As I'm sure all of you know, Sperry has made a monstrous comeback in the past few years and they continue to try and grow their customer base with this new collaboration with Band of Outsiders. Sperry has traditionally been a brand for the preppier / fashion forward crowd, but has also seen a small growth with some urban consumers. This new style definitely blends the two customer bases together. The use of wrinkled nylon on the upper (urban trend seen on recent Dunk Highs) and what appears to be a seersucker lining (classic preppy fabric) represents a great blend of their clientele. Although they will probably always be the quintessential boat shoe focused on the "Americana" crowd, I give them props for trying to expand their consumer base. I'm sure Timberland is beginning to get nervous that Sperry will begin to take away some Cruisemaster business.
