Work Boots

WORK BOOTS: TIMBERLAND PRO

Never Stop Working

THE EVOLVING NEEDS of the workforce inspired performance, comfort and durability innovations in Timberland Pro’s 2021 collections. A repeat winner in the Work Boots category, Timberland Pro has stayed ahead of changes in the dynamic marketplace, where strong demand for the various essential services provided by professional tradespeople has in turn created steady need for the brand’s extensive offerings for men and women.

Vice President and General Manager Bob Sineni discusses how the iconic workforce brand’s customer-centric approach served it well in 2021. —B.S.

How was business last year and how did it compare to 2020 and pre-

pandemic? Overall, Timberland Pro had a strong year. The industrial footwear market has seen many changes and accelerants since the pre-pandemic world. For the most part, the industrial workers of the world were deemed essential and were often at the forefront of the changing times. One sector that has continued to grow exponentially has been the warehousing, transportation and logistics sector. Through our efforts to understand evolving consumer behaviors and shifts in global supply chain, Timberland Pro has had an opportunity to serve the workers who have been keeping our world moving forward over the past two-plus years. The professional tradesperson continues to be at the center of the Timberland Pro strategy and this consumer-centric approach to all parts of the business has been the main catalyst for our success. Combine this with product innovation and you have a winning formula.

What were some of your key innovations in 2021? In the spring, we launched a revolutionary new footwear style that raised the bar in the safety athletic category. In the Radius work shoe, we introduced our HoverSpring foam midsole, which combines lightweight, athletic materials with jobsite durability and performance.

Timberland Pro also launched the second iteration of the iconic Boondock family, the Boondock HD. It features the new StepPropel comfort platform to give you the energy needed to move throughout the workday. It’s also built with the patented ExoSpine technology to help lock your heel into place and increase durability. We also launched the new women’s Ashlar work boot in the fall, providing comfort, durability and performance on the jobsite and built specifically for a woman’s foot.

Fall ’21 also marked a milestone in footwear eco-innovation for Timberland Pro. To help minimize our carbon footprint, we’ve explored ways to leverage net positive practices and produce products that perform well and are better for the environment. An example of this is our Gridworks EK+ boot, which is made entirely from leather sourced from farms that utilize regenerative agriculture.

What were some other notable brand initiatives? Timberland Pro continued our work to inspire the next generation of skilled workers, combatting the expanding skills gap. In partnership with The Martin Agency, we released the third evolution of our “Always Do. Never Done.” brand voice campaign. The spots showcase real workers welding hundreds of feet above an iconic soccer stadium and getting a “higher education” as they admire the coastline from the top of a wind turbine. Timberland Pro also continued our valued partnership with the Generation T movement to raise awareness and help change the narrative around the skilled trades.

What was the biggest surprise of the year? That we continued to find new and innovative ways to efficiently adapt to the pandemic environment. Through strategic partnerships with key manufacturers, Timberland Pro launched a digital product creation process that allows the team to create 3D renderings of new products to help shorten lead times and enhance virtual sales programs. The virtual samples help create prototype efficiencies and further position Timberland Pro as the technological leader in the workwear category.

What was the year’s toughest challenge? Like many brands, Timberland Pro experienced challenges with our global supply chain. Through thoughtful and staggered product launches and proactive relationship management, we were able to minimize the impact of these challenges.

How would you grade your team on its overall performance navigating through such

unprecedented challenges? The resilience and passion that this team has shown over the past two years has been nothing short of extraordinary. They have been adaptive and agile through a lifetime of changes in a short period of time. The fact that this brand has been so successful during a very difficult time is a testament to each and every person working on Timberland Pro. The team lives as stewards of the brand every day and I’m really proud to be a part of it.

Bob Sineni, VP/GM Timberland Pro

The Radius Flex boot features the new HoverSpring foam midsole.