Sperry Top-Sider® Expands Brand Beyond Footwear

LEXINGTON, Mass., Jan. 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Sperry Top-Sider, the leading nautical performance and lifestyle footwear brand and inventor of the world's first boat shoe, continues to build on its market momentum through strategic product category expansion beyond footwear. Today the company announced that it has signed five new license agreements to expand Sperry Top-Sider branded products in such new areas as belts, bags, hosiery, eyewear, swimwear and cover-ups, headwear, scarves, gloves and shoe care, among others. The new product collections will launch in Spring 2013 in the brand's wholly owned Sperry Top-Sider specialty retail stores located across the nation, sperrytopsider.com and at premium department stores and additional specialty retailers in the U.S. and Canada.

"These initiatives are critical next steps for Sperry Top-Sider as we aim to connect more broadly with our target consumer and continue our mission to create the leading nautical performance and lifestyle brand across the globe," said Gregg Ribatt, CEO of the Collective Brands' Performance + Lifestyle Group, which oversees the brand.

According to Craig Reingold, Sperry brand president, "We keep hearing from people that love this brand that they want more Sperry products, and through these new licensing agreements and experienced partners, we expect to deliver on consumers' needs across a range of retail stores beginning in Spring 2013 with a broad spectrum of footwear, as well as much-anticipated additional product collections for women and men who share our passion for the sea and the lifestyle that the brand represents."

The new Sperry licensed partnership deals are with Manhattan Beachwear, Inc., one of the largest manufacturers of men's & women's designer swimwear and cover-ups in the U.S.; Renfro Corporation, premier manufacturer and distributor of men's and women's hosiery worldwide; Tandy Brands, renowned manufacturer of men's and women's belts, bags, and leather goods; Interbrand, LLC, a consumer goods company with expertise in headwear, scarves and gloves; and U.S. Continental Marketing, Inc., a leading manufacturer of leather and shoe care products in the U.S.

Additional deals are pending with partners covering such product categories as eyewear and watches, among others.

These partners will work closely with Sperry's design and marketing teams to create their specific product collections.  Each partner will be responsible for the marketing and distribution to retailers across the U.S. and Canada, targeting department and specialty retail stores, as well as the expanding network of Sperry Top-Sider branded stores.

An icon of American style for more than 75 years, Sperry Top-Sider's rich heritage inspires the design of each new product collection, paying homage to the Authentic Original® boat shoe. The unique details and enduring style of these products will be geared toward a modern, discerning and stylish consumer. 

About Sperry Top-Sider®

Since 1935, Sperry Top-Sider® has been the leading brand of footwear for those with a Passion for the Sea. From its introduction of the world's first boat shoe, which features the first siped rubber outsole for non-marking traction, to advanced technical fabrication to combat the elements, Sperry Top-Sider remains the vanguard of the nautical lifestyle. Available at brand retail locations, independent, marine, outdoor and department stores, Sperry Top-Sider® is the official footwear of the Sperry Top-Sider® NOOD Regattas, the US Sailing Team Alpha Graphics, the US Sailing Association, the New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup, the Salt Water Sportsman Seminar Series and the National Safe Boating Council. Sperry is also sponsoring Team Sperry -- 17 athletes from the U.S. and 18 from Europe who will compete in the sailing events for the 2012 Olympic Games later this year in London.  

Based in historic Lexington, Massachusetts, Sperry Top-Sider® is a division of Collective Brands Performance + Lifestyle Group, a subsidiary of Collective Brands, Inc. (NYSE:PSS). For more information, please visit www.sperrytopsider.com.  

Manhattan Beachwear, Inc. based in Cypress, CA, is the leading manufacturer of women's swimwear in the U.S. and designs, manufactures, and markets under several well-known licensed brands, as well as its own brands La Blanca, 2Bamboo, 24th & Ocean, and The Bikini Lab.  Distribution includes Macy's, Dillard's, Bloomingdales, Saks Fifth Ave, Victoria's Secret, The Buckle, Swim 'n Sport and Everything But Water.  More information available at www.mbwswim.com

About Renfro Corporation

Renfro Corporation is a global leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of socks and legwear under several leading national brands in retail channels in North America and other international markets. More information is available at www.Renfro.com  

Tandy Brands is a leading designer and marketer of branded men's, women's and children's accessories, including belts, gifts and small leather goods. Merchandise is marketed under various national, as well as private brand names through all major retail distribution channels. More information available at www.tandybrands.com

About Interbrand, LLC

Interbrand, LLC is a premier manufacturer and worldwide distributor of men's and women's socks, headwear, gloves and scarves. More information available at www.interbrandllc.com  

U.S. Continental Marketing is the largest private labeler of leather and fabric care in the world.  The company serves the footwear, handbag, apparel, furniture and automotive industries. More information available at www.uscontinental.com

SOURCE Collective Brands, Inc.