This just in: Roots is making boots again!
Recently we have been made aware of an article promoting our newest style boots for fall. It's a nostalgic time for Roots, as it has been four years since we last sold footwear in our stores. Check out this article for more information on what to expect.
Roots making boots again, this time with same soles as Canadian military
by Brenda Bouw (Canadian Press, Oct. 15, 2009)
Iconic Canadian retailer Roots is returning to the footwear business on which it was founded nearly 40 years ago by launching a boot with the same rubbe sole as that worn by troops in Afghanistan.
"We feel it's the finest sole we've ever had" Roots co-founder Micheal Budman said in a recent interview. "This is something we have big plans for."
Roots has an exclusive contract with Montreal-area company Soucy Baron Inc. to use the same rubber material it produces for Canadian military boots. Roots will make the new boots at its leather factory in Toronto.
"We think we have something nobody else has on the commercial market" Budman said of the new boots that will be available in stores across Canada later this month.
Budman said the sole is durable, won't crack in extreme temperatures and will keep people from slipping on ice.
The special soles can be found in two of the various footwear styles that Roots will unveil this fall: its new "Tuffer" brand for both men and women; and it's sheepskin boots, which are for women only. The price of the Tuffer boot is $218, while the sheepskin boots will sell for $288.
A Canadian military spokesman said its soliders use two types of boots: the Desert Combat Boot, or DCB 09, with a rubber sole made by Soucy Baron, a company that specializes in the custom rubber moulding.
The military also has a DCB 07 with a sole by Quabaug Corp., the North American manufacturer of Vibram soles out of the U.S.
This fall will be the first time in four years that Roots will sell its own footwear in stores, Budman said.
He said the company's decision is a result of customer demand and changes in technology that has made it "more viable" to compete in the footwear business once again.
"We are very proud to be making shoes in Canada," said Budman, who founded Roots along with Don Green.
Roots started as a shoe company in 1973 after opening its first store on Toronto's Yonge Street. Its first product was the so-called "Negative Heel," a shoe with an incline that cause the body's weight to shift more towards the heel.
"Those were a huge hit. They did very well, but they were a fad," Budman said.
Budman said Roots stopped making footwear a few years ago, due in part to rising manufacturing costs, and focused instead on its line of clothing and leather bags.
According to its corporate website, Roots has more than 120 retail locations in Canada and the U.S., and more than 60 in Asia.
Its products also have celebrity status, having been worn by several movie stars and professional athletes over the years.
This summer, one of the company's bags received an unexpected endorsement in the movie "The Hangover" where it was dubbed by a male character as his "man-purse" along the lines of the satchel worn by another fictional film character, Indiana Jones.
