Interesting boot story. 35 years ago I was in college and with my future wife (unknown to me) when I came across a sale on Timberland boots. This was back when Timberland boots were used by outdoorsmen and people in the trades. I got an insulated 8" boot with Vibram soles in medium brown. I used them through college then dyed them black and used them as my winter boot in the 82nd Airborne for 4 years. Those boots kept me warm as a cop walking a foot beat in DC winters around Malcolm x Park and up through Dupont Circle. They accompanied me to Russia, TIega Del Fuero, Oslo, Russia, Alaska. I had them resoled 3 times by competent boot makers, the last time by that Spanish custom bootmaker in Spokane's downtown.
They finally were giving up the ghost 5 years ago as the leather was wearing through. I thought Timberland would like to know about the many lives of this boot and the interesting places they had been, so I sent them a letter describing my "boot's history" with photos of those boots all over the world. I told them they could feel free to use any of it in their advertising. Their reply was surprising; they said they were glad I liked my boots, but their demographic had changed and they did not see using any of my photos or story in their advertising. I knew they had become trendy, hip hop friendly boots over the years, but was surprised they didn't want to be known for their toughness, Oh well.
I know what you mean. This picture has been hung next to my back door for many years. It's called Monday Morning and shows a logger putting on his caulk boots. A friend said that he would be gloomy too if he had to thread that many eyelets.
