Timberland

The one shoe that everyone thinks of when going in the rugged outdoors is Timberland. Their shoes can withstand any kind of torture, be it mud, rocks, water etc. And this has become the major reason for their success.

However, things were not always smooth for them, and they had to work for it. The company went from making an iconic yellow boot to a multi-billion dollar company. All this was possible due to hard work, determination and luck.

Timberland started as a dream of an immigrant who wanted to make a place for himself in the USA. In 1952, Nathan Swartz bought a half interest in the Abington Shoe Company. The journey from an immigrant to an apprenticeship to calling his sons to business speaks of the founder's character.

He Cortina there must be a shoe that could solve the problem of stepping outside in any weather. No matter how rainy or muddy the outdoors are, consumers should be able to work freely.

Thus, in 1973 the brand launched its original waterproof shoes called ‘Timberland’. Not only were they well crafted and durable, but they were also able to withstand any weather. The innovative shoes were made with an injection moulding machine that was relatively new in the market.

These new yellow boots set the standard for durability. They were loved by everyone, especially professional people working in the field. Every worker who wanted reliable gear bought the shoes. These boots became the reason for the immense ableness of the brand. Even so, it made them change the company’s name to Timberland.

Timberland was introduced as the brand for outdoor, and they knew it needed care. The brand understands the importance of trees and their impact on us. Not only do they clean the air, but they also provide us with food, prevent erosion and reduce stress. Since 2001, the brand has planted more than 18 million trees for a better tomorrow.

The journey started in 1993 when the company adopted Ceres. It is an environmental ethics program and tackles challenges such as sustainability, climate change, water scarcity, pollution and much more.

Fast forward to 1997, the company held an event for Earth Day. Staying true to their commitment, the company has caught every year of the volunteer event. Moreover, staff gets up to 40 hours of paid time if they are willing to work in these events.

Timberland has also partnered with several organisations that work for sustainable agroforestry businesses. They are also working tirelessly to bring back cotton farming to Haiti.

The company pledges to restore city greenery by creating spaces equivalent to its store sizes. It pledges to ripe more than 500k square feet of USA. And they are already well ahead of their tree plantation drive.

After their initial successful shoe, people started associating the brand with workers. It was soon seen as something labour would wear. However, the company started targeting itself as a fashion brand, and hip-hop helped them to do so.

Timberland shoes were known for their durability and were loved by people on the run.

Soon, the shoes were adopted by hip-hop artists as well. It is well said that people only buy stuff that they see someone they value buying. Soon the shoes were on the feet of every influential person. Moreover, rappers started using the short form ‘Timbs’ in their songs. Artists like Nas, Biggie Smalls etc., were seen wearing the shoe. All this became the reason for Timberland to shift from an outdoor choice to more of a style brand.

The company saw exponential growth in the 90s and early 2000s. Their profits increased from merely $80 million to a whopping $500 million. However, they continued beyond there and surpassed $1 billion in revenues by 2000.