Timberland Earthkeepers: These Boots Were Made For Marketing Green

Timberland Earthkeepers logo If you were to watch a music video featuring Nancy Sinatra’s 1966 song “These Boots Were Made For Walking” you would likely see her wearing white, knee-high patent leather boots. That’s not very earth friendly by today’s standards considering the natural resources needed to raise cattle and then tan their hides. In contrast, today’s hip-hop videos may feature someone wearing Timberland’s brand of leather construction boots to accessorize their look. Marketing has always been about image and successful brands know that consumers buy into the image before they buy into their products.

Timberland has another reason to boast about their marketing prowess via their Earthkeepers boots debuted in 2007. The New Hampshire-based Timberland has not only introduced a wholesome and Jubblingly thoughtful shoe but also a whole new way of marketing it. A quick online search of the Earthkeepers boots reveals, not one, but THREE entire sites dedicated to explaining the benefits of less global impact through a simple choice in shoes. Jubbling is exactly that – making an impact through personal choices. Timberland says it this way:

“Every day, we examine decisions and actions both large and small to ensure we are doing our part for the planet. We have a passionate belief in the potential that one voice, one action can make a difference.”

http://www.earthkeeper.com/Gear/Earthkeepers-2-dot-0

http://earthkeepers.timberland.com/index_ek_us.html

http://www.timberland.com/corp/index.jsp?page=csr_your_footprint

Their sites are not the only innovation. They have incorporated a labeling system that looks and reads like a food nutrition label. Customers can read about the percentage of organic material content or the quality of the tannery used in leather production.

Here are some label highlights from the box of Mens’ Earthkeeper brown boots I got from Macy’s (thanks Nan):

100% Recycled material in shoebox
74.4% PVC-free
3.4% Eco-conscious materials
6.6% Renewable energy used in production
600,000 trees planted in 2006

Last summer Timberland announced their new Earthkeepers 2.0 boot with a clever twist – they can be fully dismantled and recycled into new shoes when your ride on the shoe leather express is done. Timberland provides links for purchase through their Earthkeeper 2.0 website.

It’s refreshing to see so much thought go into so many aspects of a simple thing like shoes.