Timberland, from a yellow boot to a worlwide fashion

Timberland, established in '70s, is an old iconic brand built on heritage, craftsmanship and authentic style. It is focus on footwear, but also sells apparel, such as clothes, watches, glasses, sunglasses and leather goods.

In 1952, Nathan Swartz bought half an interest in The Abington Shoe Company. Initially, they started out doing contract work for other manufacturers. After gaining interest in the company and noting it’s potential, he bought out the other shareholders in 1955.

Ten years later, the The Abington Shoe Company began to incorporate injection-molding technology into their footwear. The innovation enabled the production of virtually waterproof boots, varying with both a cold temperature or tropical weather option available. By 1969, they had moved into bigger premises in Newmarket, New Hampshire.

When Sidney Swartz introduced The Original Yellow Boot™ to the world in 1973, he hadn’t set out to create a new sensation, it just happened that way. 

in the same year, The Abington Shoe Company changed it’s name to The Timberland Company. This was due to the massive popularity of their waterproof boots, the same Original Yellow Boot™ that was originally created for New England's workes, built from 39 components constructed via 80 separate steps, driven by form, function and craftsmanship rather than the lure of fashion runways.

By the 1980s, Timberland was experiencing massive expansion both in the US and internationally. In 1984, they purchased a larger factory in Tennessee and relocated manufacturing while also expanded to international markets first in Italy, and later spreading across Europe.

Throughout the 1990s, the Timberland Company continued to see substantial expansion, adding more product lines such as backpacks, watches, and kids’ footwear.

The effective humble yellow boot took off as a style icon when US hip-hop artists started wearing them, giving them mass street cred, unlaced and perfectly matched to their style and larger-than-life attitudes. This trend and fashion appeal is just as relevant today with Jay-Z, Kanye West, Pharrell and Rihanna being spotted wearing a pair of yellow boots.

Nowadays, when it comes to collaborations, Timberland has quietly amassed quite the cache with brands like Supreme, Marni, Colette, Opening Ceremony, producing wide range of shoes for all tastes.