You can repair a broken pair of Sperry shoes to restore their look and improve your comfort. Leather boat shoes like Sperry Topsiders are popular among the yachting and country club crowd and are often considered a staple of preppy style. Some Sperry shoe wearers develop a special relationship with their broken-in pair of soft leather boat shoes. Get more wear from your favorite pair of Sperry shoes by making minor or major repairs to enhance their functionality.
Remove the insole and leather laces from the Sperry shoes, if they are still intact. Some older models of Sperry shoes have leather soles that are not removable. Laces that break apart when they are pulled may require needle nose pliers to remove every last piece.
Apply a few drops of liquid dish soap to a moistened brush and clean all the surfaces of the Sperry shoes. Add a few more drops of liquid dish soap and rinse the brush with hot water to develop a good lather on the shoes.
Rinse the shoes under hot running water to wash away all the soap residue. Pat the Sperry shoes dry with a clean towel and set them to dry out completely in a warm place that is out of direct sunlight. Insert adjustable shoe trees to keep the drying leather from shrinking as it dries.
Replace lost stitching on the shoe using matching color upholstery thread. Reuse the holes created by the original threading as much as possible. A thimble is helpful when pushing the needle through two layers of leather.
Lace the Sperry shoes with a new set of matching color, squared leather laces and slide in a pair of new padded insoles. Cut universal insoles to size with a pair of scissors for a comfortable fit. Tie the laces before trimming away excess length.
Condition the leather with a leather treatment product according to the manufacturers directions. Some conditions are designed to restore a specific color to leather. Select the leather product that is right for your shoes by consulting a shoe store or shoe repair shop with the shoes in hand.