Press Release

ROCKFORD, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 27, 2001--Wolverine World Wide, Inc. (NYSE:WWW) announced today the appointment of Jacques Lavertue to the position of President of the Merrell Performance Footwear brand (www.merrellboot.com). Lavertue joined the Merrell team in 1988 and has been the business' Vice President and General Manager since Wolverine World Wide acquired Merrell in 1997 from Tropsports Inc. The Merrell brand is part of the Company's Performance Footwear Group.

"Under Jacques Lavertue's leadership, Merrell Performance Footwear has grown into one of the most influential brands in the footwear market today," stated Bill Brown, President of Wolverine's Performance Footwear Group. "Growth has been nothing short of spectacular, as consumers around the world are responding to the styling and performance of Merrell's unique product offering, thus contributing to a fourfold increase in sales over the past three years."

"Wolverine World Wide has provided the Merrell team with the business structure and freedom to realize our full potential," stated Lavertue. "Prior to the acquisition, we had the management team and vision, but lacked resources to fuel growth in any meaningful way. Wolverine supplied capital, sourcing strength, industry influence and, most importantly, support for our strategic plan. While all this contributed to our success, we also deeply appreciate the many consumers around the world who have taken our brand and made it a part of their lives."

Lavertue concluded by saying, "I am honored to be named President of the Merrell brand and will continue to work with our team to innovate, create, surprise and delight everyone who touches our brand."

Wolverine World Wide, Inc. manufactures and markets a wide variety of branded footwear and performance leathers. Major branded products of the Company include: Bates® Uniform Footwear; Caterpillar® Footwear; Coleman® Footgear; Harley-Davidson® Footwear; Hush Puppies® shoes, slippers, and accessories; Hush Puppies® Homeware™ slippers; HYTEST® safety footwear; Merrell® performance outdoor footwear; Stanley®Footgear; Wolverine® Boots and Shoes work, sport and active lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories; and Wolverine® All Season Weather Leathers™. The Company's premier comfort technologies include: Air Paradise, Bounce® , Comfort Curve® , Wolverine DuraShocks® and DuraShocks Motion Control™, Wolverine Fusion™ and Zero-G™.

Look for us on the web at www.wolverineworldwide.com