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Canadian footwear manufacturer announces launch of its COMPANION boot

STONEY CREEK — Cold-climate footwear brand, Baffin, announces the commercial launch of its citizenship boot, COMPANION. The company says that 100% of profits will be donated to Protect Our Winters Canada – a community advocating for policy solutions to climate change.

Originally launched in Fall 2021 for donation only, COMPANION was created to provide cold-weather footwear to those in need. A companion to those who may not have the means or capabilities to equip themselves with the gear they need in the winter, the development of the program was initiated through Baffin’s Corporate Citizenship Employee Advisory Group (EAG). By way of request, Baffin has since donated 2,500 pairs of the cold-climate, rubber boots to Ukrainian refugees through UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.

Baffin says that for every pair of COMPANION sold, Baffin will donate at least one pair to a North American organization in need.

Manufactured in Baffin’s Stoney Creek, ON factory, COMPANION is built from a combination of recycled materials, regrind rubbers and virgin compounds – with members of Baffin’s workforce donating their time to production.

Baffin says they are attempting to repurpose as much rubber as possible to reduce waste with regular production boots, using 5% to 10% regrind materials. COMPANION uses regrind material from completed boots that did not meet quality standards and have been placed into a regrind machine to be recycled and used again. COMPANION is comprised of 50% regrind material, supplemented with donated compound care of Baffin suppliers, Felix Compounds and Aurora Plastics.

“While we continue to protect those in need from the elements of a cold Canadian winter, we are now able to take the Citizenship Boot Project one step further and help protect the elements themselves, as we dedicate resources to help the fight against climate change. We’re passionate about continued cold-climate exploration and protecting the diverse Canadian climate for the future,” says Mark Hubner, Senior Vice President, Commercial at Baffin. “By partnering with Protect Our Winters Canada, a community advocating for policy solutions to climate change, we are dedicated to not only helping people thrive in the cold but making sure the cold exists for years to come.”