Sperry Top-Sider® Continues Brand Expansion Beyond Footwear

LEXINGTON, Mass., Feb. 15, 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 said  it has signed three additional new license agreements  to expand Sperry Top-Sider branded products into the categories of luggage, watches and eyewear.  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.

This announcement is on the heels of a previous Sperry announcement of five new license partners covering a range of accessory product categories including belts, small leather goods, hosiery, swimwear, headwear, scarves, gloves and shoe care, among others.

"This licensing initiative is a critical next step for Sperry Top-Sider as we aim to connect more broadly with our target consumer and to position Sperry as 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, president of Sperry Top-Sider, "We continue to hear from consumers that love this brand that they want more Sperry products beyond the broad spectrum of footwear we deliver today.  Through these new licensing agreements and experienced partners, in Spring 2013 we expect to deliver on consumers' needs with much-anticipated additional products for women and men who share the Passion for the Sea lifestyle of the Sperry brand."

The new Sperry licensed partnership deals are with industry leaders Hartmann, "America's luggage company" and a leader in travel goods since 1877, for Sperry Top-Sider by Hartmann branded luggage; Geneva Watch Group, a leading manufacturer and distributor of fashion watches worldwide, covering Sperry Top-Sider watches; and L'Amy America, a subsidiary of Group TWC-L'Amy, a prestigious European fashion accessory and eyewear company, for Sperry Top-Sider sunglasses and ophthalmic eyewear.

These new 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 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.  

About L'Amy America
L'Amy America is part of Groupe TWC-L'Amy – the largest accessory company in France.  Established in 1810, the group develops eyewear for brands such as Bally of Switzerland, Balmain, Carven, Cerrutti 1881, Columbia Sportswear, Kenzo, Nina Ricci, Proenza Schouler, Rochas, Sonia Rykiel, Ted Lapidus, and Theory, as well as its own house brands.  Groupe TWC- L'Amy brings together eyewear, watches, handbags and jewelry under one international accessories company. More information available at www.lamyamerica.com.

About Hartmann
Since its inception in 1877 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Hartmann has been a leader in the travel goods industry. Based in Lebanon, Tennessee since 1959, Hartmann proudly handcrafts the finest quality luggage and leather goods to meet diverse and ever-changing travel needs. From creating gorgeous yet practical trunks and pullmans for steam liner and railway travel to the development of smaller, fashionable suitcases designed specifically for travel on commercial and private jets, Hartmann has always been the brand of choice for discerning travelers. The Hartmann customer appreciates stylish design and the finest materials, demands practical functionality, and truly respects American heritage and craftsmanship. More information at www.hartmann.com  

About Geneva Watch Group
Founded in 1974, Geneva Watch Group is a global leader in the design, manufacture, and distribution of digital and analog watches and clocks, employing more than 2,000 people worldwide. Geneva Watch Group creates timepieces under license for several esteemed designer brands and also produces high-performance watches targeting the youth and surf markets under its proprietary brand Freestyle. Geneva Watch Group markets and distributes its branded and private-label watches to major retailers in over 50 countries worldwide. More information available at www.genevawatchgroup.com.  

SOURCE Collective Brands, Inc.