Timberland’s Boots Just Got a Tasteful Minimalist Upgrade From This Japanese Brand

Timberland released a set of boots and shoes elevating the brand’s popular styles with minimalist, tasteful materials. The collection — a collaboration with Japanese brand White Mountaineering — features the Euro Hiker, the 3-Eye Handsewn Boat Shoe and the Motion Scramble Hiking Shoe in tonal gray colors with textured materials like hairy suede and ripstop Cordura. Each style also features Timberland’s TimberDry waterproof membrane, ensuring the wearer’s feet will stay dry no matter where they go.

The understated, stylish aesthetic is a calling card for White Mountaineering, which was founded in 2006 by Yosuke Aizawa. Prior to starting the brand, Aizawa worked at Comme des Garçons under designer Junya Watanabe, the protégé of CDG (and Dover Street Market) founder Rei Kawakubo, and spent four years in the Department of Product and Textile Design at Tokyo’s Tama Art University.

Aizawa perfected the interplay of boundary-pushing design and unique materials in the luxury space at CDG, but with his own brand he was able to explore his love of the outdoors while following three guiding principles: design, utility and technology.

We caught up with Aizawa over email to to learn more about his approach to collaborating with Timberland, and how the brand’s history informed his designs.

What inspired you to collaborate with Timberland?

We’ve long admired Timberland as a brand and we’re thrilled to collaborate with them on this collection. With over 50 years of experience in the outdoor heritage space, Timberland brought a wealth of expertise to the table. It was an incredible opportunity to merge our visions and bring classic Timberland silhouettes to life through the White Mountaineering lens.

Timberland

What aspects of Timberland’s design language are most compelling to you?

We deeply appreciate how Timberland’s designs seamlessly blend functionality with fashion. Their products cater to a variety of settings, including outdoor activities, urban environments, and casual wear. Collaborating with Timberland to merge the best of White Mountaineering and Timberland was an exciting opportunity to offer consumers a unique and compelling experience.

How did you integrate White Mountaineering’s technology-focused design sensibilities into the new styles?

We were able to integrate new technologies like TimberCush and TimberGrip into the Timberland x White Mountaineering Low Lace-Up Waterproof Motion Scramble. This shoe combines premium hairy suede and durable Cordura fabric, harmonizing style with functionality.  It’s a really unique look.  Additionally, we made sure to include Timberland’s TimberDry waterproof membrane in all three styles for extra utility. 

Timberland

Which of the three styles is your personal favorite — and why?

The Timberland x White Mountaineering Euro Hiker has special appeal, as the original Euro Hiker made its debut in 1988 and has since become one of Timberland’s Original Icons. It was thrilling to be able to showcase this style from the White Mountaineering perspective with a hairy suede upper and Cordura ripstop quarter panel, ensuring both heightened durability and aesthetic allure.

This collaboration will help White Mountaineering reach new customers. What do you hope they’ll discover about the brand?

We hope they will come to appreciate White Mountaineering’s minimalist approach to high-performance outdoor wear. It’s truly gratifying to connect with Timberland’s fans and witness their reactions to this collaboration.

Timberland

How do you hope people will wear these styles? What would make you most proud seeing someone wearing these shoes in day-to-day life? 

We can’t wait to see this collection out in the wild whether people are wearing them hiking or tackling their day in the city. We hope that it inspires explorers to step into a world where every trail becomes a runway.

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