BOOTS
OF
GOLD
PRESENTED BY
he Original Timberland Boot has been an essential part of everyone’s outfit—from the average construction worker to the young fly guy or girl trying to be seen—since 1973. Using injection molding technology and silicone-infused nubuck leathers to create a waterproof leather work boot, Nathan Swartz and his son Sidney revolutionized the footwear industry with the Original Timberland Boot.
T
The result of the duo’s vision was a creation that became ingrained in a culture that, in its infancy, adopted the boot as a part of its identity—hip-hop.
REMY MA
“I think there are certain things that signify hip-hop, and Timberland is one of them. I am a Timberland person. My first album, I had on a prom dress and Timberlands. That's what Timbs mean—they go with everything.”
Rapper/Personality,
Bronx, NY
MICHAEL
SAINTIL
“To me, it’s loyalty. When I think about Timberland, it’s something that’s loyal. Reliable. It’s a brand I can go to. They’re not going anywhere. We’ve taken something and made it our own. It wasn’t meant for us, but it now is us.”
Art Director/Designer,
Miami, FL
DJ PREMIER
“It has transcended outside of New York. You see people wearing them in every city, every country, because it’s a style and flavor that a lot of boots just don’t match. When it comes to hip-hop, and flavor and style, and looking fly, it’s a must.”
Producer, Brooklyn, NY,
by way of Houston, Texas
BEIJA
“I found a picture when I was four-years-old, wearing my dad’s size-12 six-inch classic Timberland boots. The brand has so much heritage, and it’s classic, and for someone like myself to be able to bring the vision to life, with such an iconic brand, means the world to me.”
Multi-Faceted Creative,
Atlanta, GA
IDK
“At the end of the day, when something originates, and parents pass whatever that cultural thing is down, and the newer generation comes, that always keeps the spirit alive if it’s done right.”
Rapper, Los Angeles, CA
JESSICA PAIGE
“I’ve always appreciated Timberland and what they stand for. Their mission, it really aligns with designing in a way that’s sustainable, and I feel that also resonates with me because I like to farm in a way that’s sustainable.”
Regenerative Farmer/
Entrepreneur, Chicago, IL
YOUNG DEVYN
“Timberland has acknowledged the hip-hop culture. That’s the most important thing. They’ve reached out to us artists to work with us to be able to show off our swag, based off the things we’ve done with the Timberland boot. It’s a part of the hip-hop culture; it’s just something that we’ve all seen. Whether it’s New York or wherever, just the style, the fashion eras, they’re a timeless shoe.”
Rapper, Brooklyn, NY
JUSTIN ZOLETA
“My motto for my company is, ‘Why settle for less?’ But that doesn’t apply for just our services. It applies to the type of equipment we use, including the uniform down to the boots. Honestly, over the past 17 years, I’ve been through hundreds of boots. I couldn’t find one that lasted past a year until I found these. For me, Timberland and its workwear category Timberland PRO have been the boots to use because I’ll never settle for less.”
Owner, JZ Auto Worx, LLC, New Jersey
PI'ERRE BOURNE
“I feel Timberland is a huge staple in hip-hop. It’s like a package—if you’re a rapper, you gotta have some Timberlands.”
Rapper/Producer, Queens, NY
HOOD HIKERS
“Tough times don’t last. Tough people do! Wearing my Timbs out in the harsh NYC winters made me feel tough. The comfort of confidently trekking in the snow to my destination without falling is the best feeling. Also, making it back home with warm and dried feet is an extra bonus.” - Samantha
Outdoor Guides,
Samantha, Brooklyn, NY &
Lynnardo, Portsmouth, VA
“Timberland created a good shoe—the silhouette is iconic of a boot. If you ask anyone to describe a construction boot, they would probably draw a picture of a Timb. It’s a simple design. You can dress it down or dress it up.” - Lynnardo
PHOTOGRAPHS BY
EMMA TRIM
Rolling Stone captures the faces and the soles that have defined 50 years of Timberland.
WRITTEN BY
SEAN MALCOLM
I think there are certain things that
signify hip-hop, and Timberland is one of them. I am a Timberland person. My first album, I had on a prom dress and Timberlands. That's what Timbs mean—they go with everything.”
To me, it’s loyalty. When I think about
Timberland, it’s something that’s loyal. Reliable. It’s a brand I can go to. They’re not going anywhere. We’ve taken something and made it our own. It wasn’t meant for us, but it now is us.”
I’ve always appreciated Timberland and what
they stand for. Their mission, it really aligns with designing in a way that’s sustainable, and I feel that also resonates with me because I like to farm in a way that’s sustainable.”
It has transcended outside of New York.
You see people wearing them in every city, every country, because it’s a style and flavor that a lot of boots just don’t match. When it comes to hip-hop, and flavor and style, and looking fly, it’s a must.”
I found a picture when I was four-years-old,
wearing my dad’s size-12 six-inch classic Timberland boots. The brand has so much heritage, and it’s classic, and for someone like myself to be able to bring the vision to life, with such an iconic brand, means the world to me.”
At the end of the day, when something
originates, and parents pass whatever that cultural thing is down, and the newer generation comes, that always keeps the spirit alive if it’s done right.”
Timberland has acknowledged the
hip-hop culture. That’s the most important thing. They’ve reached out to us artists to work with us to be able to show off our swag, based off the things we’ve done with the Timberland boot. It’s a part of the hip-hop culture; it’s just something that we’ve all seen. Whether it’s New York or wherever, just the style, the fashion eras, they’re a timeless shoe.”
My motto for my company is, 'why
settle for less?’ But that doesn’t apply for just our services. It applies to the type of equipment we use, including the uniform down to the boots. Honestly, over the past 17 years, I’ve been through hundreds of boots. I couldn’t find one that lasted past a year until I found these. For me, Timberland and its workwear category Timberland PRO have been the boots to use because I’ll never settle for less.”
I feel Timberland is a huge staple
in hip-hop. It’s like a package—if you’re a rapper, you gotta have some Timberlands.”
Tough times don’t last. Tough people do! Wearing my Timbs
out in the harsh NYC winters made me feel tough. The comfort of confidently trekking in the snow to my destination without falling is the best feeling. Also, making it back home with warm and dried feet is an extra bonus.”
Timberland created a good shoe—the silhouette is iconic
of a boot. If you ask anyone to describe a construction boot, they would probably draw a picture of a Timb. It’s a simple design. You can dress it down or dress it up.”
- Samantha
- Lynnardo
Since its own 1973 origin, hip-hop has made what is affectionately known as “Butters” a concrete signature look birthed in the Concrete Jungle. From Wu-Tang Clan to Jay-Z, the marriage between the two has been a fruitful one, and in turn, making the Original Timberland Boot a staple in streetwear. With both entities celebrating their respective 50th anniversaries, Rolling Stone and Timberland brought together a group of individuals from hip-hop dignitaries to multi-faceted creatives, skilled trades professionals, and well-known names in the culture to celebrate all things “Timbs” and share their thoughts about what the “Tree Logo” means to them and their style.
CREATIVE DIRECTED BY
JOSIE BUNCE
STYLED BY
TODD JOHNSON
MAKEUP BY
MIRNA JOSE