A sheepsfoot blade has a straight cutting edge and a spine that runs straight before dropping sharply at the front, leaving a blunt, rounded point. The shape exists so the blade cannot easily stab what is behind the cut, which is why it is standard on rescue, marine and electricians' knives.
The pattern comes from trades where a sharp point is a liability: trimming hooves, cutting line on a moving deck, cutting a seatbelt without reaching the person inside it. Removing the point removes the risk.
The edge remains fully sharp. It is only the tip that is blunt.
The straight edge is excellent for board work and push cuts, with the whole edge contacting a flat surface at once. It has no belly, so it will not roll through a slice the way a curved edge does.
It is also one of the easiest profiles to sharpen, because you can hold a single position through the whole stroke.
The two look similar and get confused constantly. On a wharncliffe the spine curves gradually to a genuine fine point. On a sheepsfoot it runs straight and drops abruptly to a blunt one.
So a wharncliffe pierces and a sheepsfoot deliberately does not. Choose accordingly.