# Sperry Top-Siders in the news



## Taken Aback (Aug 3, 2009)

*From Eighties fashion faux pas to new style statement: How the Sperry Top-Sider got its groove back*

By Olivia Fleming
*PUBLISHED:* 18:39 EST, 5 April 2012 | *UPDATED:* 19:10 EST, 5 April 2012

You may know them simply as boat shoes, but they officially go by the name of Sperry Top-Sider, an iconic sailing loafer that fell out of popularity with the cool kids for most of the Nineties.

However a few years ago, the New England boat shoe and city-kid sneaker met, giving the hipsters and the prepsters something to agree on.
After more than a decade of floundering, the Top-Sider has made a substantial return to popularity, with limited-edition pairs selling for $400 on eBay, off-duty celebrities like Blake Lively, Pharrell Williams and Kayne West seen kicking around in them, and numerous collaborations with brands like J. Crew and Band of Outsiders.









Berry Sperry: The Band of Outsiders collaboration with the company helped to catapult the Top-Sider shoe back into fashion

In a classic comeback story, the shoe that rose to its fashion height during the Eighties, helped by appearances in several John Hughes films, eventually became a symbol for the fashion victim that was worn only by old men who sipped cocktails on their yachts.

'Top-Sider' was then dropped from the Sperry company name in hopes of distancing the brand from the Eighties and finding a new consumer audience.
After a while, in-house designers at Sperry began playing with the look of the shoe, introducing new silhouettes and materials. Then, a few years ago, high-profile designers came calling.

Looking for classic heritage brands, designers put Top-Siders on the New York runways, which over the last four years has transformed the stodgy staple into a bonafide fashion statement


















Style set: The Sperry Top-Sider has been seen on off-duty celebrities like Blake Lively (left) and Pharrell Williams (right)

One of the company's best fashion coups came in the form of California-based label Band of Outsiders, known for well-made, tailored clothes with a street edge.
The label's designer Scott Sternberg approached Sperry in 2008 needing shoes for his male models at New York Fashion Week.

Mr Sternberg recalled to The Boston Globe: 'At that point they did not have their mojo back.
'But I would always wear Top-Siders myself, and they'll hate me for saying this, but I would get them for cheap at DSW. I paid $29.99 for them, and I loved them.'
Karen Walker featured Sperry Top-sider lookalikes in her spring 2010 collection, and last summer Japanese streetwear company A Bathing Ape partnered with Sperry on a limited edition shoe that now sells for upward of $400 on eBay.

Then this year, designer Michelle Smith of label Milly, famous for its country-club-coll cocktail dresses, teamed up with Sperry Top-siders on a capsule collection that set a many feet sailing with joy.
Meanwhile, J.Crew added Sperry to its stores, the shoe company teamed up with local outerwear company Penfield, and recently opened a store on New York's Fifth Avenue.
Details magazine fashion market director Matthew Marden told The Boston Globe: 'What I've seen time and time again is a more traditional brand try to reinvent itself and change their product into something it's not. But they're doing it just right.
'I think it's safe to say that Sperry is having a moment.'

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/...ent-How-Sperry-Top-Sider-got-groove-back.html


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## sbdivemaster (Nov 13, 2011)

^^ACK!


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## Pentheos (Jun 30, 2008)

I understood every other word.


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

I recall several years back my wife wore Topsiders crafted in both red and navy blue leather and both pair fitted with the white sipped rubber soles. Regardless of the fashionability of the designs, as I recall, she never did find either pair to be particularly comfortable and both very quickly ended up on the Goodwill or Salvation Army thrift store shelves! Experience tells me SWIMBO is more of an ill-placed atheletic shoe or Naturalizer shoe wearing gal, in situations where other gals might be found wearing Topsiders.


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## dparm (Nov 18, 2008)

Sperry is really diluting their brand with all these ridiculous colors they're offering. Black leather with a neon blue sole? What the heck is that?


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## David J. Cooper (Apr 26, 2010)

Berry Sperry. My new alias.


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## Taken Aback (Aug 3, 2009)

I place the blame on Band Of Outsiders. Their selection is laughable; they've only tarnished the Sperry brand in my eyes.


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## 127.72 MHz (Feb 16, 2007)

I want to keep an open mind but I don't know about the pink boat shoes fellas,...

Eagle, I'm sure it's ubiquitous or you wouldn't have used it but, SWIMBO?


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## Taken Aback (Aug 3, 2009)

I wanted a pair of their Nantucket Red canvas ones, but Martin + Osa screwed me out of _that_ order (still can't forgive).

I think that shade of pink, or even some other primary colors are fine (even the madras), but much of the concoctions from BOO (apt) are heinous.


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## Oldsarge (Feb 20, 2011)

Might it possible to get them in the original leather? The current color selections shown appall.


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## Topsider (Jul 9, 2005)

Oldsarge said:


> Might it possible to get them in the original leather? The current color selections shown appall.


In the AO line, the best leathers seem to be those used for the Amaretto (dark brown) and Sahara (tan) colors. Unfortunately, both are only available with a dark brown sole, not white.


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## sbdivemaster (Nov 13, 2011)

Oldsarge said:


> Might it possible to get them in the original leather? The current color selections shown appall.


Made in Maine:

https://www.sperrytopsider.com/stor...ue&subCatId=cat100064DM&subCatTabId=&viewall=

(At that price, might as well go Rancourt...)

Made in Who-Knows-Where:

https://www.sperrytopsider.com/stor...ue&subCatId=cat100066DM&subCatTabId=&viewall=


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## Topsider (Jul 9, 2005)

sbdivemaster said:


> Made in Maine:
> 
> https://www.sperrytopsider.com/stor...ue&subCatId=cat100064DM&subCatTabId=&viewall=
> 
> (At that price, might as well go Rancourt...)


Rancourt will be almost $100 cheaper, too, and they can make them in wide.


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## Oldsarge (Feb 20, 2011)

will make them to your personal feet for $240 and they have white soles.


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## Topsider (Jul 9, 2005)

Oldsarge said:


> will make them to your personal feet for $240 and they have white soles.


The white soles are $9 extra.


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## sbdivemaster (Nov 13, 2011)

Topsider said:


> The white soles are $9 extra.


At the $240 price point, what's the point in charging $9 extra for white soles...? Sheesh.


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## Himself (Mar 2, 2011)

eagle2250 said:


> I recall several years back my wife wore Topsiders crafted in both red and navy blue leather and both pair fitted with the white sipped rubber soles. Regardless of the fashionability of the designs, as I recall, she never did find either pair to be particularly comfortable and both very quickly ended up on the Goodwill or Salvation Army thrift store shelves! Experience tells me SWIMBO is more of an ill-placed atheletic shoe or Naturalizer shoe wearing gal, in situations where other gals might be found wearing Topsiders.


Of course they're not comfortable, 'til you break them in (your feet, not the shoes).


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## Himself (Mar 2, 2011)

Topsider said:


> In the AO line, the best leathers seem to be those used for the Amaretto (dark brown) and Sahara (tan) colors. Unfortunately, both are only available with a dark brown sole, not white.


I like the brown soles -- not so preppy-precious for everyday wear.

The leather on mine, a few years old now, is really nice. I've been wearing Topsiders for over 30 years and these are the nicest I've owned.


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## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

sbdivemaster said:


> Made in Maine:
> 
> https://www.sperrytopsider.com/stor...ue&subCatId=cat100064DM&subCatTabId=&viewall=
> 
> ...





Topsider said:


> Rancourt will be almost $100 cheaper, too, and they can make them in wide.





Oldsarge said:


> will make them to your personal feet for $240 and they have white soles.


Yep, I'd rather go to the smaller guys than overpay. FWIW, the regular line Sperrys I got three years ago said "Made in China" on the inside. Not sure if that's still the case.

I'm sure whoever the Maine maker Sperry employs needs the business, but they wouldn't cost nearly as much without "Sperry Top-Sider" on the sole.


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## JoshT (Jul 31, 2010)

I bought a pair of Top-Siders last year and they're made in Indonesia. When I was trying them on though, I tried some different colors in the same style and they were made in China. They fitted slightly differently too, despite nominally being the same model.

Just FYI, I read the other day on Bloomberg that Sperry is currently owned by the same firm that's behind Saucony and Payless Shoes - but they're trying to offload Payless right at the moment.


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## Topsider (Jul 9, 2005)

Himself said:


> I like the brown soles -- not so preppy-precious for everyday wear.


Meh. I have a couple pairs of boat shoes with brown soles. They're just OK. A classic really isn't a classic once you start screwing with it.


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## Taken Aback (Aug 3, 2009)

JoshT said:


> Just FYI, I read the other day on Bloomberg that Sperry is currently owned by the same firm that's behind Saucony and Payless Shoes - but they're trying to offload Payless right at the moment.


Depressing; not that Payless is on the block, but that Sperry had anything to do with them. Saucony is decent folk in the sneaker community, though.


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## Topsider (Jul 9, 2005)

Taken Aback said:


> Saucony is decent folk in the sneaker community, though.


Indeed.


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## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

Topsider said:


> Meh. I have a couple pairs of boat shoes with brown soles. They're just OK. A classic really isn't a classic once you start screwing with it.


I like boat shoes with dark grey or brown soles. :icon_study:


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## shms59 (Apr 7, 2010)

Jovan said:


> Yep, I'd rather go to the smaller guys than overpay. FWIW, the regular line Sperrys I got three years ago said "Made in China" on the inside. Not sure if that's still the case.
> 
> I'm sure whoever the Maine maker Sperry employs needs the business, but they wouldn't cost nearly as much without "Sperry Top-Sider" on the sole.


Made by Highland Shoe in Maine- same factory as Alden Cape Cods






Good video that might help explain the price of $300 as the leather comes from Horween and they are hand sewn.


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## Topsider (Jul 9, 2005)

^ I still think they're charging a $100 premium for the Sperry name. See above re: Rancourt.


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