TIMBERLAND BOOT COMPANY "COUNTERPANE" SERIES

Timberland Boot Company is the new premium, heritage brand from Timberland. Dedicated to exploring the authentic values in work wear, TBC makes hand-crafted shoes and vintaged denim that combine the best traditions of mass manufacture with earlier ideals of craftsmanship. Production and marketing for TBC is unique and distinct from the parent group. Also, TBC is not carried in normal Timberland shops (except the one in east London), but rather retails in topline stores like Barneys NYC.
And as you can see here, Timberland Boot Company was the footwear of choice for American designer Richard Chai when he styled his Fall 2010 runway show.

Timberland Boot Company's "Counterpane" series is a minimalist and streamlined collection that emulates the practicality of the 1900s America at the dawn of a new age. The Industrial Revolution marked a change in how goods were made -- how craftsmen used their hands and tools; how new technology manufactured goods. Goods were affected by the elements, normal wear, repair and even adapted for new uses. This ethos -- along with attention to quality and thoughtful, one-of-a-kind aging touches -- has been absorbed into the Counterpane series, culminating in a range of simple yet elegant, classically stylish and durable shoes.
(RRP for TBC's high-end shoes starts at US$250.)

TIMBERLAND
Timberland's roots were planted in 1918, long before Nathan Swartz moved from a town near Chernobyl (in the former USSR) to the U.S.A. and bought a half share in a Massachusetts enterprise, the Abington Shoe Company. In 1973, the name “The Timberland Company” was formally adopted. (“Timberland” was originally the name of the company’s big-selling waterproof leather boot.)
Despite hitting some fashion hiccups along the way, Timberland has come back strong to being a successful integrated outdoor lifestyle brand. Timberland's recent collaborations with various high-profile tastemakers (Wyclef Jean, Opening Ceremony, 10.Deep, Stussy, Collete) have also served the company well, resulting in the rediscovery of this heritage brand by many style-conscious shoe and outdoor lovers.


Timberland may be old, well established and mature, but it’s wonderful to see that it still has a tremendous sense of creativity and humour. "We build things to last. Maybe we should start a bank." "One American institution that won't fall apart." Last year, Timberland launched a clever ad campaign that took a barbed prod at USA’s infamous banking sector and credit crunch, integrated beautifully with the Timberland promise.


Trivia: Many of Timberland's boots have rubber soles produced from reconstituted tyres -- being “green” is both a selling point as well as an ethical aspiration for the company.

*Also in-store: Timberland red boat shoes!