PORTLAND, Ore. (May 12, 2009)—LFI, a subsidiary of LaCrosse Footwear, Inc. (BOOT), was created to acquire certain assets of Environmentally Neutral Design Outdoor, Inc. Under the agreement, LFI has obtained all the assets comprising END’s footwear business, including inventory, intellectual property and other assets for about $500,000. The transaction is expected to be completed by the end of the month.

END's Stumptown

END, a performance footwear company focused on product innovation and sustainability, began shipping product late last year to provide everyday athletes with high performance footwear that follows responsible design, and is innovative and technical.” in their June 2009 issue.

“END is encouraged to have the opportunity to continue our efforts to pursue our mission to develop environmentally neutral designed footwear,” says Andrew Estey, current CEO of END. “We believe that leveraging the back end operations and resources of LaCrosse will assist us in having a swifter and more significant impact on the footwear industry.” Once the acquisition is completed, the new LFI subsidiary will continue to sell footwear under the END brand name and will continue operations from END’s Portland, Ore., location. Estey and other key employees will relocate to the new subsidiary.

LaCrosse Footwear will help grow the END brand by investing in additional marketing efforts and leveraging its capabilities in IT, sourcing, quality, logistics and its international reach. The acquisition of END’s assets is expected to allow LaCrosse, which manufactures and sells footwear under both the LaCrosse and Danner brands, the opportunity to compete in new channels and product categories.

“We are excited about the new opportunities for growth with a younger consumer and new channels in the running and outdoor markets,” says Joseph P. Schneider, LaCrosse president and CEO. “There is also great potential to infuse the innovative work that END has done in the areas of development and design around sustainability and lightweight-breathable products into the LaCrosse and Danner brands.”

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