Championing Women in the Skilled Trades, Wolverine Launches Woman-Made

In time for Women’s History Month, Wolverine Boots and Apparel, the 140-year-old boot maker, has launched Woman-Made, spotlighting the remarkable accomplishments of women in the skilled trades. Rooted in a rich legacy of honoring the American worker, Wolverine aims to build a more inclusive future through an effort to add “woman-made” to the dictionary.

Debuting today, the campaign’s anthem video challenges the default use of “man-made” and introduces “woman-made” as a synonym to highlight creations by women. In addition to featuring prominent structures led by women including the Brooklyn Bridge, the video also highlights key figures in the realm of “woman-made” accomplishments, including Anna Connelly, inventor of the fire escape, and Mary Katherine Harbin, leader of an all-female paving crew.

Complementing this effort, Wolverine launched a public petition on Change.org calling for the addition of “woman-made” into the dictionary, a term currently absent. By seamlessly integrating “woman-made” into everyday language, Wolverine aims to address the historical underrepresentation of women’s achievements and empower more women to pursue fulfilling careers in the skilled trades.

“From building historical landmarks to pioneering concepts integral to everyday life, women have been pivotal in shaping our world,” said Lauren King, Director of Brand Marketing at Wolverine Boots and Apparel. “In addition to our goal of getting ‘woman-made’ added to the dictionary, we hope to inspire girls and women around the globe to have the confidence to pursue any passion, especially within the skilled trades where women are drastically underrepresented.”

Among those highlighted in the video is real estate developer Mika Kleinschmidt, renowned for designing and building custom homes on HGTV’s “100 Day Dream Home.” Together with her husband, Brian, they run Dirt 2 Design, a consulting real estate business based out of Tampa, Florida, that has a similar mission. As part of this campaign, Wolverine partnered with both Mika and her husband Brian to not only spotlight one of the leading women in the trades, but to encourage men to be strong allies to the cause.

“As someone who’s built quite a lot, it’s mind-boggling to me that ‘woman-made’ isn’t in the dictionary,” said Mika Kleinschmidt. “It’s no surprise to me that my husband, Brian, is one of my biggest champions – but I hope many more men will join this movement. Together, we can redefine success and create a world where ‘woman-made’ is widely used and girls and women of all ages can see their achievements being celebrated.”

Statistics show that over half of American homes are sustained by women, yet they remain underrepresented in the skilled trades. To help change that, Wolverine is partnering with Girls Garage, a design and construction school for girls and gender-expansive youths ages 9-18, and donating $25,000 to the organization. Founded in 2013, Girls Garage is the first-ever design and building workshop for female-identifying youth in the United States.

To support the cause and add your name to the Change.org, please visit wolverine.com/woman-made.