Sperry Serves Up US Open Tennis Collab With Palmes
On the eve of the US Open, Sperry has joined the tennis fever with a new collaboration.
According to the footwear brand, it has teamed up with Copenhagen menswear brand Palmes to launch two shoes inspired by tennis culture – the Racquet Oxford and the Captain’s Oxford.
Recently re-released from Sperry’s 1960s archives, the Racquet Oxford sneaker was originally designed to be worn on the tennis court and features a vintage tennis aesthetic. The leather Captain’s Oxford is a Sperry icon and brand staple, and was one of the first shoes designed by founder Paul Sperry.
Looking closer at the two shoes, the Racquet Oxford features an off-white canvas upper with subtle suede accents and dark green eyestays, paired with a green outsole. The Captain’s Oxford features a green faux snakeskin upper that feels fine to the touch, paired with leather laces and a Vibram sole. Both shoes feature Sperry’s Wave-Siping technology sole for a slip-resistant feel.
For Palmes founder Nikolaj Hansson, he wanted the collaboration to reflect the shared spirit of Palmes and Sperry. “The Captain’s Oxford embodies Sperry’s iconic heritage, while the Racquet Oxford combines that heritage with Palmes’ tennis footprint,” Hansson said.
“I began designing this collaboration at my family cottage off the west coast of Denmark,” he continued. "Its location on a small island surrounded by sand dunes and a vast beach with a tennis court just down the road magically allowed me to experience up close the intersection of Palmes and Sperry emotions: tennis and the ocean. We wanted the final product to be relatively quiet, yet convey a subtle emotion through understated contrasting colors, graphic elements and refined materials throughout."
Sperry President Jonathan Frankel added: "The Sperry-Palmes collaboration perfectly showcases key styles from Sperry's vast archive with a modern perspective. By combining our rich heritage and craftsmanship with Palmes's focus on modern aesthetics and design, we have brought unique, updated interpretations of 2 classic Sperry styles. From the seaside to the court and everywhere in between, Sperry continues to innovate and inspire through this exciting collaboration."
To highlight the collection, the duo tapped photographer Simon Knudsen and videographer Benjamin Lund to shoot a campaign film in Palmes' hometown of Copenhagen, Denmark.
The Sperry x Palmes Racquet Oxford sneaker and the Sperry x Palmes Captain’s Oxford will be available on Sperry.com, Palmes.co and select retailers on August 27.
This is the latest collaboration for Sperry in recent months. In June, the footwear brand showcased its latest collection with Japanese clothing brand Beams Plus at a special event during Paris Men’s Fashion Week.
In May, Sperry released two more footwear collaborations. The first collaboration with menswear designer Todd Snyder updated the brand’s iconic Authentic Original boat shoe. A few weeks later, boutique retailer Concepts redesigned the same iconic Sperry silhouette in five colorways.
The announcement comes months after Sperry was acquired by brand management company Authentic Brands Group in January. At the same time, the brand management company signed an agreement with Aldo Group to become Sperry’s North American wholesale, e-commerce and store operations partner, as well as the brand’s global footwear design, production and distribution partner.