Nautical by nature

Collaborations may be routine in the fashion world, but few unions are as happy — and as logical — as the partnership between Sperry Top-Sider and Band of Outsiders. It is, in essence, the best example of how to carry the classics into the present day. On the one hand, you have the world’s first boat shoe, one with so much stamina that it celebrated its 75th anniversary in the spring of 2010 and is, by all accounts, still attracting fans. On the other, you have a relative newbie in the industry that “does a modern, rebellious take on American style,” according to the luxury e-tailer Mr. Porter. The team-up is as perfect as anything made in heaven — or in this case, the sea.

In 1935, Paul Sperry, an avid sailor, came up with a solution to a problem that had long troubled him and his peers: the fact that traditional shoes performed “like roller skates” on a wet deck. One wintry day in New England, the outdoorsman let out his cocker spaniel, Prince, and noticed his pet’s ability to maintain traction on the frozen pond. After examining the dog’s paw and observing hundreds of tiny cracks and cuts going in all directions, Sperry raced back to his laboratory and started piecing together — using pieces of rubber, a razor blade and an ordinary sneaker — a design that evolved into the now-iconic Authentic Original.

Beloved Wardrobe Staple

Daniel Grayson dresses down: Revenge star Josh Bowman wears Band of Outsiders x Sperry Top-Sider in the March 2012 issue of GQ. GQ.com

It’s quite amazing that after nearly eight decades, the product of Paul Sperry’s ingenuity has turned not just into a beloved wardrobe staple, but a byword for tradition and authenticity as well. In 1939, the United States Naval Academy negotiated the rights to manufacture Sperrys and issue them to their sailors. During the ‘50s, Sperry footwear became very popular due to the restrictions of leather during World War II. They skyrocketed in the pre-hippie ‘60s, when all of America idolized the Kennedy family’s clean-cut, Ivy League style. While Sperry Top-Siders may be forever tied to the country club look that held most of the ‘80s in thrall, the brand is now being seen through the prism of the post-everything 2010s.

Extracting and reapplying the principles that have made Sperry the cool favorite it is today, Band of Outsiders creative director Scott Sternberg has wisely kept profiles classic, but within these rigorous confines allowed himself the joys of experimentation. Since the inaugural Band of Outsiders x Sperry collection debuted in the fall of 2007, the line’s reconstructed chukka boots, loafers, and aged sailboat shoes have been spotted on the feet of Harry Potter alumni Rupert Grint and Tom Felton, who starred in the Fall 2011 lookbook shot by famed California artist Ed Ruscha. Aside from a great denim patchwork style, the latest line-up of tweaked adaptations includes a navy and red stripe version, as seen on Revenge star Josh Bowman in the March 2012 issue of GQ. 

Retraining Your Deck Shoes

Sperry is a purveyor of no-bother stuff that you can live in, but you can easily retrain a pair of deck shoes to behave as if it were participating in a different trend. I’ve road-tested mine with holey Current/Elliot jeans, a Stone Roses tee, and a grandpa cardigan for a neo-Madchester look. It’s also a fact that Top-Siders — whether from the Band of Outsiders line or not — are capable of grounding the jumble of prints, from ethnic and graphic to Hawaiian and botanical, which are destined to be huge as the warmer months lurch ever closer. And depending on the color, Sperrys can either bring a tailored suit down to earth, like a period at the end of a sentence, or make a double-breasted jacket appear gloriously restrained but fun at the same time. The multifunctionality is astounding.

Border crossing: For Fall 2012, designer Scott Sternberg filled the Band of Outsiders runway with references to Mexico and the American Southwest. Getty Images

“If it’s not Sperry Top-Sider, it’s not the original boat shoe. Simple as that,” vouches Karen Ong of Sperry Philippines. “Our products are made for nautical performance, with the highest quality and details you can only expect from an authentic brand: rust-proof eyelets, rawhide leather laces, genuine leather specially treated to be softer for comfort. In the end, customers appreciate the brand because it’s a way of life.” It’s a look that’s bound to be celebrated on the street and chronicled in blogs as summertime nears.

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Visit the Sperry Top-Sider retail store at TriNoma. Sperry Top-Sider is also available at Complex Lifestyle Stores in Eastwood Mall, Alabang Town Center, Festival Mall, Ayala Center Cebu, Shoe Salon, Rustan’s, and select department stores.

For more information, check www.facebook.com/SperryTopSiderPH.

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