How Sperry seizes the revival of the boat shoe

After quiet luxury, preparation takes a moment. As part of that, the boat shoe, developed by Sperry in 1935 with its iconic Top-Sider style, is making a comeback. In January, the heritage brand was purchased by the Aldo Group from Wolverine for $70 million. To discuss the revival, we spoke with Jonathan Frankel, president of the Aldo Group. He talked about how the brand is fueling its resurgence with a series of trendy campaigns and cool collaborations with Todd Snyder and Chris Echevarria — and what he thought of Miu Miu’s take on the boat shoe.

When did you first realize that the brand was about to have a major moment in the spotlight?

“In the fall of 2023, it became clear that the quiet luxury trend, combined with a modern, younger, more inclusive preppy look, was starting to take shape. There is no better footwear to complement this look than the Sperry boat shoe and a number of other styles we also have that have always been iconic styles within that look. It is a trend that was quickly adopted by brands: Miu Miu walked the catwalk (spring 2024) with a style that combined a loafer with a boat shoe. But the purest form is Sperry’s AO, or Authentic Original, the original boat shoe (designed in) the 1930s. That hasn’t changed at all. As far as that trend is concerned, we have the status of originator.”

What is Sperry doing to appeal to a new generation of customers?

“We’ve worked on many exciting collaborations, helping the brand become a bit bolder – in colors, materials and iterations of the original boat shoe – and building those stories around those core styles. Plus, we wanted to make sure we weren’t fixing something that wasn’t broken. … It’s really what we put on top that makes it even more relevant to the here and now and more relevant to a younger consumer who is very aware of colors and materials. They’re not necessarily asking you to change the construction or style; they love the timelessness. But they certainly expect brands to be a bit more relevant when it comes to options beyond the core brown, black and green. That’s why we worked with Chris Echevarria and Todd Snyder, for example.”

What’s next for the brand?

“We continue to work on more collaborations for 2025. We have a dedicated team focused solely on these creative collaborations to unlock the full potential of these partnerships. … That’s the best way we can expand the brand into new directions and new creative avenues, and leverage the power of those partnerships for credibility.”

What did you and the Sperry team think when you saw that Miu Miu shoe walking down the runway?

“They always say that imitation is the highest form of flattery. We’re big fans of a lot of luxury brands and what they do. They’re clearly very good at what they do, whether it’s bringing products to market or identifying key styles, and we love how they’re driving trends. We welcome their participation in this space, because the more, the merrier. It gives even more credibility to what we have been doing for 90 years and what we plan to continue doing. You may even see these brands become targets for our collaborations in the future, as they always want to anchor themselves among the founders of the trends. We would be honored and excited about where these discussions go.”

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