financial highlights 2008 2007 2006 OPERATING HIGHLIGHTS (in millions) Revenue $ 1,220.6 $ 1,199.0 $ 1,141.9 Earnings before income taxes 140.6 138.6 122.3 Income taxes 44.8 45.7 38.6 Net earnings 95.8 92.9 83.6 Working capital 282.5 316.0 357.6 Cash provided by operating activities 93.5 123.3 109.7 Capital expenditures 24.1 17.9 17.1 KEY RATIOS Gross margin 39.8% 39.4% 38.7% Selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of revenue 28.3% 27.8% 27.9% Effective income tax rate 31.8% 33.0% 31.6% Net earnings as a percentage of revenue 7.9% 7.7% 7.3% Total debt to total capitalization 12.2% 2.2% 4.1% Return on equity 20.7% 19.1% 17.2% Return on assets 14.1% 14.1% 12.5% Return on invested capital 18.2% 18.0% 15.9% PER SHARE OF COMMON STOCK Diluted net earnings $ 1.90 $ 1.70 $ 1.47 Cash dividends declared 0.44 0.36 0.30 CORPORATE STATISTICS Shares used for computing diluted earnings per share (in thousands) 50,358 54,488 56,931 Number of employees at year end 4,578 4,651 4,532 Market Information Wolverine World Wide, Inc. common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “WWW”. The following table shows the high and low stock prices on the New York Stock Exchange and dividends declared by calendar quarter for 2008 and 2007. The number of shareholders of record on February 23, 2009 was 1,257. 2008 2007 Stock Price High Low High Low First quarter $29.17 $19.85 $31.08 $26.78 Second quarter 31.21 26.59 30.80 27.30 Third quarter 28.66 22.23 29.22 24.55 Fourth quarter 29.45 16.24 29.60 23.38 Cash Dividends Declared Per Share 2008 2007 First quarter $0.11 $0.09 Second quarter 0.11 0.09 Third quarter 0.11 0.09 Fourth quarter 0.11 0.09 A quarterly dividend of $0.11 per share was declared during the first quarter of fiscal 2009, payable on May 1, 2009 to shareholders of record as of April 1, 2009. Annual Report 2008 n 1 to our shareholders Footwear initiatives contributed to the Company’s year- over-year revenue improvement. Foreign exchange did not have a significant impact on full-year revenue, as benefits experienced in the first half were essentially offset by the dramatic strengthening of the U.S. dollar in the fourth quarter. An improved business mix and proactive supply-chain management contributed to gross margin improvement, marking our sixth consecutive year of gross margin expansion. Our strong earnings and close attention to asset Blake W. Krueger Timothy J. O’Donovan management generated $93.5 million of cash from operating CEO and President Chairman activities during 2008, marking the Company’s tenth consecutive year of strong cash generation. Since 1999, the Company has generated cash from operating activities of approximately $911 million. In addition to funding new 2008 Overview business initiatives, this cash was used to generate value for We are pleased to report that Wolverine World Wide, our shareholders through our share repurchase program and Inc. celebrated its 125th year in business in 2008, dividend payments. During 2008, we purchased 2.8 million posting its eighth consecutive year of both record shares of Company stock for $74.1 million and paid cash revenue and earnings per share. For the fiscal year, dividends of $20.8 million. Wolverine’s balance sheet is revenue grew 1.8% to a record $1.22 billion, and strong, our debt is low, and we are well-positioned for the earnings per share increased 11.8% to $1.90 per share. current economic climate. These results were driven by loyal consumers, located in 180 countries and territories, who purchased nearly From a shareholder value creation perspective, Wolverine 48 million pairs/units of our branded footwear and World Wide fared better than most, experiencing a 14.2% apparel during 2008. share price decline for the calendar year ending December 31, 2008. The broader markets, as measured by the Dow Fiscal 2008 was a year of extremes for the Company, Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500, experienced declines as our record results in the first three quarters were of more than 30% and 35%, respectively. followed by a softer fourth quarter as the economic recession extended to nearly all global markets. As Our ability to deliver record results in the face of poor economic news persisted, consumers continued unprecedented economic headwinds is attributable to our to curtail spending and retailers further scaled back outstanding team and its rigorous execution against our purchasing activities. diverse business model, which is multi-brand, multi-country and multi-category in nature. This business structure helps Despite these market conditions, our compelling mitigate business, fashion and country risk and has enabled lifestyle brands and diversified operating model the Company to generate strong results while weathering allowed us to achieve strong results in 2008. Our new the current economic storm. Merrell apparel, Wolverine apparel and Patagonia® 2 n Wolverine World Wide, Inc. Strategic Direction through footwear, and these connections are being We remain steadfastly focused on the execution of our further enhanced with the successful launch of strategic growth plan, with our vision to: complementary apparel and accessories offerings. With each now in its second year, Merrell and Wolverine EXCITE CONSUMERS AROUND THE WORLD apparel programs generated combined revenue nearly WITH INNOVATIVE FOOTWEAR AND APPAREL double the 2007 launch-year levels, as consumers THAT BRING STYLE TO PURPOSE reacted positively to the market-right designs that reflect each brand’s personality and heritage. We also Delivering this vision requires an unwavering dedication to plan to launch a limited line of Sebago apparel in 2009. brand building and operational and supply-chain leadership: n Controlled Distribution — Winning the last three Brand Building — Our portfolio of lifestyle brands is healthy feet at retail is key, and being the best in class at the and expanding and we continue to build on this foundation, point of sale is another opportunity to strengthen while simultaneously forging strong and lasting connections consumer connections. To that end, we are executing with our consumers. To achieve these objectives, we are strategies to engage consumers by providing them focused on growth in the following strategic areas: n Footwear Wholesaling — This has been the Company’s heritage and lifeblood for Our ability to deliver record results most of its 125 years. Wolverine World in the face of unprecedented Wide has grown from a small Midwestern manufacturing company into one of the economic headwinds is attributable leaders in the global branded footwear industry by leveraging its expertise as a to our outstanding team and its wholesaler. As in the past, future growth will come from our unwavering focus on rigorous execution against our product innovation and design excellence. These strengths were recognized not diverse business model, which only by consumers worldwide, but by the retailers who participated in Footwear Plus is multi-brand, multi-country magazine’s annual poll. Those retailers voted the Wolverine brand its tenth consecutive and multi-category. and the Merrell brand its eighth consecutive “Excellence in Design” award in the work and outdoor the opportunity to experience each brand’s ethos categories, respectively. first-hand through a range of retail venues showcasing the breadth and depth of our products. During 2008, n Apparel and Accessories — We are in the early stages of we opened our first Merrell flagship store in San evolving Merrell, Wolverine and Sebago from footwear- Francisco. This store, featuring footwear and apparel, only to multi-category global lifestyle brands. Each of is performing well and will become the model for these brands has forged strong consumer connections future Merrell stores. Annual Report 2008 n 3 This Merrell store is part of the Company’s owned- retail business, which is comprised of a network of 92 retail stores and several mono-branded and multi-branded consumer-direct websites serving the United States, Canada and United Kingdom markets. Including our owned retail business and the stores operated by our international distributors and licensees who market our brands, we collectively operate more than 4,900 brand-specific concept stores and shop-in- shops in key markets around the world. Globally, 144 branded concept stores and more than 1,200 shop-in- shops were opened last year under our brands. We are leveraging these consumer-direct initiatives with a goal of doubling the number of dedicated retail locations. Expanding our global consumer-direct footprint is a major component of the Company’s strategic growth plan. Operational and Supply-Chain Our Vision is clear and Leadership — Our Company employs a proactive approach the Wolverine team is to drive operating efficiencies and extracts maximum value focused on the future. from our supply chain. We initiated and completed the consolidation of our United Kingdom-based operations into a single central London location. This initiative, which has placed all brands under one roof, is already paying dividends in the form of operating synergies and cross-brand communications. Our London operation is also the site of a new state-of-the-art product design nest which will be the source of new concepts for all of our brands. In January 2009, we announced details of the Company’s strategic restructuring plan. This plan is the result of an in-depth strategic analysis of our brand groups and operating assets, and is the current and final phase of a two-year program primarily focused 4 n Wolverine World Wide, Inc.