Timberland is an iconic boot that has transcended race and social status. Its origins come from a New England company who wanted to make boots for white american workers. However this stigma was quickly broken in Brooklyn where the market for the boots diversified to all different sorts of people including rappers and hoodlums. Timberland at first was not in favor of this, because they did not want their boot to be in association with rap and the ghetto. Today, Timberland is a popular boot for workers, rappers and everyone in between.

Timberland boots were invented by Nathan Swartz in Massachusetts. He bought a company called Abington Shoe Company, which specialized in work-ware for “New England’s working man.” Nathan had been a shoemaker since he was young and found a way to connect rubber sole  to the leather upper part of a show, in a waterproof fashion. In 1976, Nathan’s shoe company released the first Timberland Waterproof Boot. The Timberland Tree logo on the boot became on icon for boots and became so popular that Abington Shoe Company changed their name To Timberland. When the 80’s hot, the boot shifted from strictly a work boot, to a fashionable show that everyone was wearing. Timberland was shocked when their sales tripled in the 90’s. The reason for this boom in sales was rap. Hit artists such as Biggie and Nas not only began wearing them, but also mentioned then in their music. Everyone from drug-dealers to construction workers made Timberland their first choice in shoes. Today Timberland is part of a multi-billion dollar corporation, all with rap to thanks for its popularity.