WOLVERINE X HALO LIMITED EDITION COLLAB BRINGS FOOTWEAR GAMING FRANCHISE TO LIFE
We’re already seeing a trend where the metaverse and real life are crossing paths, particularly in the gaming and apparel industry. The latest entry is a collaboration between the iconic, 140 year old Wolverine boot company and 343 Industries’ Halo Franchise, dropping in sync with the launch of video game Halo Infinite’s Season 3, which went live earlier this month.
Last year, the launch of the Wolverine x Halo Master Chief boot sold out in less than one minute! We caught up with Scott Schoessel, Wolverine’s VP Marketing, on how the collaboration came about.
MR: How did you end up working with Halo?
Schoessel: We connected with the 343 Industries/Halo team a couple years ago when consumers were posting on social media that one of our Wolverine work boot videos looked like The Master Chief’s boots in the game. After a few conversations, we came up with the idea to bring a boot to life inspired by The Master Chief boot (launched March 2022) and shortly after, this new collection inspired by the Spartans and Halo’s new multiplayer game experience.
We’re always looking for opportunities to tie into culturally relevant properties and brands to reach new consumers and bring unexpected partnerships to life.
MR: What kind of thinking went into designing a boot that ties in with something that’s virtual? SS: Was this a way for Wolverine to start to step into the metaverse?
Tying our physical products to a digital experience is always top of mind. This was a particularly fun project to work on since the Halo property has so many unique differentiators and design cues to build off when bringing footwear to life. With this collection, Halo fans can express their daily style through boots inspired by Spartan armor.
MR: How are you marketing the boot to fans? Will they learn about it through the game somehow?
SS: We are leaning in on the digital side and collaborating with the Halo team to share the collection. Through their platform, ours, and gaming influencers, we have compelling content to engage with consumers around the drop.
MR: Who is this customer? Does he or she overlap with your normal customer or is this new territory?
SS: While we do have a bit of overlap, the Halo consumer is a newer audience for Wolverine and one we’re excited to continue to engage with beyond this collection drop.
This latest capsule — inspired by the footwear of Spartan supersoldiers in the United Nations Space Command — is a group of unisex boots in four colorways. The drop is tomorrow, Thursday, March 16th, on Wolverine.com, and the limited-edition boot retails for $175.
