Willis's Bag

He stayed in Haiti for 2½ years walking up and down those hills, the mountainsides and in the streets of Port-au-Prince. He never left the island of Haiti once during his tour. When I picked him up at the airport stateside - he still had those boots on.

Why I Wear Timberland

Not sure how exactly how I became familiar with the Timberland brand, but it was not initially good. Some kinda of fracas with young shoppers/consumers at one of their stores in the D.C. metro  back in the early 1990’s.  This was when those wheat colored nutbuck ankle boots by Timberland started to become so popular.

 

What happened after that was both the adoption and co-option of Timberland’s boots almost as a uniform. They are now seemingly a mandatory part of any outfit co-joined with jeans or cargo type pants for males or females.

At the same time, I didn’t notice any moves by Timberland to market or advertise to this younger consumer market segment. Timberland’s brand appeared slanted towards European-American outdoor hikers and skiers.

I was kinda perplexed by this consumer demand curve and brand equation that from all appearances should have been a train wreck along anybody's marketing strategy.

No doubt, Timberland has made a mint in the urban marketplace and in more rural confines with wheat colored nutbuck boots. What I would like to know is not the market share, but the percent of sales revenue that has come from those fuzzy looking urban boots that I’m projecting should be enough to rebuild a country?

My Timberland Gear

I bought my first piece of Timberland gear, which was a short sleeved polo shirt, about 15 years ago by accident after finding it on a sale table. I liked the feel of the cotton, so my brand entry was by touch and price point. But at that time, what I didn’t realize was how the wicked backing on the inside made it both moisture absorbent and really cool.

It quickly became a fan favorite of mine while traveling across Europe by train. I think I had it on when I jumped off a moving local train in Mons, Belgium. I realized that I was headed in the wrong direction as the train started lurch forward, so I kicked the luggage out and jumped off, and needless to say I didn’t break a sweat in my Timberland shirt.

I even was wearing it when I came upon another polo shirt from the Vanrykel Tailor shop in Brussels along rue du marche-aux-herbes. The shirt was made in Barcelona out of some luxurious mercerized cotton that I had never seen or touched before.

Today, I’m not sure whatever happened to that shirt, but my old Timberland shirt is now at Roy’s getting a small hole repaired. Somethings you keep.

Timberland and Haiti

So, when my son said he needed a pair of good boots for his upcoming Peace Corp tour in Haiti back in the late 1990’s – guess what brand of boots I suggested? Not the wheat colored nutbuck Timberland urban boots, but some real Timberland hiking boots (something like their Flume Mid Hiker). Needless to say that he had them on when he flew out of LAX for Haiti.

My son worked in Haiti (See A Day in the Life) with small farmers in countryside on reforestation projects using Mango trees as cash crops. Haiti it is very hilly and mountainous, and deforestation remains a rampant issue. He stayed in Haiti for 2½ years walking up and down those hills, the mountainsides and in the streets of Port-au-Prince.

He never left the island of Haiti once during his 2½ stint, and when I picked him up at the airport back to the U.S. – he was still wearing those boots.

I was very heartened to learn of Timberland’s support of Wycleaf Jeans’ Yele Foundation despite what are now some admitted vagaries associated with past activities of the foundation. Timberland has been previously working with the Yele Foundation to help in reforestation efforts in Haiti, but now all their efforts have been redirected wholly towards relief efforts in Haiti.

One of the things you can do is go on-line and purchase one or several Yele/Timberland T-shirts that are offered with all proceeds going to the Yele Foundation. The one below is mine, and now you know why I wear Timberland.