Sperry, known for its history of seafaring footwear, is launching an ongoing sustainability platform — “Look Good, Do Good.”
Its first initiative is today’s launch of a collection for men, women and kids, made with Bionic, a material spun from plastic recovered from marine and coastal environments. A selection of popular Sperry styles — such as the Authentic Original boat shoe; Captain’s CVO, a signature lace-up sneaker; and the women’s Crest Vibe sneaker — all draw on Sperry’s heritage and feature details inspired by multiocolored spinnaker sails and heavy stitching.
The collection’s packaging is even eco-friendly, made from post-consumer recycled material and printed with water- or soy-based inks, and have no added adhesives. The shoes are available online and at Nordstrom, Dillard’s, Macy’s and Zappos.com. Retail prices range from $70 to $100.
The recycled Bionic material is produced by a mission-driven material engineering company that sets up recycling facilities and organizes beach cleanups around the world with NGO partner Waterkeeper Alliance, chaired by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. According to Sperry, its support of Bionic’s mission will help raise awareness for the issue of ocean pollution, sponsor beach cleanups to help reduce the 8 million tons of plastic that enter the ocean each year, and transform it into shoes.
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“We are a brand born of the sea,” said Kate Minner, CMO, Sperry. “It is our duty to get involved and protect the waterways that stretch across the globe and connect us all. We are proud to work with Bionic and Waterkeeper Alliance, who are creating a global infrastructure for recovering plastic from coastal and marine environments.”
Coinciding with the debut of the initiative is the introduction of an Alexa Skill — Sperry Waterkeeper — a voice-controlled experience that works via Amazon Echo smart speaker devices. When prompted, “Ask Alexa Waterkeeper how I can use less plastic today,” Alexa will respond with a range of useful everyday tips designed to keep plastic pollution out of waterways.
The Alexa Skill was built in partnership with digital marketing agency Digital Surgeons to educate people on ways they can help protect the environment by reducing their use of plastic.
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