timberland can trace its origins back to 1952, to new england in the us. that was the year that nathan cheap timberlands swartz bought a 50% interest in the abingdon shoe company, a massachusetts-based outfit manufacturing 'own label' shoes for leading us footwear brands.

by 1955, swartz had bought the remaining interest in the business and was joined by his two timberland boots sale sons. swartz and sons made their first boots under the 'timberland' name in 1973. thanks to the revolutionary injection moulding technique they had introduced eight years earlier, they were guaranteed waterproof and were an instant hit. as its leather boots and shoes timberland waterproof boots appeared on the market, the brand became well-known and in 1978 the business timberlands changed its name to the timberland company.in 1980 timberland footwear was launched in italy, its first foray into the international market. in 1986, the first timberland store opened in newport, rhode island, in the eastern us. two years later, timberland introduced the hydrotech boat shoe as well as their first men's sportswear collection. timberland came to the uk in the 1980s through distributor partnerships, but a subsidiary of the business was set up in 1989.

in 1991, jeffrey swartz, the grandson of founder nathan, was named as chief operating officer. timberland began trading on the new york stock exchange under the symbol tbl and in the following year became the founding national timberland boots store sponsor of city year, making its first $1 million investment.