The 10 Best Timberland Collaborations of All Time, Ranked
Plenty of brands have put their own spin on this classic work boot. From Off-White to Supreme, these brands did it best.
Image via Complex Original
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When it comes to winter footwear, few styles compare to the versatility and timelessness of Timberland Six-Inch Boots. What began as a style for the construction site when it debuted in 1976 has since transitioned into a staple in the world of streetwear and fashion. And while they will never go out of style, stylish celebs like Lil Yachty making them a go-to in their footwear rotation and luxury brands like Louis Vuitton revealing official Timberland projects have put the nubuck boots back at the forefront of the style conversation.
Timbs. Butters. Constructs. Wheats. They go by many nicknames depending on where you're from. Plenty of other boots are available on the market. But when the temperatures start to drop, it's all but guaranteed that the number one boot you will see being laced up is Timberland's buttery nubuck option.
While nothing can ever really compare to the classic wheat and black colorways, there are still a solid group of collabs that have released over the years that have remixed the iconic look in their own way. For the sake of this ranking, we stuck to pairs that have been released at retail. So even though London-based artist SOLDIER worked officially with Timberland on his amazing customs, they are not included. From David Z's unconventional color up that shook up New York City back in the '90s to colorful velvet options from Virgil Abloh, check out our picks for the top 10 Timberland collabs below.
10.David Z
Release Date: August 1998
The one that started it all. Back in the '90s, David Z was a go-to spot to grab your new pair of boots if you were in New York City. When the downtown retailer flipped Timberland's iconic construction boot with a grey upper in 1998, it was something that nobody had seen before. Expectedly, the shop's clientele went crazy for it. Ronnie Fieg, who got his start as an employee at the famed NYC establishment recalled the pandemonium on his blog back in 2010.
"Until today i have yet to see a reaction to a release of any shoe including Jordans and Yeezys to match up against the craziness I witnessed behind these joints. I remember selling over 450 pairs of these out of one door on the first day and we ended up selling over 10,000 pairs in a little over a month," said the Kith founder. "I personally sold these to Jay, Puff, Mase, every member of Wu Tang, Red Man, Mobb Deep, AZ, Nas, and Guru."
Plenty of more exciting flips have happened since, but when it comes to Timberland collabs, we have to give credit to the originator.
9.Colette
When: July 2009
The legendary Parisian boutique was well known for its unique collaborations. And while its simplistic take on the Six-Inch boot doesn't deviate much from the pairs you go can grab at your local mall, it was effective. Colette gave its Timbs a signature blue collar, laces, and stitching. A debossed Colette logo appeared on the tongue. Only 40 pairs were ever released alongside a three-eye lug with similar embellishments. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. However, there were some other collabs that were just more memorable, so this one sits lower on our list.
8.Stüssy
When: November 2013
Of course a legendary brand like Stüssy has a dope Timberland collab under its belt. The streetwear OG has been responsible for plenty of memorable collaborations in its 40-plus-year history, including numerous installments with Timberland. Its 2013 take on the work boot is arguably one of its best. The Los Angeles-born brand kept things simple by adding its No. 4 logo to the tongue of three colorways: wheat, black, and olive green. Gold detailing on the eyelets, Timberland logo hardware, and a medial zipper are just enough to makes them feel more special than an everyday pair of Timbs, but ultimately the tweaks are not substantial enough to warrant a higher slot.
7.A-Cold-Wall*
When: May 2023
Dr. Samuel Ross' experimental take on footwear is a love-hate type of thing. While we don't necessarily love everything A-Cold-Wall* makes, this remix on the Six-Inch boot was a winner. Wheat nubuck is replaced with veg tan leather. The black leather collar is replaced by tonal suede. Ross also played around with some of the paneling on his version to differentiate it even more. The biggest design tweaks are the removal of a traditional lacing system in favor of folded leather eyestays and addition of a medial zipper to help with slipping these on. Sometimes changing too much about such a classic silhouette can be detrimental. This is the opposite. Minimalism at its finest.
6.Ronnie Fieg
When: December 2013
Ronnie Fieg’s Kith has grown into one of the biggest brands in streetwear, giving its take on multiple winter boots along the way, but Fieg’s Timberland collab from 2013 still holds up as one of the best. Fieg decided to fuse two of Timberland’s most iconic silhouettes, the 40 Below and Six-Inch boot, to create a shorter version of the “Super Boot” in celebration of its 40th anniversary. While the classic wheat (complete with a sheepskin liner to assure peak coziness) and darker “Cinnamon” colorways were both great, the deep red “Plum” nubuck option stands out as the best of the bunch. For anyone who’s not quite confident enough to pull off these insanely high (10-inches to be exact) 40 Belows, Fieg’s homage to the ’90s New York City classic is the perfect alternative.
5.Jimmy Choo
When: November 2022
When you hear "Jimmy Choo," you probably immediately think about the brand's coveted high heels. But Jimmy Choo has also made a solid pair of Timbs on a couple of occsasions. For this particular styling, we can thank Shanel Campbell. The luxurious flip on the classic style was meant to represent the Black women, particularly in New York City, who have played a role in turning Timberlands into a fashion icon. Luxurious tweaks include an ankle collar covered in Swarovski crystals and a metal "JC" lockup replacing the usual embroidered Timberland tree. If for some reason you still think Timbs are only for the construction site, a tastefully bedazzled version from a luxury brand should change your mind.
4.Veneda Carter
When: September 2022
If your Instagram Explore pages are similar to ours then it feels like you can't stop seeing Veneda Carter's Timberland collab popping up. Drake and Lil Yachty are among some of its most notable fans. Sure, some people like to clown these by calling them "Glazed Timbs." We can't help but laugh at the nickname, but that doesn't mean these aren't still a great interpretation of the classic boots. For the most part, the appearance is similar to the usual wheat Six-Inch, but these have swapped out the nubuck for patent leather. The shiny material famously used by NIGO on his colorful Bapestas throughout the 2000s featured on a pair of wheat Timbs feels like a collission course of some of hip-hop's best style eras. As unexpected as it might sound, it works. This was Carter's first footwear collaboration. First time's a charm, I guess.
3.Off-White
When: November 2017
Off-White's twist on Timbs gets points for its creativity. It's certainly the most unorthodox approach to the work boots that appear on this list, which is why we have it slotted as high as we do. Virgil Abloh swapped out the nubuck typically seen on the Six-Inch with a soft velvet. Classic wheat, black, green, and orange colorways all released, but the Nickelodeon slime green pair is the best of the bunch. You don't see these worn often these days, but hopefully we will see them resurface on someone soon. These are the true definition of a neck breaker.
2.Supreme
When: December 2023
Supreme has done plenty of Timberlands over the course of its 30-year history. There's been polka dot pairs with Comme des Garçons SHIRT and American flag variations a la Juelz Santana in the "Dipset Anthem" video. But if you ask us, the most recent entry to its lengthy portfolio of Timberland collabs is its best. Supreme covered the nubuck boots with an embossed diamond plate pattern. While the baby pink pair is great , there's something about the classic wheat colorway and its versatility. The all-over pattern means that these are capable of being a statement piece or the most understated part of an outfit depending on what you pair them with. Every time we see these, they just get a bit better. We know that Supreme isn't selling out at lightning speeds like it was a few years ago, but hopefully that didn't mean you slept on these.
1.Louis Vuitton
When: Fall/Winter 2024
How could we not? The fashion world can't stop talking about Louis Vuitton Timberlands ever since Pharrell revealed them on his @skateboard Finsta days before his third presentation with LV in Paris. This wasn't the first time Pharell had collaborated with the brand. His label Bee Line has released various projects since 2012. Despite being the first official collab, this also isn't the first time the spirit of Louis Vuitton has been infused with the construction boot. Just look at 2009's Epi leather version from Concepts or the bootleg LV monogram Timbs you can certainly still find on Canal Street if you look hard enough.
Yes, the LV Timbs are going to be pricey (the ultra limited brown monogram version is rumored to retail for $60,000 although nothing has been confirmed yet). But what these represent, hip-hop's long and complicated history with luxury fashion, makes them incredibly important even if they won't necessarily be the easiest to own. And come on, LV monogram embossed on some buttery nubuck just looks amazing.