PICKERINGTON, Ohio, Dec. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- R.G. Barry Corporation (NASDAQ:DFZ), North American licensee for luxury canvas fashion footwear brand Superga®, has been named 2009 International Licensee of the Year by the iconic Italian footwear brand's parent company, BasicNet S.p.A of Turin, Italy. R.G. Barry was selected from among 14 Superga licensees around the world for its commitment to the brand and its ability to react quickly to changing international market conditions. "It is with great pleasure that we recognize the R.G. Barry Superga team as Licensee of the Year," said Franco Spalla, President of BasicNet S.p.A. "They work closely with us on new developments and brand strategies. We value the personal relationships, kindness and courtesy demonstrated by these partners in all aspects of our business together." "We are honored to be singled out from such a strong group of international vendors," said R.G. Barry Corporation President and Chief Executive Officer Greg Tunney. "This award is a reflection of our entire team's ongoing efforts to establish and grow this well-known European canvas footwear brand in North American markets." Superga-USA Brand President Scott Weaver added, "Over the past year, we have realigned our marketing and merchandising approach for Superga-USA with the goal of reaching a broader consumer base while maintaining the brand's special cache. This could not have been accomplished without the full partnership of the BasicNet organization." R.G. Barry Corporation licensed the Superga® brand in 2007. The brand is available at independent retailers and at http://www.superga-usa.com/. For spring 2010, Superga will be sold through many Barney's, Anthropologie and Tommy Bahama stores; and on-line or in catalogs from Urban Outfitters, J-Crew, J-Jill and Eddie Bauer. About Superga Founded in Italy in 1911, Superga® is known throughout the world for vulcanized footwear that spans from fashion forward to traditional classic styling. The brand is owned by BasicNet S.p.A., a licensing and marketing company that operates in the sport and leisure apparel, footwear and accessories sectors in approximately 110 world markets. In addition to Superga, BasicNet's brands include Kappa, Robe di Kappa, K-Way and Jesus Jeans. BasicNet S.p.A. is listed on the Italian Stock Exchange. About R.G. Barry Corporation R.G. Barry Corporation, the Dearfoams® company, is one of the world's leading developers and marketers of accessory footwear. Visit us online at http://www.rgbarry.com/ to learn more about our business. DATASOURCE: R.G. Barry Corporation CONTACT: Roy Youst, Director Investor & Corp. Communications, +1-614-729-7275, Web Site: http://www.rgbarry.com/

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