Timberland Report

Catherina Gioino
NYC’s Gilded Age: Assignment 2
Timberlands’ Classic Boots
Basic Description:
Although Timberland has a numerous collection of boots, for all intents and purposes, the classic “Men’s
6 Inch Premium Waterproof Boot” is what will be referred to as “Timbs,” the common slang shortening
for the brand and those specific boots themselves. And again, the classics come in all different colors,
yet the “Wheat Nubuck” is what is considered the classic Timb boots, which runs in mens sizes 6.5 to 18,
in both wide and medium. The classics, which were designed over forty years ago, feature premium
leather with a padded collar to ensure a snug but comfortable fit around the ankle. It also has 400 grams
of PrimaLoft ECO insulation, which is made from synthetic fibers to make a compression resistant fabric.
At least half of its composition is made from recycled plastic bottles, and the fabric will hold in warmth
even when wet. The sole has a rubber lug for traction while the entire shoe has been special rustproof
components to make sure the shoe lasts long. The Taslan boot laces are made from 100% recycled nylon
that are guaranteed to remain tied, and there is extra support, called “exclusive anti-fatigue technology”
that allows for comfort to last the whole day. With four rows of stitching that resists rot, mildew, and
stress, the shoe has solid hex shaped brass eyelets that are rustproof, and all components of the shoe
are then sealed together to make sure they stay waterproof and other particles stay out. As for the shoe
design itself, the shoe is mostly the yellow wheat color, save for the black leather around the ankle.
There is also the Timberland logo on the outside side of the shoe as well as the sole of the shoe, and the
shoe has the “Timberland” name right underneath the logo.
Production:
Nathan Swartz started the shoe while at the Abington Shoe Company in 1952, in Boston. With the help
of Sidney and Herman, his two sons, they moved the company to Newmarket, New Hampshire.
However, it was not until 1973 that Sidney made the classic “Timberland” yellow boot known today.
Soon afterwards, the shoes went on to sell generally in the New England area of the United States,
solely for the purpose of wear in construction and other non-fashion areas. Nearing the mid-1980s,
rappers like Notorious BIG, Tupac, and the Wu Tang Clan began to wear the shoes as a fashion
accessory, even though the company wanted nothing to do with the new group of consumers. In fact, in
a 1993 New York Times article, Jeffrey Swartz, the grandson of Nathan, stated that “Timberland is being
adopted by a consumer that we didn’t know existed relative to our target audience . . .if you hear that
hip-hop kids are wearing Timberland boots and women are wearing Timberland boots with sun dresses
at a Donna Karan fashion show, that’s coin in current dollars. But how in the world is that sustainable?”
(Marriott 1993). Within the same article, Swartz stated that “So if you want to buy us and you are not
our target customer, we don't have a point of distribution that speaks to your life style. We are making
hip-hop come to our distribution… we are not able to execute trendy.” (Marriott 1993). Nonetheless, it
still grew to become a fashionable product as it was worn in Italy during the “Paninaro” movement,
where Italian youths would wear the shoes at “Al Panino” bar in Via Agnello in Milan, looking for that
“Made in America” look. After that, it went to Hong Kong in 1985 where it was seen as independence for
youths, even spurring the “Boot Your Dream” project in Taiwan. It eventually began to sell in stores like
Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue, which led to boots as a fashion.
Ironically, that “Made In America” boot switched to Chinese factories, especially the Pou Yuen Factory in
Zhongshan City, which is one of the largest footwear factories in the entire continent. By the way this is
going, there is no doubt that the company uses child labor and other demeaning forms of labor in order
to make the shoes. In fact, 80% of the 3600 workers at the factory (one out of 147 Chinese factories
listed in the 2014 Timberland Factory Disclosure report) are young women who make over 250,000
shoes a month, with about of third of them between 14 and 23 years old. Sometimes, these workers
could log in a 98 hour workweek by working seven 14 hour days. Worst of all? The workers are fired ta
26 since the odds are they will be married and might start a family, so, in avoiding maternity leave, the
company fires them before that is a possibility. The factories are home to dangerous chemicals and
smoke, with temperatures well above what might be considered bearable. They must also pay fines for
when they miss work or overtime, which, of course, is unpaid. (Pypniowski 2005). Their pay is so
obscene that workers in another factory are paid $0.55 per pair sold. However, the shoe material is
made with almost all recycled materials, having a Green Index of 8.5 with silver ratings from the Leather
Working Group.
Marketing:
Again, the boots were originally intended for working class New England men in blue collar jobs. They
were made in one shape, one color: the classic yellow waterproof boots. Many times, ads were placed
on television or in magazines, the most optimal way to spread the news about the boots. In fact, the
company actually made the first boot ad on television. There was even an ad placed years after the
boot’s debut that stated fashion boot fads change all the time, “but Timberland quality outlasts them
all.” (Leiss, Kline, Jhally, Botterill: Social Communication in Advertising.) “In one American state, the
penalty for exposing yourself is death.” Such screamed out another magazine ad from the 1970s about
the harsh effects of winter and what the Timberland boots and coats can do to help. Other ads like
“From the days when men were men. And so were the women,” or even the politically incorrect “We
stole their land, their buffalo and their women. Then we went back for their shoes,” all showed up
during the same era. After that, Timberland started getting bigger and the boots started to become
more fashionable. Even though Swartz refused to target hip-hop artists and listeners, saying “their
money spends good,” all the while questioning “but how in the world is that sustainable?” and deciding
he was not going to “build his business on smoke,” Timberland did start to experiment with other
products. Sneakers, coasts, socks, shoes for men, women, and children; all were released by Timberland
as they started to expand their market. Nowadays, one can get the shoes in any color or design, and can
even customize them, as opposed to the “Fordian” rule of one color, one make. Designers like Tommy,
Undefeated, Staple Design, Mark McNairy, Mastermind Japan and more have teamed up with
Timberland to produce one of a kind crosses with the shoe; their art not being worn on people’s feet.
One can even customize their shoes with bright colors like red or pink, and just recently, Timberland has
taken a turn for high heels, especially the “Timberland Heels” which are from designer Manolo Blahnik.
And depending on what style of shoes one gets, the original classic design has gone from $55 in the
1970s to $120 today.
Use:
Nowadays, people wear Timbs for fashion, with many getting the ideas from rappers and hip hop artists.
In fact, the first use of wearing Timberlands outside of blue collar workers was actually with New York
City drug dealers who had to stand outside all night and needed to have the “best possible footwear to
keep them warm and dry.” (Walker, Buying In). It seems quite obvious now why the company might
have wanted to distance themselves from the non-targeted audience. However, there is a certain
etiquette that comes with wearing the “Timbs” outside of the working force. For example, one of the
people I interviewed, Miguel Tapia, stated he doesn’t tie the laces all the way up to the top of the shoe.
“Only the second or third from the top, depending on the pants,” he stated. This was the same response
I received from Larson Holt, who stated that the pants made or broke the outfit. “I always tuck my pants
in. That means not wearing baggy pants, but usually joggers or skinny jeans.”
This is the same advice I found online at Complex.com where there is an etiquette guide to wearing
Timbs. Under the subtitle of “Tightly Laced Timbs Are For Nerds,” the site states that one must “undo
the factory lacing, and re-lace; making note to skip every eyelet. This also means stopping before the
topmost eyelet.” Therefore, the proper way of tying one’s Timbs are to have them not tight but rather
loose. Tapered pants are the key pants to wear while wearing Timbs, as whoever is wearing the Timbs
wants to wear “something that’s going to stack, or at the very least, fall within the collar of the boot.”
The site, besides also stating that one can dress up their Timbs with the proper outfit and confidence,
states that the tongue of the Timbs’ should always be in front of the pants, no matter what kind of pants
the person is wearing. “Depending on how you lace up your boots, you can either let the laces lie behind
the tongue, in front of the tongue—or you can simply fold the tongue down and keep it moving.”
This is all the more different than how Timberlands were originally invented, to be used in construction,
forest, and everyday dirty work. Boots that are six inches in height were perfect, according to an ad from
the time, for providing ample ankle movement while still providing enough support in case of slipping or
other instances where the sturdiness of the boot would come into question.
Meanings:
In simple, 1970s terms, owning a pair of Timberlands meant that you were a blue collar worker.
However, today’s ownership of wearing the boot can mean two things depending on how worn the boot
is. If it looks used, with paint, dirt, debris and other materials on the shoe, then it is obvious that the
person is a blue collar worker. In fact the idea of cleanliness is a major idea that comes up with owning
Timbs. Katherine Hacthoun said “I would grab some paper and wipe it off and make them clean.” On the
other hand, owning a pair of speckles shoes means that one is wearing them for fashion, and one can
afford to drop upwards of $150 for some pairs of Timbs. Sometimes it could also mean that they listen
to rap music, as said X, Y, and Z, who did not want to be named (but are pictured in front of John Jay
from the waist down). “I listen to rap, especially Biggie, but I also wear these shoes and see no
correlation between the two just because rappers were it before,” stated X. Thus, it can be stated that
the wearing of the Timbs depends on the person themselves and where they stand in society. However,
it is certain that those of a working class would wear them for construction, while others who wear
them for fashion would have the means to wear them as such.
Other interesting discoveries:
These have a lot more to do with famous instances of people wearing Timbs as opposed to Timbs
themselves. Besides the fact that Timbs aired the first boot commercial, it has gained major publicity
thanks in part to celebrities like Kanye West or Drake wearing them at sporting arenas and in their music
videos. Notorious BIG mentioned them in his songs while it was the inspiration for Beyonce’s shoes in
“03 Bonnie & Clyde.” In 1985, the company sold its one millionth pair, and in 1997, on the television
show Seinfeld, George Costanza wears Timberlands to gain an extra two inches of height, in the episode
“The Betrayal.” Also for the 9/11 attack, Timberland sent trucks filled with boots to Ground Zero to help
with 9/11 workers whose boots had melted in the wreckage.
Themes:
I chose to follow up the Brooks Brothers’ gloves with Timbs since they held the same kind of status:
gloves were almost universal to wear back then, but depending on what classes people belonged to, the
type and look of the gloves differed widely. The same thing applies to Timbs, that depending on what
class someone belongs to, the use of the Timbs are varied. Someone of the working class would wear
them to work while others who are well off could afford to wear them for fashion.
Works Cited
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It or Not, You Can (kind Of) Dress up a Pair of Timbs." Complex. Complex Media, 16
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