Sperry has quite the reputation for making and inventing the classic leather boat shoe, so somehow “athletic footwear” just doesn’t come to my mind when I hear the brand come up.
Yet, Sperry just released the 7 Seas, a new waterproof performance shoe that is supposedly their shoe of the summer.
Skeptical that Sperry could actually make a performance shoe I liked, I gave it a try and…
was pleasantly surprised.
As you can see from the fact that I can dance in it, the shoe is incredibly flexible and surprisingly lightweight {seriously, this shoe feels like nothing}! In my opinion, one of the worst parts of athletic footwear is how clunky and heavy they can feel on your feet, so this was a huge plus for me.
Sperry boasts that the shoe is completely waterproof and quick draining. It does dream extremely quickly, however I feel as if the dry time is normal. It’s important to note one design flaw. The perforated vent in the back of the shoe does start turning a little bit yellow as the shoe gets in more and more water. I’m honestly a little unsure why that happens.
I do really appreciate that this shoe has 360 degree lacing for a more custom fit, however the 360 lacing is done in two very thin pieces of elastic, from my experience, that type of elastic doesn’t hold well for an extended amount of time, but hopefully their technical designers have done their research on that.
As far as the bottom of the show goes, I couldn’t be more impressed. The bottom of the shoe is composed of grip pods, and the entire sole {including the grip pods} has the razor siping that’s in the bottom of all their boat shoes, as well. The entire ground when I took this photo was covered in slush, snow, and ice, yet I still managed to be able to stay in one place for the shot!
STYLE OPTIONS: This shoe has two different styles: The 7 Seas and the 7 Seas Sport. The 7 Seas is lace-up with 360 degree lacing. The 7 Seas Sport is also lace up, but is technically a slip on and doesn’t have the 360 degree lacing. From a style standpoint, I much prefer the 7 Seas Sport, however I think the 7 Seas makes more sense functionality-wise {especially if you’re me and have really narrow feet}. The normal 7 Seas also comes in both women’s and men’s, and they look essentially the same.
HOW IT RUNS: For some reason this shoe runs kind of wide. I took my normal size in Sperry, but honestly, I could’ve gone down a half size and still been fine.
THE BOTTOM LINE: While this shoe does have a couple of downfalls {the perforated vent turning yellow, weak elastic}, the shoe still is really comfortable and so so lightweight. For those reasons alone, I think it justifies the $89.95 price, especially when compared to it’s counterparts {Nike, Adidas, etc.}.
Below I’ve linked both the 7 Seas and 7 Seas Sport in a couple of the many color options for you!
Is it ideal for everyday use? I am planning to buy this shoe but conflicted if it is ideal for everyday walk (which normally doesn't involve water/beach). Thanks!
Completely! They're so so comfortable and I actually wear them most just doing some light exercising than I do around the water!
how has the sport held up? do you use it for trail running and or hiking? im traveling to thailand and bali and will be going to khao sok, chiang mai, and bali where i’ll be outdoors alot and in amphibious environments so im hoping to just bring one shoe that i can wear for hiking mt. batur and doi inthanon, jungle trekking, trail running, and waterfall exploring, and really just walking around. would you recommend?
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Hi! They hold up overall really well.I would say you could *probably* use this as a hiking shoe, just keep in mind that it is a relatively thin shoe. They would be fantastic for amphibious environments and waterfall exploring as they were designed to be a hybrid shoe. I personally wouldn’t recommend these for any sort of running. I like them for dance on different terrains, however they don’t have enough support for running in my opinion.
Hi Eva, thank you for giving the pros and cons. I am planning to buy the white one. However, I am thinking if the dirt is easy to wash away and the downside of turning yellow. Do you think it is wise to buy white? I plan to use it in going to gym classes. Thank you in advance, Eva!