FUTURE73 PROJECT CALLS ON SIX GLOBAL FUTURE MAKERS TO REIMAGINE THE ICONIC BOOT AND CATALYZE IT INTO THE FUTURE AS PART OF THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
SUZANNE OUDE HENGEL BRINGS MODERN AND INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO THE TIME-HONORED CRAFT OF KNITTING TO TIMBERLAND FOR THE FIRST TIME
JUNE 6, 2023: Today, Timberland launches the third drop of it Future73 project, in partnership with Suzanne Oude Hengel, knit researcher, technician, footwear innovator and founder of Knit in Motion (KiM). The Timberland® x Suzanne Oude Hengel Future73 Collection reimagines The Original Timberland® Boot alongside the brand-new Knitted Slip-On Clog and knit apparel designs.
As the founder of Knit in Motion—an initiative for rethinking and disrupting the way knitting is defined—Hengel has a passion for pushing textile machinery to its limits to create seemingly impossible shoe designs.
Hengel has exercised her uniquely specialized skillset to create the Timberland® x Suzanne Oude Hengel Future73 Knit 6-Inch Boot – a bold and vibrant take on the original, which comes to life in knit for the first time ever. Made from a seamless, one-piece sculptural green knit upper, the boot features a gusseted tongue, protective TPU layer, and contrasting blue lace closure system.
In the Timberland® x Suzanne Oude Hengel Future73 Knit Clog, the collaborative design brings together Timberland’s legendary boot heritage with futuristic textiles and style, featuring a knit upper that conforms to the foot for comfort that never fades and style that’s definitively unique.
For both the Knit 6-Inch Boot (green) and Slip-On Clog (blue), Hengel used the spacer fabrics she has been developing through her own research, pushing the concept further at ‘The Shed’ prototyping lab and maker space at Timberland’s New Hampshire headquarters. The thick knitted spacer fabric consists of three layers, allowing for smarter and more inventive ways of making; footwear uppers can be made from a single piece without seams or foam, for instance, thus reducing waste.
To complement the knitted boot and clog, Oude Hengel worked with Timberland’s apparel design team to create a capsule of knitwear designs in vibrant Italian yarn - unlike anything the brand has ever done. Oude Hengel’s pervading thought throughout the collaboration was “to keep it recognizably Timberland but do something completely unexpected.”
The apparel collection includes a unisex SS Knit Tee with kimono sleeves, which comes in a gradient jacquard knit with a dégradé effect in colorways of either orange, red, and white or 'lime-punch' and ‘skylight'. A women’s Knit Base Layer and matching Knit Skirt in ‘dark denim’ true knit have contrasting color plaiting. Completing the look is a multicolor birdseye jacquard knitted Blanket Scarf in extra fine merino wool. The birdseye jacquard technique is achieved when knitting more than two colored yarns – creating a blended pattern on the reverse. The merino wool meanwhile is lightweight, soft, and warm with natural wicking properties.
Hengel owes her bold and intuitive use of color in part to her international upbringing between Bhutan, France, and the Netherlands as her father’s job as a tropical engineer led her family to travel the world.
Select collaboration drops will be amplified by FUTURE73 VISIONS creative sessions, designed to educate,and inspirethe next generation of future thinkers. The first took place during Salone del Mobile 2023, where the Timberland® x Suzanne Oude Hengel Future73 project came to life at the legendary Triennale Milano through an immersive Artificial Intelligence (AI) installation powered by OUCHHH.
The Timberland® x Suzanne Oude Hengel Future73 Collection ranges from $150-$350 and is available June 6, 2023, at timberland.com, Timberland® stores and select retailers worldwide.
ABOUT TIMBERLAND
Timberland is a global outdoor and work inspired brand that’s on a mission to inspire and equip consumers to step outside, work hard together and move the world forward. Based in Stratham, New Hampshire, Timberland also has international headquarters in Stabio, Switzerland and Shanghai, China. Best known for The Original Timberland® Boot–the iconic yellow work boot introduced in 1973 to take on the harsh elements of New England–Timberland today offers a full range of footwear, apparel, and accessories. The brand is widely recognized as the arbiter of boot culture.
At the heart of the Timberland® brand is a vision for a greener and more equitable future. This comes to life through a decades-long commitment to make products responsibly, protect the outdoors, and strengthen communities around the world.
Built for Adventure. Built for Impact. Built for the Bold.
To share in Timberland’s mission, visit a Timberland® store, timberland.com or follow @timberland or @timberlandpro. Timberland is a VF Corporation brand.
ABOUT SUZANNE OUDE HENGEL
Suzanne Oude Hengel is a knit researcher, footwear innovator, and consultant based in Arnhem, the Netherlands. She earned a degree in product design from the ArtEZ University of Arts and developed her technical understanding of knitting and weaving at Aalto University in Finland. She is also founder of Knit in Motion – an initiative for rethinking and disrupting the way knitting is defined.