diff --git a/cache.go b/cache.go
index 065b8d6..3127ca0 100644
--- a/cache.go
+++ b/cache.go
@@ -37,6 +37,43 @@ func (c *cache) registerConverter(value interface{}, converterFunc Converter) {
 	c.regconv[reflect.TypeOf(value)] = converterFunc
 }
 
+// pathIter is used to iterate over the dotted notation argument to (*cache).parsePath.
+// internally it utilizes strings.Cut to minimize allocations and garbage generated.
+//
+// this should be used with a for loop as:
+//
+//	var it pathIter
+//	for key, ok := it.start(path); ok; key, ok = it.advance() {}
+type pathIter struct {
+	rest      string
+	lastFound bool
+}
+
+// start initializes the iteration, and returns the first key.
+func (p *pathIter) start(path string) (string, bool) {
+	// init the iter for the first call to next, so that the first call will either
+	// cut on "." and return the "before", or it will return path if it does not contain
+	// ".".
+	p.rest = path
+	p.lastFound = true
+	return p.next()
+}
+
+// advance advances the iteration to the next key.
+func (p *pathIter) advance() (string, bool) {
+	return p.next()
+}
+
+// next should only be used by (*pathIter).start and (*pathIter).advance. it will cut p.rest,
+// and return the "before", storing the "after" for the subsequent call.
+func (p *pathIter) next() (key string, ok bool) {
+	var found bool
+	key, p.rest, found = strings.Cut(p.rest, ".")
+	ok = found || p.lastFound
+	p.lastFound = found
+	return key, ok
+}
+
 // parsePath parses a path in dotted notation verifying that it is a valid
 // path to a struct field.
 //
@@ -48,41 +85,48 @@ func (c *cache) parsePath(p string, t reflect.Type) ([]pathPart, error) {
 	var field *fieldInfo
 	var index64 int64
 	var err error
-	parts := make([]pathPart, 0)
-	path := make([]string, 0)
-	keys := strings.Split(p, ".")
-	for i := 0; i < len(keys); i++ {
+	// pre-allocate parts and path using the number of ".".
+	// path will be appended to every valid element of the path, but parts will
+	// only be appended to for each slice of struct.
+	n := strings.Count(p, ".")
+	if n == 0 { // note: go1.21 max()
+		n = 1
+	}
+	parts := make([]pathPart, 0, n)
+	path := make([]string, 0, n)
+	var it pathIter
+	for key, ok := it.start(p); ok; key, ok = it.advance() {
 		if t.Kind() != reflect.Struct {
 			return nil, errInvalidPath
 		}
 		if struc = c.get(t); struc == nil {
 			return nil, errInvalidPath
 		}
-		if field = struc.get(keys[i]); field == nil {
+		if field = struc.get(key); field == nil {
 			return nil, errInvalidPath
 		}
 		// Valid field. Append index.
 		path = append(path, field.name)
 		if field.isSliceOfStructs && (!field.unmarshalerInfo.IsValid || (field.unmarshalerInfo.IsValid && field.unmarshalerInfo.IsSliceElement)) {
 			// Parse a special case: slices of structs.
-			// i+1 must be the slice index.
+			// next key must be the slice index.
 			//
 			// Now that struct can implements TextUnmarshaler interface,
 			// we don't need to force the struct's fields to appear in the path.
 			// So checking i+2 is not necessary anymore.
-			i++
-			if i+1 > len(keys) {
+			key, ok = it.advance()
+			if !ok {
 				return nil, errInvalidPath
 			}
-			if index64, err = strconv.ParseInt(keys[i], 10, 0); err != nil {
+			if index64, err = strconv.ParseInt(key, 10, 0); err != nil {
 				return nil, errInvalidPath
 			}
 			parts = append(parts, pathPart{
-				path:  path,
+				path:  path[:len(path):len(path)], // note: go1.21 slices.Clip()
 				field: field,
 				index: int(index64),
 			})
-			path = make([]string, 0)
+			path = path[len(path):]
 
 			// Get the next struct type, dropping ptrs.
 			if field.typ.Kind() == reflect.Ptr {
@@ -104,10 +148,11 @@ func (c *cache) parsePath(p string, t reflect.Type) ([]pathPart, error) {
 	}
 	// Add the remaining.
 	parts = append(parts, pathPart{
-		path:  path,
+		path:  path[:len(path):len(path)], // note: go1.21 slices.Clip()
 		field: field,
 		index: -1,
 	})
+	parts = parts[:len(parts):len(parts)] // note: go1.21 slices.Clip()
 	return parts, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/decoder_test.go b/decoder_test.go
index d01569e..1b0768a 100644
--- a/decoder_test.go
+++ b/decoder_test.go
@@ -2527,3 +2527,68 @@ func TestDecoder_SetMaxSize(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	})
 }
+
+type keyvalue struct {
+	Key   string
+	Value string
+}
+
+type sliceOfStructInput struct {
+	Attributes []keyvalue
+	Tags       []keyvalue
+}
+
+func BenchmarkSliceOfStruct(b *testing.B) {
+	d := NewDecoder()
+	v := map[string][]string{
+		"Attributes.0.Key":   {"foo0"},
+		"Attributes.0.Value": {"bar0"},
+		"Attributes.1.Key":   {"foo1"},
+		"Attributes.1.Value": {"bar1"},
+		"Attributes.2.Key":   {"foo2"},
+		"Attributes.2.Value": {"bar2"},
+		"Attributes.3.Key":   {"foo3"},
+		"Attributes.3.Value": {"bar3"},
+		"Attributes.4.Key":   {"foo4"},
+		"Attributes.4.Value": {"bar4"},
+		"Attributes.5.Key":   {"foo5"},
+		"Attributes.5.Value": {"bar5"},
+		"Tags.0.Key":         {"baz0"},
+		"Tags.0.Value":       {"bam0"},
+		"Tags.1.Key":         {"baz1"},
+		"Tags.1.Value":       {"bam1"},
+		"Tags.2.Key":         {"baz2"},
+		"Tags.2.Value":       {"bam2"},
+	}
+	b.ResetTimer()
+	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+		in := &sliceOfStructInput{}
+		_ = d.Decode(in, v)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestPathIter(t *testing.T) {
+	testcases := []string{
+		"a",
+		"a.b",
+		".b.",
+		".",
+		"..",
+		"",
+	}
+	for _, tc := range testcases {
+		t.Run(tc, func(t *testing.T) {
+			var (
+				it      pathIter
+				split   = strings.Split(tc, ".")
+				collect = make([]string, 0, len(split))
+			)
+			for k, ok := it.start(tc); ok; k, ok = it.advance() {
+				collect = append(collect, k)
+			}
+			if !reflect.DeepEqual(split, collect) {
+				t.Fatalf("expected: %q | got: %q", split, collect)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}