Copywriting for Timberland

FUTURE73 PROJECT CALLS ON SIX GLOBAL FUTURE MAKERS TO REIMAGINE THE ICONIC BOOT AND CATALYZE IT INTO THE FUTURE AS PART OF THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

SAMUEL ROSS BRINGS A-COLD-WALL CRAFT, FUNCTION AND ARTISANSHIP TO BESPOKE TIMBERLAND® x SAMUEL ROSS FUTURE73 COLLECTION*

MAY 2023: Today, Timberland launches the second Future73 drop, in partnership with A-COLD-WALL* and its founder, Samuel Ross. The Timberland® x Samuel Ross Future73 Collection reimagines The Original Timberland® Boot, the 3-Eye Lug Handsewn Boat Shoe, and archival apparel designs, rooted in the potential of function and ergonomics.

When approaching the Future73 project, award-winning British designer Dr. Samuel Ross stayed true to the concept of his revolutionary brand A-COLD-WALL* (ACW), renowned for its material innovation and investigation, combined with explorations of Brutalist and abstract forms and precise execution.

“My earliest memories of Timberland go back some 20 years — to when I was a child traveling around the Caribbean, where my family is from, and seeing the brand’s influence on the culture. In places like Barbados and Saint Vincent there is a deep respect for heritage and ensuring the sanctity of craftsmanship. The opportunity to work on a project surrounding the anniversary of the 6-Inch boot immediately pulled a heartstring,” said Samuel Ross, Founder of A-COLD-WALL*.

Through Ross’ lens, the Timberland® Premium 6-Inch Boot is stripped back to reveal clean, minimal lines and a zip closure in a ‘Natural’ colorway, laying bare Timberland’s half-century of bootmaking expertise. Ross has also reimagined another Timberland icon — the 3-Eye Lug Handsewn Boat Shoe — in black ballistic nylon, complete with Timberland and ACW co-branding, with both styles utilizing Timberland® Premium leather.

Born in Brixton, London to second-generation Windrush parents of Caribbean descent, Ross was largely raised in Northampton, a town in England’s East Midlands with a rich cobbling history. A reverence for craftsmanship — as he experienced during his time prototyping at ‘The Shed’ maker space at Timberland’s New Hampshire headquarters — is therefore central to his approach as a designer. Ross’ Future73 collection is rooted in the potential of function and ergonomics, bringing artisanal techniques to the fore.

“All the designs have a level of resistance applied to them; it is less about making fashion items than it is about making exceptionally well-made goods to be worn as functional utility tools for the body,” said Samuel Ross, Founder of A-COLD-WALL*.

For the apparel capsule, Ross immersed himself in Timberland’s archives to reinterpret never-before-seen pieces, many of which he finished using hand-dyeing techniques to establish craftsmanship as a thread of continuity between footwear and clothing. The collection includes a Hunting Parka, Cargo Shorts and Insulated Vest in ‘Forged Iron’, crewneck sweatshirts emblazoned with the Timberland® tree logo in shades of ‘Avocado’ and ‘Orange.com’, and a knitted sweater in ‘Lemon Pepper’.

The Timberland® x Samuel Ross Future73 Collection will be released in two drops, with the first in May and the second in August 2023. The first drop ranges from $220–$900 and is available from May 12 at A-COLD-WALL*, and from May 16 at timberland.com, Timberland® stores and select retailers worldwide.

ABOUT TIMBERLAND

Timberland is a global outdoor and work-inspired brand on a mission to inspire and equip consumers to step outside, work together and move the world forward. Based in Stratham, New Hampshire, Timberland also has international headquarters in Stabio, Switzerland and Shanghai, China. Best known for The Original Timberland® Boot — the iconic yellow work boot introduced in 1973 to take on the harsh elements of New England — Timberland today offers a full range of footwear, apparel and accessories and is widely recognized as the arbiter of boot culture.

At the heart of the Timberland® brand is a vision for a greener and more equitable future, realized through a long-standing commitment to responsible product design, environmental stewardship and community impact.

Built for Adventure. Built for Impact. Built for the Bold.

To share in Timberland’s mission, visit a Timberland® store, timberland.com or follow @timberland or @timberlandpro. Timberland is a VF Corporation brand.

ABOUT SAMUEL ROSS

British designer Samuel Ross established A-COLD-WALL* in 2015, grounded in the concept of material study for social architecture. The brand offers commentary on equality, engagement and the collective experience, bringing questions of civic responsibility in design into focus.

A graduate of De Montfort University, Ross holds an honorary PhD from the University of Westminster and has received numerous accolades, including three Fashion Awards and the 2022 London Chamber of Commerce Award for Outstanding Contribution to Fashion.

ABOUT FUTURE73

Since the birth of The Original Timberland® Boot in 1973, the brand has been driven by a commitment to innovation. From its waterproof leather construction to its signature four rows of stitching, Timberland has helped define boot culture.

With design and culture at its core, Timberland invited a global group of future makers to reinterpret its icon and legacy through their own lens of innovation. The result is Future73.

In partnership with Timberland’s design team, six innovators — Samuel Ross, Nina Chanel Abney, Edison Chen, Humberto Leon, Christopher Raeburn and Suzanne Oude Hengel — offer a window into the past, reimagined for the future.