The Iconic Bootstrap: How Timberland Boots Left Their Mark on Hip Hop
With their rugged, no-nonsense look and reputation for resilience, Timberland boots have become an iconic part of East Coast hip hop over the past three decades. But these iconic boots were originally made for a very different purpose before chance and savvy marketing helped them leave an indelible imprint on the culture.
According to Tim Copeland in HypeBeast, Timberland boots first emerged in 1973 as a durable, waterproof work boot for manual laborers. The boots quickly gained a following among construction workers and tradesmen for their rugged build, anti-slip soles and reliable waterproofing. Their surge in popularity led the company to change its name from The Abington Shoe Company to Timberland in 1978 to emphasize the boots’ reliability and strength.
A Boot Takes Hold in the Big Apple
In the late 1980s and early ‘90s, Timberland boots developed an ardent following in New York City, becoming almost standard issue footwear among a demographic no one expected: drug dealers. As hip hop journalist Reggie Ossé noted in Complex, “there was a lot of money to be gotten at that time.” Flush with cash, NYC’s dealers were spending freely at upscale boutiques and on status symbols like Timberland boots to flex their newfound wealth. The boots retailed for around $100 — expensive for normal folks but pocket change for dealers moving weight.
As Complex writes, the flossy footwear caught on in New York’s inner city neighborhoods, soon becoming an urban style staple as dealer culture influenced fashion trends. The association of Timberlands with the drug trade also aligned with the boots’ daring, nonconformist aesthetics.
But Timberland boots didn’t just speak to dealers — they resonated with a generation of East Coast artists and fans drawn to hip hop’s messages of resilience and nonconformity.
Hip Hop Laces Up
According to DJ Clark Kent, Timberland boots first took hold in hip hop through artists from New York and New Jersey. The burgeoning hip hop scene drew strongly from the style and swag of NYC dealers and hustlers during these early years. Rappers from the era eagerly adopted Timberland boots both as fashion statements and symbols ofrising success in the music industry.
As noted by Jeff Carvalho in Highsnobiety, Nas helped seal Timberlands’ reputation in the 90s as he proudly rocked them during photoshoots and public appearances. The artist even memorialized the boots in his music, mentioning “Tims and tunics, keeping it street ghetto chic” in his track “Get Down.”
The trend caught on like wildfire, with Keith Nelson Jr. of AFK Insider noting rappers like the Notorious B.I.G and Busta Rhymes also wearing Timberlands constantly. Wu-Tang Clan, DMX, Onyx and later artists like Jay Z and Cam’ron followed suit. By boldly sporting Timberlands everywhere from music videos to concerts and magazine spreads, artists made the boots a sensational fashion craze in the hip hop world through sheer visibility.
Timberland itself was initially less than thrilled with its new reputation according to DJ Clark Kent: “Timberland did not want to be adopted by the hip-hop community…they wanted their clientele to be people who were blue-collar workers.”
But the company soon had an unexpected change of heart as it realized the profit potential of its new fanbase. Timberland began intentionally marketing its boots to hip hop fans, releasing rapper-themed boots and sponsoring events to solidify its street cred.
The strategy proved hugely successful, with Timberland boots becoming standard wardrobe across East Coast hip hop culture over the 1990s, according to Jeff Weiss in LA Weekly. Artists wore Timberlands everywhere from album covers to music videos, and name-dropped the boots in dozens of popular tracks. Fans eagerly followed suit, snapping up Timberlands to imitate their favorite rappers’ styles. The boots’ popularity hasn’t waned decades later, still considered wardrobe staples for many artists and an iconic element of East Coast style.
Laced for the Long Run
Over 30 years after first catching on in NYC, Timberland boots remain popular fashion statements and hip hop icons thanks to an influx of specialty designs and collaborations tailored for the culture.
Hip hop artists clearly haven’t forgotten Timberland’s roots and continue incorporating the boots into music: 50 Cent boasts about his “Timbs for my hooligans in Brooklyn” on In Da Club while Pusha T pays homage with “ Timbs for my ignant walk through Brownsville” on Nosetalgia.
Timberland itself has capitalized on this popularity over the years through increasingly bold boot designs targeting hip hop fans. As highlighted by Jeff Weiss for KicksFinder, Timberland regularly partners with streetwear brands and rappers on exclusive new takes that fuse hip hop style with the boots’ classic ruggedness. collabs include A$AP Rocky’s slime green velvet Timberland 6-Inch Boots and a Public Enemy Air Force 1 sneaker boot mashup. Pharrell even released glittery, translucent Timberland boots in partnership with Comme des Garcons.
And Timberland hasn’t been shy using hip hop artists as brand representatives: the company signed Cam’ron as an endorser in the early 2000s followed by Pharrell and Missy Elliott.
While Timberland still produces its classic work boots, the brand owes much success to its hip hop associations according to journalists like Vikram Bhattacharyya of Uproxx. Bhattacharyya notes collaborations with rappers routinely sell out due to die-hard interest in the urban market — for instance, releasing just 47 pairs of Pharrell’s exclusive Grammy Boots design crashed Timberland’s website from traffic overload.
Clearly Timberland’s hip hop makeover has only strengthened its mainstream popularity over time even as prices crept up, showing East Coast hip hop continues leaving its mark both in culture and commerce. The brand clamping down on corporate logo bootleggers indicates Timberland remains just as protective of its name brand recognition today.
Wrapping Up Hip Hop Heritage
In charting Timberland’s evolution from a niche work boot brand to an enduring status symbol embedded in East Coast culture, a few themes stand out.
First, the boots’ practical durability and no-nonsense look organically resonated with hip hop’s traditions of resilience, authenticity and anti-establishment expression.
Secondly, sheer ubiquity and visibility in 90s hip hop made Timberland boots prevalent through a monkey-see, monkey-do effect: as marquee artists wore Timberlands everywhere as a flex, fans understandably wanted to follow suit. Rappers bolstered this popularity by name-dropping the boots in music, ensuring the footwear remained front-and-center over decades.
And over the long run, Timberland itself helped solidify its street cred by fully embracing collaborations catering to hip hop style. The brand took notes from rappers pioneering boot variants mixing luxury and ruggedness for heightened allure.
Ultimately the Timberland boot has not just been a fashion staple — it’s become an iconic symbol woven into the very fabric of East Coast identity. The ripple effects over 30+ years shows just how powerfully personal style and music can influence broader culture when the stars align just right. Timberland may have started on construction sites but thanks to hip hop, it conquered cityscapes and suburbs worldwide.