Wolverine
American boots, 1000 Mile in Horween Chromexcel, Michigan since 1883
Quality control is notoriously inconsistent, reviews among enthusiasts, report significant variation from pair to pair. Wolverine World Wide is a publicly traded conglomerate with much of its production outsourced overseas. The 1000 Mile line is still USA-made, but the rest of the catalog is largely manufactured abroad.
Philosophy
Founded in 1883 in Rockford, Michigan, Wolverine is now a publicly traded conglomerate. The 1000 Mile Boot represents the brand's heritage attempt, Horween Chromexcel, Goodyear welt, USA-made, but quality remains uneven for the price asked.
History
G.A. Krause founded a small leather workshop in Rockford, Michigan, in 1883. The company grew into Wolverine World Wide, a publicly traded conglomerate (NYSE: WWW) that also owns Merrell, Hush Puppies and Chaco, with over $2.5 billion in annual revenue. The 1000 Mile Boot, relaunched in 2009, is meant to embody artisanal heritage, Horween Chromexcel leather, Goodyear welt construction, USA-made. But among enthusiasts, reviews are mixed: inconsistent QC, leather soles that wear fast, and a price that's climbed without quality following. The contrast between the 'heritage' marketing and the reality of an industrial conglomerate is striking.
Iconic Products
1000 Mile Boot
Heritage boot in Horween Chromexcel, Goodyear welt construction, USA-made. Beautiful aesthetics but variable QC across batches.