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Timberland celebrates 50th anniversary of original boot with launch of ‘Future73’

Tom Bottomley
09 February 2023

Timberland has kicked off a full year of 50th anniversary celebrations for its iconic six-inch yellow boot with the launch of ‘Future73’, inviting a team of six “future makers” to reimagine the boot for the future.

Marking five decades of the original Timberland boot, it's set to be a full year of celebrations and the collective of creative and designers assembled for Future73 include Christopher Raeburn, Founder and Designer of RAEBURN, Samuel Ross, Founder and Designer of A-COLD-WALL*, and Edison Chen, actor turned creator and Founder of CLOT.

Working in close partnership with the Timberland design team, each “future maker” has taken a unique approach, from incorporating new and unexpected knit technologies to exaggerated features like super-chunky rubber soles, to inspiring artwork coming to life, with the boot as the canvas.

The project also produced the first-ever premium 6-inch boot to be designed for disassembly through the brand’s Timberloop circularity platform.

The capsule collections of the six chosen designers and creators, which also include Founder of Knit In Motion, Suzanne Oude Hengel, artist Nina Chanel and designer, creative director and retailer, Humberto Leon, will feature complementary apparel pieces which will “drop” between March and October 2023.

Drieke Leenknegt, Chief Marketing Officer at Timberland, said: “What an honour it has been to work alongside these amazing creative minds. Each has taken the Timberland premium six-inch boot and transformed it through the lens of their own bold innovation and design ethos, giving us a view of what the icon of the future might look like. It’s our legacy, with their vision, and together we’re forging new frontiers of boot culture.”

In addition, each of the selected innovators had the opportunity to create a second future-looking footwear design, based on the Timberland silhouette of their choosing.

The Future73 capsules will be released in a series of seven drops throughout 2023 at some of the world’s most influential fashion and streetwear retailers, as well as Timberland flagship stores and on the brand’s website.

Each drop will have its own launch moment, inviting consumers to participate in creative sessions where the future makers will share their vision and “inspire the next generation of creative trailblazers”. Each will be supported by a robust digital and social media campaign, including photography and a series of video interviews discussing their Future73 process “to amplify storytelling and connect with consumers worldwide”.

Direct Injection Machine at Timberland

Direct Injection Machine at Timberland

As part of its 50th, the brand will also invite consumers to customise and personalise their Timberland boots like never before, in both digital and physical spaces. The first will be unveiled this spring, at the soon-to-open Timberland flagship store in New York, offering everything from boot cleaning and repair services to design customisations.

Later in the year, the celebration continues with a 30-minute documentary film chronicling the pivotal innovation, fashion, and cultural moments behind the original Timberland boot, as well as two special 50th anniversary boot collections.

It all culminates in October 2023, with celebrations and film screenings in cities that are central to the Timberland story, such as London, Shanghai, and New York.

First produced in 1973, the Timberland boot cemented the brand’s tree logo as a hallmark of craftsmanship, innovation and durability.

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