Exhibit 5

                                FOLEY & LARDNER

                                ATTORNEYS AT LAW

CHICAGO                           FIRSTAR CENTER                       SAN DIEGO
JACKSONVILLE                777 EAST WISCONSIN AVENUE              SAN FRANCISCO
LOS ANGELES              MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN 53202-5367             TALLAHASSEE
MADISON                      TELEPHONE (414) 271-2400                      TAMPA
MILWAUKEE                    FACSIMILE (414) 297-4900           WASHINGTON, D.C.
ORLANDO                                                          WEST PALM BEACH
SACRAMENTO

                               September 29, 1999


Johnson Worldwide Associates, Inc.
1326 Willow Road
Sturtevant, WI  53177

Ladies & Gentlemen:

         We have acted as counsel  for Johnson  Worldwide  Associates,  Inc.,  a
Wisconsin  corporation (the "Company"),  in connection with the preparation of a
Form S-8 Registration  Statement (the  "Registration  Statement") to be filed by
the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act
of 1933,  as amended (the  "Securities  Act"),  relating to 50,000 shares of the
Company's  Class A Common  Stock,  $.05 par value per share (the "Class A Common
Stock"),  which may be issued or  acquired  pursuant  to the  Johnson  Worldwide
Associates, Inc. 1994 Non-Employee Director Stock Ownership Plan (the "Plan").

         In this regard, we have examined:  (a) the Plan, as amended; (b) signed
copies  of  the   Registration   Statement;   (c)  the  Company's   Articles  of
Incorporation  and Bylaws,  as amended to date; (d) resolutions of the Company's
Board of  Directors  relating  to the Plan;  and (e) such  other  documents  and
records as we have deemed necessary to enable us to render this opinion.

         Based upon the foregoing, we are of the opinion that:

         1. The Company is a corporation  validly existing under the laws of the
State of Wisconsin.

         2. The shares of Class A Common  Stock,  when  issued  pursuant  to the
terms  and  conditions  of the Plan,  and as  contemplated  in the  Registration
Statement,  will be  validly  issued,  fully paid and  nonassessable,  except as
otherwise provided by Section 180.0622(2)(b) of the Wisconsin Statutes.

         We consent to the use of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration
Statement.  In giving this consent, we do not admit that we are "experts" within
the  meaning of  Section 11 of the  Securities  Act or within  the  category  of
persons whose consent is required by Section 7 of the Securities Act.

                                    Very truly yours,

                                    /s/FOLEY & LARDNER