ROCKFORD, Mich.—Bates Footwear, a division of Wolverine Worldwide, has won a five-year, $30.5 million contract from the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency to manufacture Temperate Weather boots for the U.S. Marine Corps.
Bates will begin providing the boots during the company's third quarter ending Sept. 30, which corresponds with the government's fourth quarter, according to Andrew Fowler, vice president and general manager for Bates.
Although the Temperate Weather boot is a new production line for Bates, the company produced a similar Temperate Weather boot for the USMC between 2007 and 2014, according to a Bates press release.
“We are very proud to once again provide the United States Marine Corps with a dependable, enduring Temperate Weather boot,” Fowler said in the release. “Bates remains committed to upholding the values of the United States Department of Defense and the Marine Corps.”
The boots will be manufactured at the Bates/Wolverine facility in Big Rapids, Mich., of 100 percent American-made materials, the company said. Each boot will be constructed with Vibram “Sierra” soles for superior grip and longevity, it said.
Bates is the leading supplier of uniform footwear to all branches of the U.S. military, according to company publicity.
All of Bates' contracts with the U.S. military are under the directives of the Berry Amendment, which requires that the U.S. Department of Defense buys only domestically manufactured products in various categories, including clothing and footwear.