A refreshing change from the black stomper domination. And a far more pavement appropriate shoe than the trending ballet flats now London has fallen to sub zero climes. Let out the sigh of relief — the time has come to take your Timberland boots out of retirement.
The trusty, tanned ‘Yellow’ boots — which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, with a rave at London’s Fabric nightclub — are enjoying a renaissance amongst the younger style set. During the ongoing men's fashion month, the robust shoes have been a staple of the street style cognoscenti but have also, more importantly, had a strong presence on the catwalks.
At Pharrell Williams’ very buzzy, Western-inspired second Louis Vuitton menswear collection, shown on January 16, workwear had a starring role and Timberland was tapped as the collaborator. Here the 'Original' boots had an LVMH-elevation, complete with logo monogram prints and a swollen silhouette, fifteen percent larger than the classics.
The following day, at Wales Bonner — the brand by British designer Grace Wales Bonner, who is the brain behind the sell out adidas Originals collaborations — sent Timberlands out studded, peeking under baggy slacks. In London last season rapper Skepta, who founded fashion brand Mains in 2017, championed the boots, making a bespoke navy pair “which we styled really undone, laces loose with a little white sock in them — so it looked like you had just chucked them on,” says Jessica Skeete-Cross, ES Magazine's Style Director, who worked on the show.
“Timberlands never really went out of style, but they are definitely having another moment amongst designers,” Skeete-Cross continues. “On a practical level they are unreal — they never die.”
The latter offers explanation for the uptick in attention (Timberland was the fourth most traded shoe brand in 2023, as per StockX's annual report published today) — sturdy shoes, guaranteed to last years, are a safe investment in tougher times. “There is an increase in industry/audience appetite for authentic cultural storytelling with heritage brands and icon product built on quality and craftsmanship” says Timberland Senior Energy Marketing Manager, Jimmy Ong. “Our investment into the runway is directly tied to that shift.”
“People who are shying away from fast fashion are seeing the value in investing in functional fashion,” agrees influencer Parisa Wilkinson (@badkidhq), who has 174K Instagram followers and has long been partial to completing her look with a Timberland. “They’re a timeless classic, not just a current trend. I’ve had baby timbs that matched my mum and dads, and have kept to pass down to my future baby." As for wearing them well, she suggests pairing with "baggy jeans, or jorts, baggy mohair or a patterned jumper and then a bomber jacket — comfortable with a nod to 90s streetwear.”
Certainly, the A-listers understand their appeal. They were Rihanna’s second pregnancy shoe-of-choice last year, Emily Ratajkowski wears a cherry red pair to walk her dog in New York and Jennifer Lopez is a frequent wearer, to name a few. In London, model Kai-Isaiah Jamal counts themselves as a top Timberland fan — worn with denim and turquoise shearling jackets at The Standard, or all-white overalls at Dover Street Market soirées.
So dust yours off, or consider a first time buy. The Timberland cult remain content as ever with theirs — and now the fashion pack is catching on.
