The History of Timberland
Functional clothing or workwear has always been about serving the needs of workers. If workers weren't adequately dressed in protective clothing, they'd be at risk in the extreme climates and conditions of their jobs. Over time, people realized this need for protective wear and began building brands to fulfill it. Brands like Carhartt, Caterpillar, and Helly Hanson have been making workwear for over a century. Their primary objective was to create garments that protect blue-collar workers from harsh climates, and although they never intended to look stylish, people eventually began to see them that way. This includes the iconic brand Timberland.
Interestingly enough, I was recently in a debate with someone about whether Timberland can be worn year-round or only during winter. My response was, “Of course, you can wear it year-round, it's a timeless shoe.” It's worth noting that Ukrainian shoemaker, Nathan Swartz, in 1955, gained full control of the Abington Shoe Company after buying a 50% stake in the company in 1952. Timberland's mission is “to equip people to improve their world by creating outstanding products and making a difference in the communities where we live and work." The Swartz family did just that when creating the iconic boot because they discovered something groundbreaking during the process. Swartz discovered the technology of injection molding which is used to completely bind the base of the shoe to the upper part, making the Timberland boot the first shoe ever to be completely waterproof.
Thanks to this groundbreaking technology, Timberland was able to outperform its competition since they were the only company using such innovation. In 1968, Nathan Swartz stepped down as President of the company and passed it down to his son, Herman. Soon after this, the company began to experience success they had never had before, owing to their entry into the international market and a group of kids in Milan, Italy, who started to take a liking to the Timberland boot. These kids were called the Paninaro, and they sought out the boot as part of their ‘uniform’. During this time, Herman changed the name of the company from Abington Shoe Company to Timberland. Little did he know that another group of unruly youths were about to discover the boot and make it the timeless shoe we know today.
Hip-hop opened up a whole new market for many workwear brands. Inner-city kids in New York began to have a newfound admiration for these brands because they were becoming a part of the ‘costumes’ of their heroes: rappers. Before only blue-collar workers could appreciate these brands for their practicality, but fashion doesn't work that way. Fashion has always teetered the line between insanity and practicality. However, that didn't make much sense to other workwear brands. When publications began to question these brands as to why they didn't market to these new consumers, many of them didn't see financial success in that. They either wanted to supposedly stay true to their roots or just didn't see viable ways to market to a clientele that wasn't inherently dependable. They only saw them as a trend that would eventually pass, so if they poured their money into marketing towards them, it would be a waste. Unfortunately, Timberland felt this way too and didn't see a point to “build his business on smoke” as the executive vice president at the time, Jefferey Swartz put it.
It's disappointing that a brand like Timberland, which gained most of its popularity from hip-hop culture, didn't take it seriously enough. However, at this point, it's difficult to separate the two, and since then, it's safe to say that Timberland has changed its stance since the 90s. Thanks to hip-hop and many other factors, Timberland has taken itself from a humble family business to a multimillion-dollar conglomerate.
