Sperry Top-Sider Named Title Sponsor Of United States Sailing Team In Olympic Year

LEXINGTON, Mass. and PORTSMOUTH, R.I., April 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Sperry Top-Sider®, the leading global nautical performance and lifestyle brand, announced today its title sponsorship of the US Sailing Team, newly named US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider. The title sponsorship is the brand's highest profile sailing sponsorship to date and is effective immediately through December 31, 2016.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120424/NY93819LOGO )

A key part of the title sponsorship of the US Sailing Team -- comprised of the top-performing sailors in the 10 Olympic and three Paralympic boat classes – all boats and main sails on the National, Paralympic and Development teams will feature the Team's new emblem, which incorporates the Sperry Top-Sider logo.  In June, the Team's new logo will be unveiled at the Sail for Gold Regatta in Weymouth, England.  The Team's website, social media channels, monthly newsletter The Medalist and Olympic and Paralympic headquarters in Weymouth, England will be re-branded with the new Team logo as well.

Sperry will also continue its role as exclusive footwear sponsor for the Team, who wear-test products and provide Sperry's product designers with feedback for product enhancements.  Effective January 2013, the sponsorship will also include performance apparel, eyewear, accessories (hats, bags and socks) and luggage so that all athletes sport the brand from head to toe. 

"We've had a close, successful relationship with Sperry for a long time, but this represents a whole new level of their commitment and our partnership," said Dean Brenner (Wallingford, Conn.), Chairman of US Sailing's Olympic Sailing Committee. "The Games begin in three months, and this significant expansion of our relationship comes at exactly the correct time, with an extension through the 2016 Games. We are thrilled to have a partner like Sperry, and our athletes will benefit immensely from all the resources they bring to the table."

Craig Reingold, President of Sperry Top-Sider, commented "We have been the official footwear of the US Sailing team for two decades.  The title sponsor opportunity came at an ideal time for us, coinciding with our introduction of our innovative footwear technology, GripX3, developed with feedback from the Team. This sponsorship is a natural fit for the brand and shows commitment and support for the sport of sailing.

Reingold continued "With 2012 being an Olympic year, we have an opportunity to support these world-class athletes in a milestone event of their sailing careers -- their pursuit of Olympic gold.  This sponsorship further solidifies the leadership role that Sperry is taking in the performance sailing industry."

In addition to the Olympic and Paralympic US Sailing teams, Sperry's sponsorship also includes the US Sailing Development Team, a group of approximately 50 promising younger sailors who are the future of the sport of sailing.  Selected annually as the top-performing sailors in each of the classes included in the Olympic Games and the ISAF Youth World Championships, the athletes train alongside the US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider at ISAF Sailing World Cup events and class World Championships.

About Sperry Top-Sider's GripX3 ™ Technology

Sperry Top-Sider is dedicated to delivering the latest technology for sailing enthusiasts as part of its support of the sport.   Sponsorship of the US Sailing Team and the increased investment in Team Sperry coincides with the launch of Sperry's most technically advanced performance sailing footwear collection to date.  The GripX3™ performance sailing collection is designed for competitive sailors seeking the perfect combination of comfort, breathability and flexibility.  GripX3™ features adaptive wave siping™, and Hydrogrip Rubber™ that combine to provide Sperry's grippiest outsole to date. The technology also includes Sperry Top-Deck 360™, a proprietary technology that provides advanced grab and grip on the upper of the shoe.  GripX3™ Technology was created in collaboration Sperry-sponsored sailors who wear-tested the product in extreme sailing conditions.

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 siped rubber outsole for non-marking traction to advanced technical fabrication to combat the elements, Sperry Top-Sider remains the vanguard of high-performance amphibious footwear for life and activities in, on and around the water.

Available around the globe in independent, marine, outdoor, department stores and on www.sperrytopsider.com, Sperry Top-Sider is the official footwear of the Sperry Top-Sider NOOD Regattas, Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week, the US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider and the National Safe Boating Council.

Since early 2010, the brand has launched 14 Sperry Top-Sider retail stores in the US – retail stores dedicated to the Passion for the Sea® lifestyle. Sperry Top-Sider is a division of the Collective Brands Performance and Lifestyle Group, a subsidiary of Collective Brands, Inc. (NYSE: PSS). For more information, please visit www.sperrytopsider.com.

About the US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider
The US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider is managed by the United States Sailing Association (US Sailing), the national governing body for the sport of sailing and sailboat racing. The top boats in each Olympic and Paralympic class are selected annually to be members of the US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider. US Sailing supports these elite athletes with funding, coaching and training. The title sponsor of the team is Sperry Top-Sider; other sponsors include Rolex Watch USA, Atlantis WeatherGear, LaserPerformance, Harken Team McLube, Bow Down Training, New England Ropes, Group Experiential Learning and Trinity Yachts.

Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, US Sailing is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. US Sailing offers training and education programs for instructors and race officials, supports a wide range of sailing organizations and communities, issues offshore rating certificates, and provides administration and oversight of competitive sailing across the country. For more information about US Sailing, please visit www.ussailing.org. For more information about the US Olympic Sailing Program and the US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider, please visit: http://sailingteams.ussailing.org.

SOURCE Sperry Top-Sider