Primer wouldnโt exist without you, our readers.
I said it in my 10-year anniversary kickoff vlog.ย Iโll say it again, Iโll shout it from the rooftops of the internet:
You form the community that sustains what we do here. Iโm thankful and humbled by your passion.
Over the last ten years weโve grown from a few hits a day to a wide-ranging group of over 600,000 monthly readers โ and Primer continues to grow.
It blows my mind.
Each month for the rest of the year weโre giving away some of my very favorite tools, gadgets, and style items. Itโs not a contest. Thereโs no gimmick. Itโs just one way I can express my gratitude for all your years of support.
And Iโm super excited for our inaugural Primer 10 Giveaway because itโs one of my first and favorite pairs of boots โ and an all-American style icon.
Giveaway #1: Three Pairs of Wolverine 1000 Mile Boots
Wolverineโs flagship 1,000 Mile boot just seemed like the perfect style item for our first giveaway because, in many ways, they embody the Primer spirit: self-reliant, timeless, with a touch of polish.
Iโve had my pair since 2013, when I purchased them for the first Live Action version of our Getup series. ย Getting them was a big deal because they carry a pretty hefty price tag. But in doing so, I discovered one of the most versatile, well-made pieces of footwear you can invest in.
Why I Love Them: First, The Versatility
The Wolverine 1,000 Mile bootโs features have come to really define the category.ย The first thing you notice about the 1,000 Mile boot is it comes with a leather sole, making them more like dress shoes than most classic American work boots.
On the other hand, theyโre obviously not dress boots, either. Visually and physically theyโre boots, plain and simple.
Combine the leather sole with the Wolverineโs self-evident boot-ness and you have a remarkably versatile piece of kit. You can dress them up or down. Theyโre definitely suited to smart casual and extend to business casual if in good condition.
The Quality
The title of the original Getup in which I first featured the 1,000 Mile boot was titled, โDonโt Forget to Treat Yourself, Too,โ because at $365 ($350 back then) theyโre a big spend. They were a big spend for me then, and if I were ever to replace them (and I definitely donโt need to yet!) it would be a hit to my wallet.
But I have yet to meet a guy who regrets getting his pair of 1,000 Milers.
The key is in their quality construction. Theyโre almost entirely American made, with Horween leather out of Chicago, flat wax cotton laces from South Carolina (which also allow them to dress up a bit more), and designed in Rockford, Michigan.
My 1000 Mile boots may be 5 years old, but I still wear them, in fact, they were in yesterday's smart casual office outfit!
And, of course, they carry the gold-standard in boot construction: Goodwear welts, meaning they can be re-soled over and over and last you a lifetime, provided you take good care of them.
I never fail to be impressed by the leather. One neat trick: if you run your finger along the inside of the leather, it ever-so-slightly changes color – a sign of true quality.
![wolverine boot ad](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%2050%200'%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The Heritage
The 1,000 Mile boot is based on a model built first introduced in 1914. As a consequence, theyโve become a big part of the Americana style movement that sprouted 10 years ago and is still evolving.
This boot has, not surprisingly, spawned an entire line of 1,000 Mile models, and Wolverine now allows you to design your own on their website – a pretty cool feature if you want to mix and match different colors or styles of premium leather.
The First Primer 10 Giveaway, With More to Come
Iโm truly excited to be giving away three pairs of the Wolverine 1,000 Mile boot to readers. To enter, simplyโฆ
If you donโt win this month, stay tuned – weโre going to be doing 11 more in the months to come and Iโm already stoked about next monthโs!
Thanks again for 10 remarkable years of Primer.