What began as a venture to create high quality leather goods for the workers of Michigan turned into a story spanning three centuries dedicated to quality, consistent craftsmanship and one of the most popular utility boots in modern men’s fashion — the Wolverine 1000 Mile Boot.
The Wolverine 1000 Mile Boot was created in the 1910s during a booming economy powered by the automotive, mining, rail and lumber industries. With the need for a work boot that could withstand any element and that would also last, Wolverine’s new model hit the ground running, offering 1000 “miles of wear” over the life of the boot, and then some.
While it remains an incredibly reliable work boot in the modern era, the 1000 Mile has taken on new, additional roles within the world of men’s fashion. It’s become synonymous with terms like “utilitarian” and “rugged” and is the first kind of shoe that enters minds when thinking about raw denim.
Image Courtesy of Nordstrom
Wolverine Has a Reputation for Craftsmanship
Guys who buy Wolverine today like it for the same reason their grandfathers liked it in the early 20th century. Wolverine products are still handcrafted in Michigan with meticulous attention to detail to ensure the boots you buy today look, feel and wear exactly like the boots you bought last time.
They’re made of ultra-durable Horween leather and tanned in Chicago with a soft leather lining and innersole to keep feet and ankles comfortable and safe. The stacked Vibram heel is mounted on a classic Goodyear welted sole, which provides flexibility, durability and is somewhat impact absorbent. This kind of craftsmanship allows the boot to live even longer when resoled by a local cobbler.
To make matters personal, Wolverine also offers the classic 1000 Mile Boot in both D and EEE (extra-extra wide) widths for big and tall men. Not all feet are the same, but all feet can and should fit into one of these boots.
Personally, my Wolverine 1000 Mile Boots have walked on mountains, concrete, sand, dirt and snow. They keep my feet happy all day long, though I use them for fashion and not for work purposes. On that note…
Image Courtesy of The Next Gentleman
How to Style the Wolverine 1000 Mile Boot
Let me tell you first that I absolutely love denim — all washes of jeans, jackets and shirts. Basically, anything except for underwear (but I wouldn’t even completely rule it out).
These boots are the perfect complement to jeans. The one-two punch of Wolverine boots and jeans, with basically any top, looks like a well thought out casual outfit. Hell, even shirtless looks like you’re up to something good.
On my shoe rack, I have two pairs of 1000 Mile Boots: the classic in black and the cap toe version in brown. The combination of these two allows me to cover many boot-based bases, but I tend to prefer the brown cap toe. I find it’s more versatile when trying to match colors. It looks just as good with black jeans as it does with blue and works with nearly all kinds of shirts.
Image Courtesy of The Next Gentleman
The ultimate outfit for 2020, in my opinion, toes the line between hipster and mountain man. Basing the outfit around the brown cap toe boot, find a pair of medium or dark wash slim jeans and give them a couple of cuffs for detail. The pair I’m wearing in these photos is from a brand called Mugsy. Add a simple base layer. This can be a t-shirt or henley in either white or light grey. The top layer can be either a denim jacket in a contrasting wash from the jeans or a black and red check woven shirt. The shirt is the stereotypical “lumberjack” style, but it really does look good on most people. I like to wear beanies, and a red one suits this outfit perfectly. Also, if you have a beard, more power to you.
Buy:
Wolverine 1000 Mile Cap Toe Boot
$385.00
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