Image Courtesy of Timberland.
Fog, wheat light, and dull music blaring outside. Although it is already dark, the street is brightly lit and the passing cars are reflected in the puddles at the curb. A long queue has already formed outside the entrance to Fabric, an iconic location of London nightlife. The crowd: young and international. There are oversized jackets, tree-hugger shirts, colourful caps, one wears a straw hat, and on the feet – “Timbs”, of course. Tonight is no ordinary night at Fabric. Tonight is the birthday of the Timberland 6-inch boot.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the shoe, the US-American Brand invited only the finest people from the European creative scene: On the guestlist are names like Asap Nast, Kadeem Ramsay, Araloyin Oshunremi, and Isan Elba. Singer-Songwriter Pip Millett, Rapper Ivorian Doll, and former Love Island Candidate Dami Hope. While the guests could explore the nightclub and get drinks with a “Timberland” foam on top, various art installations inside of the location showed historical moments of the 6-inch. Whether as a shoe for workers and painters or as a classic nature-proof hiking tool. Additionally, British Artist Soldier got his stage in the middle of the crowd and customized the iconic yellow boot with colourful airbrushed images.
Image Courtesy of Timberland.
Image Courtesy of Timberland.
But those who already think this is a well-organised party should hear the highlight and centre point of the evening. Right before the doors opened for the public and the guests started to dance, chat, and laugh – just as it is supposed to be in Fabric – Timberland hosted the exclusive Premiere screening of the documentary “This is not A Boot: The Story of an Icon.” Directed by the New Zealander Tom Gould, the short movie tells the history of the original Boot through the experiences and influences of diverse communities and generations – the history of how a yellow boot became a global icon.
Everything started in New Hampshire, in the dark and wet landscape of the Timberlands, when Nathan Swartz crafted a waterproof leather work boot: the 6-inch boot. While Swartz always intended to create nothing else than a functional shoe, the boot quickly got adapted by the youth in America. From there it traveled to Milan and became an important statement piece of the Italian fashion scene.
LEFT Larry Clane. Image Courtesy of Timberland.
From Left to Right Goldie, Veneda Carter, Takayuki Ohashi. Image Courtesy of Timberland.
In the Eighties, the Timberland boots became the “Timbs” when the Hip-Hop community started to wear the shoes daily. The documentary interviews legendary artists from that time, such as Fat Joe, Goldie, and Misa Hylton. Ronnie Fieg remembers how Jay Z used to come to the Bronx every week and buy two new pairs of Timberland boots, while he left his old ones there. Images of Tupac show him wearing the shoes on stage, and Asap Ferg explains how they used to call their boots Mac n’ Cheese or Meat and Broccoli. After Hip-Hop, there was the Rave culture. Timberland spread from New York over to London, until it reached Tokyo.
Today the boot developed further with new colour palettes and new collaborations. Veneda Carter proudly presents her own adaption of the Timberland 6-inch Boot: the glazed donuts.
Although the documentary doesn’t start with a “once upon a time…”, the story of the Timberland sounds like a fairytale: A handcrafted work-shoe managed to connect people, subcultures, and creative minds from all over the world, over generations and over time. Timberland-Lovers like Goldie are right when they say the boot has an emotional value when they say: This is not a boot. This is more.
Bircide. Image Courtesy of Timberland.
LEFT Angie Martinez RIGHT Fat Joe. Image Courtesy of Timberland.
Watch the full documentary “This is not a Boot: The Story of an Icon” here.