As Roots celebrates its 35th anniversary, the brand attracts recognition as one of the top iconic names in Canadian business. BY ROBERT SARNER
The timing was excellent, albeit accidental. In a salute to the enduring success and influence of Roots, the respected Marketing magazine selected the company as one of the top 10 marketing icons in Canada of the past 100 years. The spotlight on Co-Founders Michael Budman and Don Green and their formidable achievements is part of a special issue of Marketing that came out this month – coincidentally within days of the 35th anniversary of Roots.
“Michael Budman and Don Green have had a huge role in defining Canadian style on both the domestic and world stages,” writes Marketing journalist Matt Semansky, who labels Roots ‘a global retail icon’. “With a deft combination of authenticity and celebrity, Budman and Green have turned their passion into a nation-defining brand.”
The recognition may be gratifying for Don and Michael but, true to form, they’re not resting on their laurels. They’re too busy looking ahead, keeping Roots on course and planning its next season and beyond. It’s hard not to marvel at their drive and staying power after all these years. Their dedication and passion for what they do is as strong today as when they first opened for business in August 1973.
“When we began Roots, it was really from the seat of our pants,” says Michael. “We had no real vision of the future, no business plan. In my wildest imagination, I never then envisioned Roots taking on the life that it did and becoming this amazing adventure that to this day still excites me.”
Excitement and adventure have always been part of Roots, along with other elements key to its success. At the heart of the company is a commitment to quality and integrity coupled with an appreciation of people, a love of Canada, and a strong accent on health, wellness and the environment. Add to the mix a seemingly inexhaustible positive energy and the result is a winning combination. 
“This is a wonderful time to take stock of our storied, colourful past while at the same time realizing that the future has never been brighter for Roots,” says Don. “It’s fulfilling to know that moving forward we’ve put together the best team we’ve ever had in the 35-year history of Roots.”
Michael likens the evolution of Roots to a life-changing excursion. “Roots has always been and continues to be a great journey that’s highly gratifying for so many reasons. First and foremost, I think of the incredible people that we’ve met, worked with and learned from over the years, who have contributed so much to the success of Roots. It’s especially satisfying for us that Roots has added to the quality of life for so many people over the years.”
Don cites another important aspect of Roots. “We’ve always considered Roots more than just a business,” he says. “It means a lot to us that Roots is also a source for promoting positive social change in terms of health, wellness and the environment and helping the community. Likewise, we’re proud that Roots has showcased Canada in a way that was unique and original.”
In terms of its size and worldwide stature, Roots today is a far cry from its early days. With little idea of what awaited them, Don and Michael began Roots on August 15, 1973 with a tiny shoe store in downtown Toronto. Their only product was a shoe with a negative heel. On their first day, they sold seven pairs. Within weeks, the shoes took off, becoming one of the biggest fads ever in the history of North American footwear.
Michael and Don have not looked back ever since. For all the vagaries and changing trends of the fashion business, they’ve always had a keen sense of how to keep Roots relevant. Although the product line has evolved considerably over the years, the overriding spirit, principles and aesthetics behind the brand have remained constant.
Integrating this consistency with a creative flair and an open-minded, unorthodox approach to business, Michael and Don have built a truly original Canadian brand, one of the few major Canadian brands that has not sold out to foreign interests and still manufactures many of its products domestically. 
Their achievements are by now the stuff of Canadian business legend. From their early championing of the environment to their innovative store design, from their groundbreaking work developing custom-designed co-branded merchandise for the entertainment industry to attracting heavyweight celebrities to Roots, from showcasing Canadian imagery and motifs as part of its merchandise to extensive community support, Roots is nothing if not a trailblazer.
It all began in Ontario’s Algonquin Park where Don and Michael first discovered Canada when they attended Camp Tamakwa while growing up in Detroit. That’s also where, years later, they first conceived of Roots. The Park remains their main source of inspiration, intrinsically intertwined with the soul of the company. This summer, like they’ve done for decades, they’ve enjoyed their time in the Park where each has a rustic cabin on Smoke Lake and both spend countless hours swimming, kayaking, canoeing and windsurfing – and discussing plans for new projects for Roots.
Earlier this month, they were photographed on Smoke Lake for an upcoming issue of Maclean’s magazine in which they will be featured. These latest media accolades follow a recent flurry of praise for Roots.
In the newly released book, Ikonica: A Field Guide to Canada’s Brandscape, Roots figures prominently. In the chapter: Movers and Shapers, the authors state: “While Roots is continuously reinventing itself (negative heel shoes are a distant memory) based on its keen cultural radar, the business hews consistently to its core values and lifestyle orientation.”
Indeed, these core values count for a lot at Roots. Auspiciously, the values that have governed the company since its founding – a commitment to active, healthy living, respect for the environment, support for the arts, strong community spirit and a passion for Canada and the outdoors – are even more popular and relevant today than they were back in 1973.
This year in early June, Interbrand published a study entitled Competing in the Global Brand Economy: Best Canadian Brands 2008. Roots was among the country’s leading companies profiled in the report. “No company has done a better job at incorporating the essence of Canada’s natural landscape into its brand,” the report said. “Ensuring that each new product being launched would not appear out of context in Algonquin Park, the birthplace of the Roots vision, is one example of its commitment to the brand.”
Last year, Brand Finance Canada published an extensive study of the country’s top companies. Entitled Canada’s Most Valuable Brands 2007, the results attracted prominent media coverage. Among the findings, Roots was ranked the top brand in the retail sector and fourth overall.
It all adds up to an impressive 35 years of achievement and ahead, keeping on keeping on, building the future of this great brand. Long may they thrive. – R.S.
This year’s Writer’s Guild of America strike may have pushed back the premiere of USA Network’s latest tv series The Starter Wife; but there was no delay in ordering custom-made Roots leather items for the cast. 
