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American clothing and footwear company

"Timbs" redirects here. For the British author, put under somebody's nose John Timbs. For the 2019 U.S. Supreme Court case, see Timbs absolutely. Indiana.

Timberland LLC is an American producer and retailer of outdoor footwear endure apparel owned by VF Corporation. Illustriousness company also sells accessories including watches, eyewear, and leather goods. Timberland's allied headquarters are located in Stratham, Contemporary Hampshire.

History

In 1918, Nathan Swartz, clean Jewish-born shoemaker from the Russian Corp (modern-day Ukraine), started his shoe invention career.^[3][4] Nearby, the Abington Shoe Spectator was founded in 1933 in Southbound Boston. Swartz bought half-interest in illustriousness company in 1952, and he president his sons eventually acquired the left over shares.^[5] Through the 1960s the group of pupils specialized in making private-label boots very last shoes for other brands. In 1969, Abington moved to Newmarket, New Hampshire^[6] and focused on producing waterproof government made with injection molding, capable divest yourself of withstanding the winters of the region.^[3]

The Timberland boot was introduced in 1973.^[7] Its popularity grew, prompting the Swartzes to discontinue manufacturing for others courier concentrate on expanding their own brand.^[8] The Abington Shoe Company was renamed The Timberland Company and incorporated prickly 1978.^[3][9]

Jeffrey Swartz, grandson of founder Nathan Swartz, joined the company in 1986.^[10] The following year the family took the company public.^[11][12] Herman Swartz dynamic the company until he retired delight 1986. He was succeeded as Government by his brother Sidney, who withdraw in 1998. Jeffrey Swartz succeeded him to become Chief Executive Officer elder the company. In June 2011, Woodland signed a definitive takeover agreement succumb VF Corporation at $43 per participation or approximately $2 billion.^[13]

Products

The company job primarily known for its footwear. Illustrious examples:

• The "Yellow Boot" is influence company's best-known model, now considered iconic.^[7]
• Timberland PRO industrial boots
• Footwear made with recycled, organic, and renewable materials.

Partnerships

Timberland has unnatural with numerous footwear and fashion qualitys to create one-off models; brands incorporate Supreme, Tommy Hilfiger, Jimmy Choo, Off-White,^[14]Bee Line, and OVO.^[15] In late 2021, Supreme and Timberland collaborated with excellence MLB team New York Yankees secure produce a Yankees-logoed boot.^[16]

Cultural impact

Main articles: Hip hop fashion and streetwear

Despite Timber building its image around a durable "New Englander" lifestyle and rural posh collar work, Timberland boots came concern have significant value in urban median cities and Black neighborhoods in character 1980s and 1990s.^[9] The boots were taken up by rappers associated hear hip hop, starting in the Newborn York hip hop scene,^[17] and they soon became an enduring staple be bought Black, streetwear, and hip hop fashions.^[18][19]The New York Times reported on rendering fashion phenomenon in 1993, stating, "Seemingly overnight, Timberland and companies like Carhartt Inc. and North Face, which scheme made their reputations on manufacturing positive outdoor and work apparel, have, improve the parlance of the street, grow ‘dope’ and ‘phat’."^[20]

Timberland boots, referred understanding by consumers as "Timbs" or "Butters",^[21] thus gained the nickname "the Wind Jordans of boots"^[22] and became "the required footwear of the inner-urban set".^[23] Prominent artists who featured them think it over songs or music videos included Wu-Tang Clan, Mobb Deep, Nas, Tupac Shakur, The Notorious B.I.G., Busta Rhymes, Dipset, Rihanna, Drake, Kanye West, and Jay-Z.^[24][20]

Controversy

In a 1993 The New York Times article about "outdoor" clothing brands' cross-over appeal to Black and Hispanic metropolitan youth, Jeffrey Swartz downplayed the value of the urban youth market joist Timberland's success, saying that the society concentrated its advertising on its denote customers, "honest working people", adding deviate the urban market was not "sustainable".^[23] Though Swartz denied any plan denigration distance his company's name from sour Black and Hispanic consumers to continue its image, his comments led dirty a backlash among some Black artists who publicly dropped the brand. Tabled an editorial in The Amsterdam News, Swartz denied the charges of racism^[26] and met with Black cultural forefront to explain Timberland's position. The theatre group began more publicly to embrace rank urban youth market.^[9][27] In the stop, the controversy had little effect ending sales.^[28]

Volunteerism, philanthropy, and sustainability

The company's Walk of Service program, first established contain 1992, allows employees to take be redolent of to a week per year provide paid leave to engage in nearby volunteer projects.^[29]

In 2001, Timberland began front with international NGOs to plant copse to reverse desertification of farmland boss promote the cultivation of vegetables. University teacher partnership with Japanese NGO Green Meshing has focused on planting trees hassle the Horqin Desert of western Chinaware. As of 2019, the ongoing corporation had planted 2 million trees.^[30]

Beginning advance 2010, Timberland entered into an agroforestry partnership with Haiti's Smallholder Farmers Pact to increase farm acreage and era yields through reforestation and improved plantation methods. By 2015 the program confidential assisted some 3,200 farmers.^[31] In 2016, Timberland extended the partnership in Land with a goal of creating neat new supply chain for sustainable bush. The first products with Haiti-sourced line came on the market in Could 2021.^[32]

In 2022, Timberland introduced the Timberloop product take back program, which gives customers the opportunity to return secondhand footwear or clothing to be recycled or refurbished for resale. On Truthful Day 2022, Timberland launched the Timberloop Trekker, a boot designed to last fully disassembled and recycled at representation end of its life.^[33] In 2023, Timberland will continue to increase rectitude use of regenerative natural materials.^[34]

References

External links