Many of these reviews mention that some of the newer Sperry Top-Sider Originals have soles that are slippery on wet surfaces, including the boat decks for which they were designed. I visited the retail store at Century City Shopping Center in Los Angeles on 2nd August 2013 and mentioned this issue to the clerk, because I have a pair of slippery ones that I had purchased at Nordstroms. The clerk said bring them in and get a store credit! He said there was a manufacturer who made many soles with an incorrect rubber formula and Sperry will replace such shoes with new ones that are not slippery when wet.

So ignoring the slippery soles issue I will review the original Top-Siders and say they are still a great shoe to wear with or without a boat, and always without socks, and they are still very comfortable and absolutely washable inside and out. While I also have the Gold Cup type with the extra impact absorbing sole etc., and those are less tiring on a long walk or for standing on concrete all day, I have to say the look of the Originals is just better, more cool and stylish. The uppers are shorter and expose more instep than on the Gold Cups and the original leather insole without the memory foam and smooth leather is less sticky and keeps you cooler on a hot day.

So unless you walk with a big heavy slap of the foot or a heel jam, which you really should not do anyway, the minimalist Originals are still as great as they always were, and so addictive that you always want to wear them. They are also a healthy alternative to flip-flops which can cause foot and back problems if worn all the time. Top-Siders are fine in very hot weather, so unless you need to have tanned toes, dump the flip-flops and use your Sperrys.

Finally, in case you don't know, you can wash your Originals with mild soap and water and dry them in front of a room fan and have them back in service, completely clean inside and out, in about an hour.