Fred VanVleet Teams up With Roots to Relaunch Tuff Boot

First it was Shawn Mendes, and now Canadian retailer Roots is teaming up with another national favourite – Raptors player Fred VanVleet – to relaunch its Tuff Boot.

Launching today, the brand’s iconic footwear has been updated to include black and red plaid on the ankle cuff (to reflect Roots’ aesthetic as well as two of the NBA Champions’ signature colours), a D-ring eyelet, Thinsulate lining for warmth and slip-resistant rubber soles so you can confidently stomp around in them during winter.

Plus, VanVleet has turned his hand to design, as each pair comes with a pair of custom laces that feature the player’s signature, as well as a leather keychain tag and a limited-edition box finished with a Roots x Fred VanVleet logo. The style is available for both men and women.

In an official release, VanVleet said, “I’m excited to collaborate with Roots, a brand that shares my commitment to community and celebrating the authenticity of  a person’s story. That’s what makes you who you are. I look forward to wearing my Tuff Boots on my journey forward.”

In a video shared on Instagram, VanVleet said of his own journey, “This hasn’t been a straight and narrow path. There’s been so many obstacles, so many ups and downs. I just used it as another motivation to pick myself back up and go even harder.” He added that in his hometown of Rockford, it was easy to fall in with the wrong crowd, saying, “It’s way easier to walk that way. The hardest thing to do is rise above that.” The clip also sees the player revisit his old neighbourhood, as well as his high school. “These streets that I walk, the city that I come from, what I’ve ben through, trials, tribulations. That’s what makes you up into who you are,” he says at the end.

Roots is launching the new styles in store at Toronto’s Eaton Centre tonight – with a special appearance by VanVleet – at 530pm.

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