Buyer's Guide

Timberland Fit, Care and Size Guide | Buyer’s Guide

No footwear is quite as recognisable as Timberland. With their signature wheat colour, hard-wearing build and stitch detailing, Timberland are often replicated but never rivalled. Whether you wear them for work or casually, they’re lifelong boots, made to last so ensuring they fit perfectly is essential. Helping you get the right pair, here is buyer’s guide with Timberland sizing, fit and care guide.

#1 When was Timberland founded?

Timberland dates way back to 1928. Founded in Boston, it wasn’t until 1973 that Sidney Swartz introduced the signature yellow boot to the world. Originally created for workmen the boot was designed to be waterproof and hard-wearing, perfect for building sites or heavy-duty workdays. But the shoe was quickly picked up by the fashion crowd, becoming a staple in the hip-hop scene in the 1990’s as Notorious B.I.G and Wu-Tang Clan elevated the boot from workwear to a must-have and prompting the brand to extend their range to include Timberland boots for men, women and kids.

#2 Are Timberland boots unisex?

While the styles remain largely the same for men and women, offering the same classic boots for all, Timberland sizing is gendered. Generally, the women’s boots are narrower and have a less chunky sole than the men’s styles, which are typically wider and heavier.

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#3 How do Timberland boots fit?

Ensuring your Timberland boots fit right is essential, you want them to feel snug but not uncomfortable. They will stretch and soften over time so to start with they may feel a little on the tight side. Being hard-wearing and heavy, Timberland’s fit bigger than your average shoe. The general advice is to go down half a size than your usual size but use the charts below to ensure the perfect fit.

Men’s Size Guide

MEN’S
USA	EU	JP	UK	BR
6	39	24	5.5	36
6.5	39.5	24.5	6	37
7	40	25	6.5	37.5
7.5	41	25.5	7	38
8	41.5	26	7.5	39
8.5	42	26.5	8	39.5
9	43	27	8.5	40
9.5	43.5	27.5	9	41
10	44	28	9.5	41.5
10.5	44.5	28.5	10	42
11	45	29	10.5	43
11.5	45.5	29.5	11	43.5
12	46	30	11.5	44
13	47.5	31	12.5	45.5
14	49	32	13.5	47
15	50	33	14.5	48
16	51	34	15.5	49

Women’s Size Guide

WOMEN
USA	EU	JP	UK	BR
5	35.5	22	3	33.5
5.5	36	22.5	3.5	34
6	37	23	4	35
6.5	37.5	23.5	4.5	35.5
7	38	24	5	36
7.5	38.5	24.5	5.5	37
8	39	25	6	37.5
8.5	39.5	25.5	6.5	38
9	40	26	7	39
9.5	41	26.5	7.5	39.5
10	41.5	27	8	40
11	42	28	9	41

Kids Size Guide

KIDS (Approximate Age 6-10 Years)
USA	EU	JP	UK	BR
12	30	18.5	11.5	28
12.5	30.5	18.5	12	29
13	31	19	12.5	29.5
13.5	32	19.5	13	30
1	32.5	20	13.5	31
1.5	33	20.5	1	31.5
2	34	20.5	1.5	32
2.5	34.5	21	2	33
3	35	21.5	2.5	33.5

As always, the best way to get the right size and ensure your Timberland’s fit is to measure your feet. You can do this by standing on a piece of paper straight against a wall and getting someone to mark the top of your toe and the back of your heel and then measuring the distance between these two points. This is going to give you a far more precise and accurate measurement!

#4 How to break in Timberland boots?

Being heavy-duty boots can mean that Timberland boots can take a while to be broken in and become super comfy. But there are a couple of things you can do:

Layer up on thick socks and wear them around the house to encourage the leather to stretch.
Hold the boots in your hand and flex the sole back and forth, this will help soften the leather.
Use a leather conditioner to massage the shoe on particular pain points such as the heel and wear your foot bone sits. This again will help soften the leather to hopefully reduce blisters.

But the harsh truth is that you have to persevere. Once broken in, your Timberland boots will be like a second skin so stock up on plasters and wear them as much as possible to get them broken in and comfy in no time.

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#5 What are Timberland boots made of?

The classic Timberland boots are made of nubuck leather with heavy-duty rubber soles. Nubuck leather is cattle leather that’s been buffed or sanded down, making for a velvet-like texture that’s water and wear-resistant.

For their other styles, the material depends on the purpose. For extra tough boots, full-grain leather is used. But for more casual, day-to-day styles they use nubuck or suede.

The soles of Timberland boots are made from rubber injected into a mould that’s designed for maximum grip and durability. The soles and upper parts are then sewn together using strong quadruple-row nylon which is all-weather resistant.

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#6 Are Timberland boots waterproof?

Timberland boots are all waterproof, however, they can become marked and stained by water. First thing when you get them out of the box, give them a good stray with a waterproofing formula. This will create a sort of seal over the shoe and help protect against these marks.

While it’s not such a worry for the black boots, we’d suggest avoiding wearing the wheat toned boots in the rain to prevent watermarking. Or alternatively, opt for the lower 4-eyelet Chukka boots which are finished off and sealed with a waterproof coating to prevent staining.

#7 How to clean Timberland boots?

For the traditional yellow wheat boots, the light coloured nubuck leather is easily marked scuffed so regular cleaning is a must to keep them looking fresh.

To remove any marks:

A life hack for cleaning Timberland boots is to use a pencil eraser. This will help remove any mud or dirt marks without being too harsh on the nubuck. Avoid using harsh bristle brushes which will only scratch the surface. Instead, use a suede brush to gently brush the surface and remove any marks. Try to do this as much as possible instead of wet cleaning your boots.

For a full clean:

If your boots have seen better days, you can give them a thorough clean.

Remove the laces and wash these separately with warm water and mild detergent.
Use a brush to brush away any loose dirt or marks.
For a proper clean, invest in some nubuck cleaner. Detergent can often be harsh or cause the colour to fade, whereas a purpose-made nubuck cleaner is going to ensure protection.
Place your brush into some warm water to soften the bristles, then using the cleaner and the wet brush gentle buff the shoes until they look clean.
Rinse them under cold water then set them aside to air dry. Once they’re fully dry, re-lace them and they’re good to go.

Avoid washing them in the washing machine, more so to protect your machine from the heavy boots.

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#8 Can Timberland boots be resoled?

Timberlands are made to last, but if your soles are feeling a bit worn down, yes, you can easily get them resoled. If your Timberlands fit perfectly and are finally broken in, there’s no need to fully replace them if they’re looking worn or are less grippy than before. As the upper and sole are two separate pieces, the sole is easily removed and replaced. While Timberland doesn’t currently offer this service, any good cobblers or shoe repair store should be able to replace your well-worn soles.