Wolverine is an American shoe brand founded in 1883 (around fifty years before the Heschung brand ) in Rockford ( not to be confused with the city of cheese ) in Michigan.
Today, it is also and above all a huge group which brings together numerous brands, the best known in France being Sebago and Caterpillar, but also all the shoes for Patagonia or Harley Dadvidson (under license). A true shoe empire.
Selvedge jeans with visible hem for workwear fans 😉
The Wolverine brand
Wolverine - the shoe brand - is a brand of the giant Wolverine World Wide. It is ultimately little known in France, but is really not the least in the group's brand portfolio.
A modern workwear brand
Its history has always been very focused on workwear , but not the one that inspires us at BonneGueule. Rather, real modern workwear, in an orange vest with reflective stripes and a fireproof jacket.
That's more the kind of workwear I like to wear. BG jeans, BG x 6&7 cardigan, Monoprix tee and unknown Thai brand shirt.
Indeed, the bulk of the Wolverine product range corresponds to construction shoes and other types of rangers. If you take a look at the site, you can consult the many technologies used by the brand for these technical products.
The Wolverine 1000 Mile Line
What interests us, therefore, is obviously the Heritage line.
The designers explored the archives to offer a new line that they called Wolverine 1000 Mile, in homage to one of their selling points at the time. It would be possible to travel 1000 miles in perfect comfort and without wearing them out.
1000 miles or 1,600km, a selling point that still impresses quite a bit today. Leave us a comment about your favorite destination 1,600km from home.
These are therefore designs inspired by, or even literally reproduced, models from 100 years ago; the first 1000 Mile being produced in 1914. Designs which contrast radically with what the brand was used to doing, but which, as you will see, are really very successful.
Wolverine, good shoes made in the USA
Let's get to what interests you most, the product. You're in for a treat, it's a little marvel of American "badass-itude": entirely produced in the USA, with very American leather.
Yes, you read correctly. Everything is assembled in the brand's factory, located in the city of Big Rapids in Michigan, in the Great Lakes region. More American and masculine, you die.
Goodyear welt construction
The construction is a very nice Goodyear, with a nice strong welt to hold everything in place. If this notion of welt is not yet perfectly clear to you, I encourage you to watch this video from Wolverine, where you can see the workers putting the welt on the sole from the 47th second.
The welt will be sewn onto this white piece called “engraving wall”.
The cork between the outer and inner sole is placed inside the frame delimited by the welt.
As the man in the video explains very well via his automobile metaphor, this welt is the chassis of the shoe . It allows all the elements to be held in place.
Leather from Horween
The leather used is one of the highest quality for this type of product, and comes from the famous Horween tannery . What Harris Tweed is to tweed, Horween is to leather in the United States.
The leather used (cow leather) on the Wolverine 1000 Mile has undergone Chromexcel tanning. A process which takes around thirty days, and which uses chrome tanning followed by vegetable tanning, then greasing the hide with beef fat oils and beeswax.
It creases nicely.
You will find bison leather on some emblematic models of the brand (notably on limited editions). Bison leather looks similar to cowhide, but has some differences. The most notable being that the skin is much oilier.
It is also more likely to show wrinkles or streaks. The bison is therefore raised differently from the cow.
Bernard, North American bison, happy to work for Wolverine.
For the most passionate among you, the Horween tannery has a blog with very, very rich content: the post on Chromexcel from which I got this information is here , and the one on bison leather, here .
In this last link, you will find explanations on the different skin types depending on the cow's lifestyle. For example, if the cow has carried a calf, this obviously has consequences on the skin in places.
On the model I am wearing, the leather is really perfect, nowhere is it hollow or has the slightest scar. Visually, it is a very uniform leather , which is supple and oily to the touch.
A proven design
The design couldn't be simpler, nothing new under the sun, the shape is very well balanced.
Obviously, it's not a city boot, but it's still a design that I find quite fine, when we compare it to the very round and swollen design of the iconic Yellow Boot from Timberland , for example.
However, I recognize that it is a design which is marked by a fairly high toe at the front, this is what really marks the difference with a more urban ankle boot. Let me be clear though, I wear them all the time in town.
Some details
As far as details and finishes are concerned, it is impeccable. The white welt thread is particularly regular, as are all the seams. The only little originality here is the triple stitching in different colors along the upper.
Triple stitching on the upper.
The 3 lacing hooks at the top provide a huge plus in terms of comfort, allowing them to be put on and taken off quickly. Literally, it can be unhooked with one finger, then just pull the laces a little in the first pair of holes.
Laces which are also greased, it always looks a little better and tends to slightly protect them from the rain.
Lacing hooks.
Finally, I really appreciate the great discretion of the logo on the top of the shoe; this being generally more visible the more mainstream the brand is (if you are interested: No Logo ).
Don't see the logo? Perfect.
In conclusion, this is a superb pair of boots, made with great attention to every detail.
Do we feel good there?
Yes. Of course, always try before buying, particularly true with shoes, especially when it is not a French brand. Here, it's a big size: instead of my usual 42, I'm on a 40.5.
In terms of comfort, it is a shoe in which you will be well supported. I was comfortable in it straight away, but I felt that I didn't go far from the appearance of a blister the first few days of wearing it. This is obviously normal.
Will they last 1000 miles?
It will depend, of course, on the care taken in their maintenance and each person's wearing habits. But all the conditions are met for maximum longevity, with beautiful leathers (both for the upper and the sole), and a particularly thick Vibram heel.
However, I have no illusions: if I don't put an iron embedded in the end, I will get rid of this sole quickly, as usual.
What can you wear these Wolverine boots with?
Thanks to their classic, no-frills design, this is a pair of boots that will look great with all kinds of less formal looks.
I did two different looks to illustrate this idea. Obviously, it fits perfectly and without the slightest doubt with a truly workwear style . This is the recipe that I applied in my "Canadian tuxedo" (the name given to an outfit made entirely of denim).
In reality, for a true Canadian tuxedo, the wash of the jacket and jeans should match. Something that Justin Timberlake dared to do once, a long time ago (the Internet doesn't forget).
I'm getting closer to a Friday wear outfit, but still in a workwear style, with a wool jacket with a slightly rough texture and the BonneGueule x Drapeau Noir cotton flannel shirt .
BG jeans which are starting to fade well, Cos jacket, Monoprix tee.
Zoom in on this jacket, whose slightly rough wool ensures a coherent look. The same outfit, with a Super 120s jacket, would have nothing to do with it.
I'm wearing the " Men's 1000 Mile boots " model in the Rust color, available in Paris at Royal Cheese, rue Vieille du Temple, for €439.
If you are looking for an alternative, take a look at this article which compares the Wolverine to models from Redwing or Alden.
