FAR cry from pink. It's not even close to salmon, either.

I am the man from Nantucket.

the make excellent flip flops - I own a couple pair. The top siders were standard issue in high school (catholic boys school, you can imagine the rest)

My husband is from the coast north of boston and his entire family still wears sperry top siders, chino shorts and drink G&T's everyday! They are definitely not out of style in New England!
In fact I even own a pair. but they're a joke, part of an old Halloween

haha bridgetown, that's the area I'm from originally. Unfortunately, I wasn't as lucky as many of the families that populate the area (all of who's last names are they same as the founding father's, i.e. a lot of Adams, Winthrops, etc), every once in awhile I'd end up as a function where'd they'd be grouped, talking about polo, nautical knots, breitling watches, and being superior. Then I would have to bring them more shrimp cocktail appetizers on a tray and act nice.

i'm sure it wouldn't DO to TALK about being superior. you just are or you aren't.

; )

I love to see long hairs wearing cowboy boots in "The City"...
Howdy Partner, did ya leave yor harse at the Met?

those shoes are birth control

phuyaka, I'm sure you would have overheard them talking about those things. It is so unbecoming to fraternize with the help.

**Read the above out loud like you were Thurston J. Howell III:

Here's a quick self portrait of me and my Top-Siders:



Also sporting the Nantucket Red hat.