A Tale of Two Deadstock Grails: Wolverine x Filson and 100th Anniversary Bison Boots
Hey everyone, I wanted to share an in-depth review and the incredible backstory of two pristine pieces of boot history that I recently managed to add to my collection. We all dream of that legendary "unicorn" find. Yesterday, the boot gods handed me the keys to the kingdom. I walked into a local store's final closing liquidation sale and walked out with TWO pairs of legendary, ultra-rare deadstock Wolverine 1000 Mile boots in my exact size, US 9.5D.
Just to clarify right off the bat, these are absolutely NOT for sale! These are permanent additions to my personal rotation, and I am making this post purely to review the specifications and share the history with fellow enthusiasts.
The first pair is the legendary Wolverine x Filson 1000 Mile "Rowan" boots. This was a highly limited, premium collaboration that originally came out all the way back in 2012. Yes, these boots had been sitting perfectly preserved in their box in the back of this store's inventory for nearly 14 years, untouched by human feet. Because it was a final store-closing clearance, the store liquidated them for an unbelievable price of a mere 16,000 JPY (roughly 105 USD). One hundred and five dollars for a deadstock pair of Made-in-USA, limited-edition Filson tin cloth and Horween leather boots felt like a complete dream.
Right next to that box was another treasure: a deadstock pair of the Wolverine 1000 Mile 100th Anniversary Edition boots, crafted from genuine American Bison leather. This anniversary edition is an absolute grail for collectors. The texture of the shrank bison leather is unbelievably beautiful—thick, incredibly rugged, and featuring that deep, wild, distinct grain that you just cannot get on standard cowhide. This thing is an absolute masterpiece of raw, textured heritage footwear. And the clearance price tag on this absolute grail? A ridiculous 20,000 JPY (roughly 125 USD). Finding BOTH at the same time, in a universal golden size like 9.5D, for a combined total of 230 USD is statistical insanity.
When I brought them home and opened the boxes, the nostalgic scent of premium Horween leather, genuine bison hide, and classic Filson waxed canvas filled my entire living room. The contrast between the two pairs is phenomenal. The Filson Rowan has that rugged, vintage outdoor aesthetic with the combination of dark brown leather, heavy-duty tan Tin Cloth, and the clean white wedge sole. On the other hand, the 100th Anniversary Bison boot is a masterclass in pure, brutalist heritage texture with its traditional leather sole and beautifully unique pebbled grain. Both are built with a traditional Goodyear welt.
Since both pairs have been sitting in total darkness in a retail backroom for well over a decade, the leathers are naturally a bit thirsty. Before I take either of them out for their very first walk, I am going to give them a meticulous, gentle pre-wear conditioning routine using a very light coat of high-quality delicate cream and Lexol to restore the moisture and deep oils into the pores without altering those gorgeous original colors.
These boots were built to be worn, and their long retail retirement ends today. From this moment on, they are entering my heavy daily rotation. I am going to wear them hard, scuff them, and put them through their paces in rain, mud, and concrete. I cannot wait to watch the Horween Chromexcel and the rugged Filson canvas age alongside the incredible patina that only genuine American Bison leather can develop.
This mind-blowing haul is exactly why we stay completely obsessed with this hobby. I will definitely post update photos in a few months once I start breaking both of them in and they begin to show some real character.
Greetings from Japan! 🇯🇵🥾