A Walk Down Memory Lane with Timberland: Over Five Decades of Standing Tall

As Hypebeast celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, we reflect on the brands that have left a long-lasting legacy within the streetwear arena. In 1973, Timberland’s Original Yellow Boot™ was born out of factory workers’ desire for a shoe that could do it all — something sturdy and waterproof that could support them through even New England’s harshest weather. The boot soon traversed through the Paninaro movement in Italy, London’s rave culture, and was proudly adopted by the ‘90s NYC hip-hop scene.

After proving its worth as a shoe that could transcend cultures and demographics, the Yellow Boot was cemented as a global statement piece for fashion lovers, blue-collar workers, stars and athletes alike. By the time the ‘70s and ‘80s eras emerged, its popularity urged the brand to release three new silhouettes: the Euro Hiker, the 40-Below Superboot and the 3-Eye Lug Handsewn Boat Shoe.

Now, Timberland continues to pen new chapters to that story with novel innovations and collabs with some of the hottest contemporary labels. Taking a walk down memory lane, we laid out some of the brand’s most coveted collabs and releases over the past two decades.

In 2009, Timberland introduced the first of many collaborations with Alife. The two labels’ most recent partnership yielded the 2021 Timberland x Alife Superboot, which showed a more extended upper. The brand also debuted collaborations with Stüssy and Colette in 2009 and 2010. Other standout collabs from the 2010s included the Supreme launches (a favorite for fashion and footwear collectors), Bee Line partnerships, and OFF-WHITE, Louis Vuitton and Jimmy Choo exclusive drops.

Bringing the brand’s legacy into today’s framework, Timberland continues to capture the attention of the masses through unforgettable campaigns, like its 2024 ICONIC campaign featuring Naomi Campbell, Teddy Swims, Slawn and Kai-Isaiah Jamal and the 2025 Advice of an Icon campaign starring Spike Lee, Kiko Mizuhara and Skepta. All of these initiatives show the evolution of Timberland through different eras — but one icon remains the throughline: the Original Yellow Boot™.

Learn more about Timberland’s legacy through the decades and the recently released Fall/Winter 2025 offerings on timberland.com.

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