Wolverine Worldwide

Two brands are better than one; See the latest collab from our friends at Saucony and Sweaty Betty!   According to Footwear News the "destined-to-sell-out" Saucony x Sweaty Betty ProGrid Triumph 4 "gives early 2000s Silicon Valley tech genius vibes with its chunky build and retro-futuristic feel... This new sneaker is versatile, playing just as nicely with a suit as it does with actual workout gear."    Shop the collab here before it sells out: https://lnkd.in/gK88Fm-k

Merrell's 1 TRL latest collab with Brooklyn-based Corridor is a walking shoe for all seasons and all reasons. Described as the "perfect walking shoe for the city" by Acquire Mag, the brands' Moab Winter Moc 3 features a hiking sole for all-day support in cityscape terrain, plus a comfortable style to integrate seamlessly with everyday attire. The shoe's look-and-feel is a true reflection of Corridor's independent brand — inspired by color, nature, music, spirituality and New York life. Available at: https://lnkd.in/gXfRr5yX

Our team members "went pink" this week (both in-person and remotely) to show solidarity for breast cancer research in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Going pink represents:   🩷 Awareness is critical; It helps promote early detection, which leads to better outcomes. 🩷 Supporting those impacted; Social support can help improve the quality of life for people with breast cancer, both during treatment and after 🩷 Helping to find a cure; While many forms of breast cancer are considered curable with certain treatments, a cure for advanced stages of breast cancer is still not found, leaving patients hopeless.   Shoutout to our Womxn's Resource Community for organizing programming throughout the month of October to benefit the Dr. Susan Love Foundation. Together, we will find a cure! 

Congratulations to our President and CEO Christopher Hufnagel for being named one of the most influential leaders in West Michigan by Crain's Grand Rapids Business based on the influence he's had on the local economy, communities, and people. Chris' selfless leadership and tenacity to 'be great' is felt by all he encounters.   Within his interview, Chris noted that the best professional advice he's received is, "embrace your role as a leader every single day." And when looking back on his career, he wishes he would have, "taken the time to better appreciate the journey. Each day is a gift and I wish I would have worked harder to learn and grow from the bad days and enjoy the good ones more."   Chris, thank you for all that you do. Let's go and let's (continue to) be great...   #WOLVER1NE

Congratulations are in order for our Sweaty Betty team for being named the Ecommerce Website of the Year by the Global Digital Excellence Awards 2024 and Fashion Apparel Website of the Year by the UK Ecommerce Awards 2024!   As the brand mentioned, "These achievements are a true reflection of us leading the way with sharp focus on the customer couples with a composable commerce approach, as well as the dedication and talent of our entire team..."

This week, Olympian, filmmaker, author, podcaster, and Merrell ambassador Alexi Pappas joined the Wolverine Worldwide team for a mentor Q&A coffee hour, joy run along the Merrell trail in our hometown of Rockford, Michigan, and a keynote presentation centered on Humans are a Verb, Not a Noun.    In her keynote presentation, Alexi shared that we have a choice to lean into the changes we experience; Stop trying to be right, and instead, embrace "when the wrong surprises you."    Alexi, thank you for spending your time with the Wolverine team! Your vivacious personality and empowering wisdom was felt by our entire campus.    Thank you to our Womxn's Resource Community for hosting this week's events.

Yesterday, our CEO & President Chris Hufnagel was the keynote speaker at a jam-packed The Economic Club of Grand Rapids luncheon held at the JW Marriott Grand Rapids. Chris spoke to Wolverine Worldwide's transformation journey since being appointed to his role in August 2023. He breaks down this journey into three chapters: stabilization, transformation, and inflection.    Thank you to Chris for the inspiring, vulnerable, and transparent conversation. Your leadership, paired with your support for our 4,000+ global team members, has truly transformed the Wolverine Worldwide team.

Thank you to our PRIDE Employee Resource Group (ERG) for hosting a well attended "Out & Proud" Happy Hour in honor of National Coming Out Day.   Acceptance and inclusivity matters in a workplace, and we're honored to have created a culture that supports and encourages our team members to be their true authentic selves.   We are WOLVER1NE.

Last month, eight of our team members from our U.S. offices attended the fifth annual National Black Footwear Forum (BFF) held at Pensole Lewis College in Detroit. More than 1,000 creatives of color and their allies attended the "Movement not a Moment" themed event to discuss their affinity for footwear, design trends, strategic career mapping for BIPOC professionals, and the state of diversity, equity and inclusion work across the industry. Our team members valued the inspiring discussions and connections made at this year's event and look forward to participating in future BFF events. cc: Paxton Bates, Janice Tennant, Thomas Kennedy, Tayler Arnold, Elhadji Mare, Jason Faustino, Deon Stevenson, Holly Young, James Allen

A footwear staple in the hiking industry, Merrell, has been gaining "cool" points within the lifestyle footwear industry, too. According to media outlet Complex NTWRK, "The biggest sign that the sneaker world has been flipped upside down is that Merrell has become cool. The brand, known for its slip-ons and hiking shoes made famous by old white guys, has stepped into the lifestyle realm. And with a lot of success."    Read the below article to learn why Complex names Merrell's Moab Speed 2 as one of the best outdoor sneakers right now and shop the entire line for instant cool-ness: https://lnkd.in/gj3EtuQN