As first spotted by Hypebeast, Sperry and Beams Plus are at it again, revisiting one of the most quietly influential sneakers ever made.
The CVO (Circular Vamp Oxford) isn’t just a relic of early casual footwear — it’s a design that helped shape both modern deck shoes and military-issued sneakers, earning its place as one of the most foundational silhouettes of the 20th century.
This latest collaboration doesn’t just nod to that history — it leans into it. While past iterations have often emphasized the shoe’s clean, off-white canvas origins, this release pushes the CVO further into its military lineage, even if it means straying from the exact look of the originals.
Refining an icon
The CVO’s origin story is often flattened into military lore, but it actually starts on the water.
As well-trod origin story goes, Paul Sperry first developed his non-slip rubber outsole for civilian boating in the 1930s after a harrowing experience slipping off his own boat at night.
That same grippy foundation and pared-down canvas construction were later adapted into the CVO and pitched to the U.S. Navy, where it would see widespread use during World War II.
In the decades since, that DNA has been reinterpreted countless times. Sperry has revisited the model repeatedly, including previous collaborations with Beams Plus, while a wide range of brands have chased the same stripped-down formula — from Anatomica’s Wakouwa deck shoes to The Real McCoy’s faithful reproductions.
Even newer interpretations like Sperry’s Japan-made CVOs underscore just how enduring — and imitated — the silhouette remains.
