Footwear News Awards Sperry Top-Sider as Brand of the Year
Global Performance Lifestyle brand is Honored with Achievement Award from Top Industry Trade Publication
Lexington, MA (December 8, 2009) - Sperry Top-Sider®, an American Original and icon of style since 1935, has been awarded "2009 Brand of the Year" by top industry trade publication, Footwear News. Recognized at the publication's annual Achievement Awards held in New York City on December 1st, Sperry Top-Sider was chosen for its evolution from the boat shoe leader with a rich nautical heritage into a global performance lifestyle brand; a significant transition during challenging economic times.
"We're honored to be chosen by the Footwear News team as Brand of the Year," said Craig Reingold, president, Sperry Top-Sider. "In the last several years, the company has relentlessly focused on the consumer and their needs. This feedback helped the team make refinements to our products and brand positioning that has clearly resonated and offers validation to our overall strategy. It's gratifying to see the success and we're looking forward to continuing this momentum into 2010, the 75th Anniversary of our brand."
Winners of this year's fifteen Achievement Awards were hand selected by Footwear News editors with particular attention given to the most innovative and creative companies in the footwear industry. Sperry was lauded for its unique design collaborations with Band of Outsiders, JCrew and Jeffrey Kalinsky; as well as it's partnerships with the New York Yacht Club and US Sailing that led to the launch of two major technology launches in 2009. A full-page article entitled "Sailing Ahead" in the November 30th Achievement Award issue highlights the company's achievements and why Sperry was chosen as Brand of the Year-including its growing in women's and performance categories.
Sperry Top-Sider was again featured in the December 7th FN issue, which recapped the event and celebrated the "industry's biggest power players" present at last week's awards ceremony. The piece highlights Collective Brands Inc. chairman and CEO Matt Rubel's attendance at the ceremony to support Sperry Top-Sider's achievement.
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. Available around the globe in fine independent, marine, outdoor and department stores, Sperry Top-Sider is the official footwear of US SAILING, US Sailing AlphaGraphics Team, and the National Safe Boating Council.
Based in historic Lexington, State Massachusetts, Sperry Top-Sider supports a wide-range of ocean-related activities through its many sponsorships, including Key West Race Week, and the Sperry Top-Sider NOOD Regattas. 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.