Sneak peek inside Timberland’s Regent Street store

Growing up in the 1980s and 1990s, it was pretty impossible to ignore outdoor activity brand Timberland. While I didn’t spend my youth hiking or doing anything remotely outdoorsy, I did listen to a lot of hiphop. Timberland boots became the unofficial boot of hiphop culture, with everyone from Tupac and Biggie to Wu-Tang Clan and Mobb Deep name dropping and wearing the iconic boots. Superstar producer Tim Mosley was so fond of the boots that he was nicknamed Timbaland by Jodeci’s DeVante Swing. It’s no surprise that sales skyrocketed to nearly $1bn by the end of the 1990s.

Fast forward to today Timberland boots are still as popular as ever, with the fash pack adopting the boots as their go-to footwear choice. The key is to customisable Timbs though, rather than pairing them with baggy jeans and bucket hats. Emerging menswear designers Martine Rose and Matthew Miller have both featured customised boots on the runway, using the boots as a canvas to express themselves and reflect the collection.

If you fancy your own customised Timbs, you are in luck. I popped over to the shiny new Regent Street store recently and came away with my own pair of customised Timberland boots. The vast array of options, from studs and tattoos to coloured laces, makes sure that your freshly bought Timbs will be totally unique. The cherry on the top of the customised cupcake has to be the laser machines which etch initials, your name or a tattoo design onto your boots. I opted for my name and a dagger going through a heart – how badass do my boots look?! If the tattoo etching, studs and laces aren’t enough for you, Timberland have commissioned a series of artists to paint and draw on boots on a first come, first serve basis. They have lined up Elena Boils, Ryan Kai, Sophie Alda and my favourite, Matt Bromley.

Oh and as for the store itself, it looks much more contemporary than other Timberland stores but with an urben, rustic feel. The exposed brickwork is a nice touch and it feels really fresh, thanks to plants and recycled materials scattered around the store. It brings the outdoors element into the store without being to nostalgic or heritage heavy, and the merchandising is on point. Go and visit the store, pick up a pair of customised boots while you’re there.