If there was a footwear hall of fame, Timberland’s 6-inch yellow boots would surely be in it. At 51 years old, they’ve shape-shifted from workaday staple to hip-hop signature to celebrity cachet. Their new guise? A fashion-forward shoe, courtesy of Pharrell Williams, who rendered the classic boot in the Louis Vuitton monogram and various colourways at the brand’s autumn/winter 2024 menswear show, where one of the leather styles was carried in a matching trunk (even the tread bears the signature floral motif and serif LV font).
British Vogue’s head of editorial content, Chioma Nnadi, coined the reworked styles “hypebeast catnip” on Vogue’s The Run-Through podcast. “Those are going to fly!” she revered. The following day, decorated versions appeared on the runway at Wales Bonner, paired with the namesake designer’s denim and tailoring.
Louis Vuitton autumn/winter 2024 menswear.
Wales Bonner autumn/winter 2024 menswear.
Look closely at the Louis Vuitton collection and you’ll see that some iterations were worn nonchalantly undone – a styling detail that has been historically championed by famous wearers, including The Notorious B.I.G., Aaliyah, members of Wu-Tang Clan, Rihanna and J Lo, who also danced in a heeled pair from a Timberland collaboration with Manolo Blahnik in the music video for her 2002 hit, “Jenny From The Block”.
Aaliyah wearing Timberlands in 1995.
These comfortable, waterproof and hard-wearing shoes are steeped in ’90s and Noughties history, so it’s easy to understand why there’s been a Timberland redux, and why multiple names – Stüssy, Off-White, A-Cold-Wall and Supreme preceded the Vuitton and Wales Bonner collabs – have chosen to partner with the brand in recent years.
Timberland was up there with fellow footwear giants in StockX’s Big Facts: Current Culture Index 2024, where it came in fourth in the list of top-traded shoe brands behind Ugg, Crocs and Birkenstock, all of which have engaged in creative partnerships to entice new-gen consumers. Testament to their timeless appeal, there are countless life-long devotees who have worn theirs in spite of trend spikes.
Invest in and care for Timberlands and they’ll last for many years to come. After a worn-in look? Scour resale sites to find a perfectly-pre-loved pair.
