Wolverine Partners With University of Michigan to Release Football-Inspired Work Boot

In a fitting collaboration, Michigan-based boots company Wolverine is partnering with the University of Michigan to release a limited-edition adaptation of the brand’s 1000 Mile boot inspired by the school’s football team, the Wolverines. The Wolverine x Michigan Team #144 Commemorative 1000 Mile Boot will be available online on July 25.

The boot company aims to honor the football team after a historic 2023 season; the Wolverines finished undefeated with a 15-0 record, competing in the East Division of the Big Ten Conference.

Wolverine describes the shoe, “Designed with grit, resilience and a blue-collar work ethic in mind, this collaboration perfectly combines America’s Original Work Boot Brand and the winningest team in college football.”

The 1000 Mile boot features a silhouette from 1914. Handcrafted in the United States, the low-cut shoe rises to the ankle and includes a slight heel. In a nod to the University of Michigan’s team colors, maize and blue, the limited-edition boots are navy with yellow laces. They include antique brass hardware and commemorative details, including a 144 foil-stamped backstay and tongue featuring a block M. The 144 represents the 144th season played by the Wolverines.

Wolverine has been around for more than 150 years, with founder G.A. Krause first launching a leather tannery in Michigan in 1883. He started a shoe factory in 1901 and, in 1914, brought to life the enduring 1000-mile boot. Read more about Wolverine history here.

This collaboration isn’t Wolverine’s first foray into the athletic space. The brand recently partnered with the sporting goods company Rawlings to produce a 1000 Mile boot including a layer of a Rawlings baseball bat in the heel.

Wolverine is a subsidiary of Wolverine Worldwide, which additionally owns Bates, Chaco, Saucony, Sweaty Betty, Merrell, Hush Puppies, Hytest, Soft Style, Wolverine Leathers and the Stride Rite Children’s Group.