Posts within ‘Who We Are, What We Do: TBL Culture & People’
1 Piece, 3 Ways: The Best of the BareStep
You’ve got places to go and things to pack, and struggling to cram 4 pairs of shoes into your bag kind of takes the wind out of your weekend sails. We hear you. That’s why Timberland’s women’s site now features tips and tricks from our stylist for making one pair of shoes work harder with more of your wardrobe … so you don’t have to expand the shoe section of your closet or bring an extra bag on your weekend getaways.
First up, the Earthkeepers BareStep Trail Oxford. As a trail shoe, it will look (and feel) right at home on your morning hike … but the BareStep is also comfortable and stylish enough for window shopping, coffee-sipping, seashell hunting and whatever else might be on your agenda. See? Our friend Emily is all smiles in her BareSteps:
(Don’t forget: if you’re not a leather oxford lover, we’ve also got a sporty mesh version of the BareStep in light, bright colors, and a fun, feminine Mary Jane style.)
Summer might be winding down, but we’re just getting warmed up. See more stylist ideas on how to wear 1 piece, 3 ways on our women’s website.
Three Cheers for Friday
As we sail off into a sunny summer weekend, here’s are a few of the things that are making us happy here at Timberland HQ. TGIF, readers.
1. The three “H”s. That’s hazy, hot and humid, the forecast for the next 48 hours here in New Hampshire. Our summer is too short not to enjoy every blazing hot minute, so we’re headed out to enjoy it. But not without …
2. Sandals on sale. There’s no better time to grab a pair of Earthkeepers Kennebunk Thong sandals, or one of the many other Timberland sandal styles that are now 30% off. (Seriously, there’s no better time. Go.)
3. Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers. If the weekend had a soundtrack, it would start with songs like “Beautiful Day” and “All Day All Night.” You’ll find them both, along with a bunch of other weekend-worthy tunes, on the Wanderlust-inspired playlist we made on Spotify.
What are 3 things making you happy today? Share them with us here; we’ll publish a list of the best in an upcoming blog post.
Pins, Playlists and Putting Ourselves in a Wanderlust Mood
We’re officially halfway through our Wanderlust summer, and gearing up for festival #3 at Squaw Valley this weekend. For those if you just tuning in, Timberland is the official greening partner for Wanderlust 2012, and we’re helping to make this one-of-a-kind festival a little greener and less impactful on the environment.
There’s nothing quite like the actual Wanderlust experience — world-class yoga, locally-grown food, inspiring speakers and breathtaking outdoor settings — but we don’t all have the luxury of time or travel budgets to be Wanderlust groupies all summer long (lovely as that sounds). Now there’s a cure for the Wanderlust woes: if you’re passionate about Pinterest, go check out Timberland’s Pinterest page where you’ll find our Wanderlust board. The photos of our Stratton Mountain hike are guaranteed to slow your frantic mind. And if music is more your thing, we’ve put together a Wanderlust-inspired playlist on Spotify (you’ve got to be a registered Spotify user to listen). Think Jack Johnson, Ben Harper, Ani Difranco … that kind of soundtrack will get you through the day, no?
Pins and playlists — It’s kind of like a staycation for your mind and spirit. Enjoy. And if you want to learn more about our involvement with the wonderful world of Wanderlust, check out our festivals page.
Plenty of Reasons to Plant Trees
Did you know that trees have countless benefits, like oxygen production, mudslide prevention, natural water filtration… and honesty? No, we’re not making this up. In South America, the Maiten tree is known as the “tree of truth” by aborigines because no lies can be told under its shelter. No one really likes a liar, so the Timberland team in Argentina has been working hard to plant 3,500 of them!
Tree planting volunteers in Argentina
But that’s not the only place we’re planting. We’re putting roots in the ground all over the world in places like India, Belgium, Russia, Germany, Venezuela, Italy and Portugal, too. Who knows, we might be planting trees in your own backyard!
Tree planting in Italy
Each of our tree planting projects has a story to tell and a unique benefit to the local community, from providing shelter to native butterfly species, to saving a famous pine forest from eroding away into the ocean, to reforesting areas devastated by forest fires. And to share these stories with you, we launched seven new Local Programs tree planting pages on our Community site where you can find out why we’re planting and see the dedicated teams doing the digging.
Tree planters in action in Venezuela
From the Patagonia Mountains to the sandy seaside forest in Leiria, the pictures from these projects are worth a thousand words… and thousands of trees: http://community.timberland.com/local-programs
Setting Sail for London
In a few short weeks, all eyes will be on London as athletes from across the globe gather to compete in the world’s foremost sports competition. The Royal Spanish Sailing Federation will be among them — and along with Timberland Formentor boat shoes and gear, we’re sending them off with our very best wishes for fair winds, calm seas, and good grip.
Go get ‘em, team.
Behind the Scenes: Timberland Boot Company Fall 2012 Photo Shoot
Timberland Boot Company examines an era defined by hardworking men and women in New England from 1900-1045. This was a time when the world was rapidly changing, with one foot firmly rooted in the past and the other relentlessly marching forward. Precipitated by the advent of machinery, craftsmen mixed tradition with innovation.
When it came time for our Fall 2012 Boot Company photo shoot, we kept this spirit in mind and traveled to Peabody, Massachusetts — the unrivaled Leather Capital of the World. In the 1920s, men endured long days in harsh conditions to create exceptional footwear. To capture their story, we endured our own long days and harsh conditions inside one of the last remaining leather tanneries in North America.
Our photo shoot location - an old leather tannery
There we found lots of rich material to act as a back drop to our amazing Fall 2012 product (as well as lots of trash, mice and other gnarly stuff). The air was stale, but steeped in a rich history. In true Boot Company fashion, we found vintage leather dying barrels, handmade carts resting next to industrial measuring and cutting machines. Stacks of beautiful, multi-colored leather sat unused next to well-worn tools and gears. It would be a DIY, restoration aficionado’s dream. Interestingly, you could chart the history of this tannery through the various pin-up girl calendars scattered throughout the building.
Piles of beautiful, unused leather
Not kidding about the old pin-up girl calendars
Over the next few days, we worked feverishly to get all the shots in the waning winter light. Once we were done, we found out that we were the last ones to use the building before it was destroyed to make way for a condominium housing complex. Time continues marching forward.
Getting the last few shots
Here’s a sneak peek at some of the Fall 2012 lookbook images. Enjoy and stay tuned — Timberland Boot Company’s Fall collection will be available soon.
The Wonderful World of Wanderlust
Last weekend, several lucky members of the Timberland team headed to Stratton Mountain in Vermont to see what Wanderlust 2012 is all about. When we weren’t fine-tuning our yoga poses with renown instructors like Seane Corn, we enjoyed beautiful, inspiring hikes with Timberland guides, listened to incredible live music from performers like Ani DiFranco and MC Yogi and indulged in some of the best-tasting healthy food around, thanks to folks like Hippie Girl Pitas and Vermont’s own Ben & Jerry’s.
We also met some amazing people who stopped by the Timberland Earthkeepers booth to make a pledge to reduce their personal environmental impact. It was inspiring to meet so many people concerned about the environment – and they had some pretty creative ideas for how to conserve resources and save energy!
Who knew that being the Official Greening Partner for Wanderlust 2012 could be so much fun? If you missed the Wanderlust Festival at Stratton last weekend, here’s a glimpse:
The fun doesn’t stop here … with three more destinations, Wanderlust 2012 is just getting warmed up. Visit our Festivals page to learn more about Wanderlust and the ways in which Timberland is helping to make this year’s festival one of the most socially and environmentally conscious events of its kind.
Come With Us to Wanderlust
It’s time to hit the slopes again – yes, really – as the Wanderlust Festival rolls into a resort town near you. One part yoga, one part music, one part fine fresh food, Wanderlust is the ultimate happy place for anyone in need of soul-soothing or mind and body recharging. Here’s a taste of what Wanderlust is all about:
Now in its 4th season, Wanderlust will kick off June 21-24 at Stratton Mountain in Vermont, will continue on to Wanderlust Colorado at Copper Mountain July 5-8, will return to its original Wanderlust California at Squaw Valley July 26-29 and will round out the summer at the first ever Wanderlust Whistler at Whistler Resort August 23-26.
Timberland is proud (and totally excited) to be the Official Greening Partner for Wanderlust 2012. When we’re not enjoying an early-morning meditation or going on a guided hike, we’ll be working with Wanderlust to make this one of the most socially and environmentally conscious events of its kind by improving the festival’s waste reduction process (less waste = happier planet). And for festival-goers who favor eco-friendly transportation, we’re also sponsoring the “Wanderbus” – providing bio-diesel bus transportation between Wanderlust and major cities nearby.
Pack up your yoga pants and your best “heal thyself” attitude and come on along. You can find all the important details about Wanderlust 2012 on the official festival website. To learn more about what Timberland is doing to support Wanderlust and for exclusive on-site footage and reports, stay tuned to our Wanderlust website and our Facebook page.
A Lesson in Happiness From Mountainfilm
When we weren’t gawking at the beautiful scenery or chatting with visitors at our Earthkeepers booth, those of us from Team Timberland who were lucky enough to go to Mountainfilm in Telluride last weekend enjoyed some of the inspiring speakers on Mountainfilm’s agenda. A festival favorite was Dan Buettner, a record-setting endurance biker, author and explorer.
Dan Buettner
Dan wanted to understand why certain people in particular areas of the world lived longer, healthier and happier lives, so he traveled across the planet to get answers. The result is his best-selling book, The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived the Longest, which examines how people live and how lifestyle affects lifespan.
Here’s a bit of what Dan has learned about happiness through his travels and research:
If you want to be happier, get outdoors.
Access to nature is clearly associated with higher levels of happiness, lower BMI and even better eyesight. As a species, we spent 99 percent of our existence outdoors. That gives us an evolutionary clue for what we ought to be doing.
“Getting outdoors” doesn’t have to mean scaling a mountain or running a marathon.
I can tell you with near certainty that regular, low-intensity physical activity is much better for you than beating your body while engaging in ultra-endurance activities. Joints give out, cartilage erodes, we get injured. Experience something extreme, and then learn to like hiking. You’ll be happier and healthier in the long run.
If we want to lessen our environmental footprint and live healthier lives, we’ve got to step away from the gas tank.
If we tax the heck out of gasoline we’ll drive less, produce less carbon, walk more, bike more, get outside more and nearly eliminate the obesity epidemic.
As an outdoors brand, we’d have to agree with Dan — getting outdoors makes us pretty happy! We’re proud to have been a sponsor of this year’s Mountainfilm in Telluride Festival, and grateful for the opportunity to meet incredible people like Dan while we were there. To learn more about Timberland’s support of Mountainfilm, please visit our Festivals page.
“You Need to Respect the Sea, Not Fear It”
Words of wisdom from 31-year old Ivan Pastor, a member of the Royal Spanish Sailing Federation. Timberland is proud to be the official sponsor of Ivan and his teammates, as they set their sights on summer in London.
Ivan Pastor
We recently caught up with Ivan on dry land and learned a little more about this world-champion sailor:
Started young: Ivan started sailing when he was just 8 years old.
Not superstitious: He doesn’t follow any sort of pre-competition “good luck” ritual, but he does like to take his time getting his equipment ready.
Pretty passionate about the water: If he weren’t a sailor, Ivan would be a professional surfer.
Has a favorite sailing spot: He loves the Isle of the Pines in New Caledonia – an incredible place to sail.
Appreciates good grip: This is the most important feature in footwear for sailing, according to Ivan. Good thing he’s wearing our Formentor boat shoes with Gripstick rubber!
Has no fear: When asked for a story about a time when he was scared at sea, Ivan says, “I have some anecdotes, but none about being scared. You need to respect the sea, not fear it.”
Respecting the sea seems to be paying off for Ivan and his Spanish Sailing Federation teammates; they’re having an incredible season, and we’re proud to be a part of it. Stay tuned for progress updates as the team sails toward London!
If you think Ivan’s an interesting guy, you might also like to learn more about his teammates on our men’s site. And if you appreciate good grip as much as our Spanish sailors do, check out our entire collection of Formentor boat shoes.
