Get ready to step up and step out! Wolverine World Wide is launching a new women’s line this August. The Wolverine 1000 Mile Collection is branching out to offer today’s woman quality, fashionable, and timeless options for footwear.
Collaborating with fashion-forward, up-and-comer, Samantha Pleet, Wolverine found their key to creating a line featuring a vintage aesthetic with a modern flair. “I was inspired by women explorers,” shares Pleet. “From Anne Bonny, the most infamous female pirate in history, to Amelia Earhart, the woman who pioneered the way for women pilots. I wanted these boots and shoes to tell a story.”
Each boot and shoe in the fall line certainly tell a story and are named after a female explorer who blazed her own respective trail. This line is targeted towards the modern woman who is a pioneer in her own life.
Wolverine’s 1000 Mile Collection proved to be a dream project for Pleet. “My grandfather owned a shoe store,” she adds. I always wanted to design shoes. I love shoes! Wolverine has an incredible reputation for quality. This was my chance to help my grandfather’s spirit live on as well as broaden my creative opportunities.”
Inspired by the romantic period, Pleet’s motivation came from exploring whimsical feelings and using female explorers as her muse. Pleet’s flair for vintage fashion matched well with Wolverine’s 1000 Mile Collection.
This collection draws patterns from the 1900s; features classic and timeless style and materials.
The name of the collection itself seeks to speak to a line of footwear that is built to last. Wolverine has a reputation of producing premium products that are authentic.
This is only the beginning for Wolverine. Christina Vernon, Director of International Business Development at Wolverine, reveals. “With any good collaboration, more doors open and more people become attracted to the brand. We are looking to expand our women’s collections. We are already working on our third line of footwear with Samantha.”
“We are getting more feminine and adding more heels,” adds Vernon. “We are looking to reach the woman that isn’t into ‘throw-away fashion,’ but one who wants to make an investment in her wardrobe; clothing and shoes that will last.”
Pleet is proving to be a godsend and instrumental in helping Wolverine achieve this goal. The spring 2013 line will be more proof. Featuring more inspiration from ingenious women, Pleet draws on muses from artistic disciplines; from the Greek poet, Sappho, to photographer, Osa Johnson. The story each pair of boots or shoes tell, mirrors the vibe of the Wolverine 1000 Mile Collection impeccably.
The women’s line of the Wolverine 1000 Mile Collection will be available all over the world. For those of us in West Michigan, keep a look out at AK Rikk’s and the Wolverine company store in downtown Grand Rapids.
Now, pull up your bootstraps and start blazing your own trail!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: LeAnn Secord is a fundraiser, free lance writer, and juggling enthusiast who is pondering her next tattoo and hair color.
