Wolverine Worldwide has become the target of at least 90 individual lawsuits alleging that its now closed tannery in Kent County, Michigan, polluted drinking water with toxic chemicals used by 3M to waterproof its leather, starting with its Hush Puppies shoes in 1958. About 20 sites are said to have been contaminated with PFOS or PFOA before 3M changed its formulas twice. Wolverine has set aside a budget of $30 million for remediation efforts and $8-12 million for legal fees. While stating that some of the allegations are misleading or unsupported by facts, the company said it continues to work diligently with local, state and federal regulators to develop long-term solutions.

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