Sorel
Encyclopedia
Sorel is a line of winter boot
s, currently a subsidiary of Columbia Sportswear
. The boot has long been popular in Canada
for its high quality and warmth. The Sorel line was introduced in 1962 by Kitchener, Ontario
-based Kaufman Rubber Co. (later known as Kaufman Footwear), and became the world's best-selling cold weather boot. In the summer of 2000, Kaufman Footwear went bankrupt, and the Sorel trademark was bought by Columbia Sportswear. Following Columbia's purchase, the Sorel brand was expanded to other products, such as nylon outerwear and other work-related garmets. Prior to Kaufman's bankruptcy, Sorel boots were made only in Canada; today they are produced outside of Canada.
Boot
A boot is a type of footwear but they are not shoes. Most boots mainly cover the foot and the ankle and extend up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is clearly distinguishable from the rest of the sole, even if the two are made of one piece....
s, currently a subsidiary of Columbia Sportswear
Columbia Sportswear
Columbia Sportswear Company is a United States company that manufactures and distributes outerwear and sportswear. It was founded in 1938 by the late Paul Lamfrom, father of present chairperson Gert Boyle. The company is headquartered in Washington County, Oregon, in an unincorporated part of the...
. The boot has long been popular in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
for its high quality and warmth. The Sorel line was introduced in 1962 by Kitchener, Ontario
Kitchener, Ontario
The City of Kitchener is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It was the Town of Berlin from 1854 until 1912 and the City of Berlin from 1912 until 1916. The city had a population of 204,668 in the Canada 2006 Census...
-based Kaufman Rubber Co. (later known as Kaufman Footwear), and became the world's best-selling cold weather boot. In the summer of 2000, Kaufman Footwear went bankrupt, and the Sorel trademark was bought by Columbia Sportswear. Following Columbia's purchase, the Sorel brand was expanded to other products, such as nylon outerwear and other work-related garmets. Prior to Kaufman's bankruptcy, Sorel boots were made only in Canada; today they are produced outside of Canada.
Sorel Caribou Boot
During the mid 80's and the 90's the Sorel Caribou was one of the most popular winter boots, due to it's very good quality and cold weather performance. After Kaugman's bankruptcy the boot went from being produced in Canada to being produced in China, and with that massive move of production location also came the massive quality issues. Now the Caribou boot gets a lot of negative reviews due to it's lack of waterproofness and quality. The quality gap between the Caribou produced in the mid 80's to 90's and the one produced now are very extensive.External links
- Sorel Web site
- History of Kaufman Footwear (Sorel) from University of Waterloo Libraries
- http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2010/08/23/story7.html