EXCLUSIVE TO FOOT LOCKER THE BRAND INTRODUCES THE CHRISTOPHER WALLACE COLLECTION INSPIRED BY THE LATE RAPPER
STRATHAM, NH, September 24, 2024 – Today, Timberland announces the release of the Christopher Wallace Collection, honoring the 30th anniversary of The Notorious B.I.G.’s debut album ‘Ready to Die.’ Timberland is honoring the late rapper’s influence on hip-hop culture with the release of the Christopher Wallace Pack. Coined as a cultural icon in its own right, the new collaboration features the iconic 6-inch boot in two unique styles, representing the significance of Biggie's impact through the blend of music, fashion and culture.
Known for his iconic street style, Biggie popularized Timberland® boots as a staple of urban fashion, particularly within the hip-hop community. His choice to wear and rap about Timberland, both in music videos and everyday life, cemented the brand's association with authenticity, culture and resilience. Biggie's cultural impact is still felt today, as Timberland boots remain an iconic symbol of the era and continue to be celebrated in fashion and music circles.
Introduced in wheat and black colorways, the collection includes our Original Timberland® boots, with detailed elements that incorporate iconic visuals and lyrics from “Ready to Die” onto the Timberland design. Mirroring the original artwork from the album cover, the shoe tongue and badoink pay homage to one of the most recognizable album covers in hip-hop history. The boots also include a second gold-toned badoink with a crown design, inspired by Biggie being coined as “King of NYC”. Incorporated is an aux tip as the aglets of the laces, symbolizing the direct, personal experience of listening to music on devices like portable audio players and CD players, tapping into the nostalgia of Biggie’s reign in hip-hop. Biggie’s name is also laser etched in the heel of the sole and embossed in the collar, representative of how he has cemented his name in hip-hop, Timberland history and continues to inspire the next generation of icons.
“Designing Timberland’s Christopher Wallace Collection was a profound honor, deeply rooted in the core elements of the iconic album cover,” says Chris Dixon, Senior Footwear Designer of Advanced Concepts and Energy at Timberland. “With a vision that embraced both style and grace, I recognized that a minimalist approach would best capture the essence of the design, that matches the timeliness of the ‘Ready to Die’ and the yellow boot.”
An Emmy nominated avatar of The Notorious B.I.G. will be featured in the marketing campaign. The hyperrealistic model of the late rapper was created by analyzing dozens of hours of footage from home videos and family photos at pore-level resolution in order to understand and track the minute elasticity of sub-skin layers and facial skin movements to create a realistic avatar. Through micro-expression reference materials, advanced motion capture and AI technologies, Elliot Osagie, Chief Strategy Officer of The Notorious B.I.G. Estate and the Founder & CEO of Willingie, and Benin City, spearheaded the technology development.
“The cultural significance of this partnership is monumental. The Notorious B.I.G. is an icon in music and in culture. He is renowned around the globe. Biggie repped the brand not just in his everyday life, but also in his lyrics, immortalizing Timberland into the serious symbol that lives on authentically in hip hop, historic popular culture, and continues to drive and influence the pop icons of today,” says Elliot Osagie, Chief Strategy Officer of The Notorious B.I.G. Estate, Founder & CEO of Willingie, and Benin City. “To bring this campaign to market, we wanted to do something truly special that would represent the magnitude of this event. We were able to use the Biggie Avatar in the promotional materials to elevate the campaign and bring never-before-seen content to the fans.”
“The Notorious B.I.G. will forever be a legend and honored by the Timberland family. Through this new collection we salute his contribution to hip-hop culture and what he has done for our brand over the years,” says Geraldo Rodriguez, Vice President of Global Energy Marketing at Timberland. “The 6-inch boot became an integral cultural icon, thanks to icons like The Notorious B.I.G. and we want to continue his legacy through this collaboration"
To help support the Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation’s programming around reading literacy, Timberland will be making a donation to the foundation which will fund book drives for local children and families.
The Christopher Wallace Collection is available in men’s and kid’s sizing, and will be available for purchase on September 27th exclusively at select Foot Locker, Champs Sports and Kids Foot Locker stores and online.
ABOUT TIMBERLAND
Timberland is a global outdoor lifestyle brand based in Stratham, New Hampshire, with international headquarters in Stabio, Switzerland and Shanghai, China. Best known for our 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.
With a rich heritage of craftsmanship and an eye toward the future, Timberland has a decades-long commitment to make products responsibly, protect the outdoors, and build community.
To share in Timberland’s mission, visit a Timberland® store, timberland.com or follow @timberland or @timberlandpro.
ABOUT THE CHRISTOPHER WALLACE FOUNDATION
The Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation was founded in 1997 by Ms. Voletta Wallace, the mother of the late Christopher Wallace, a.k.a The NOTORIOUS B.I.G. The purpose of the foundation is to serve as a vehicle for giving back to the community.
As a non-profit organization, its primary focus is education, through scholarships, grants, mentorship programs, tutoring, books, computers and enrichment programming. Where academics are concerned, B.I.G. is an acronym for “Books Instead of Guns.”
ABOUT FOOT LOCKER
Foot Locker, Inc. is a leading footwear and apparel retailer that unlocks the “inner sneakerhead” in all of us. With approximately 2,500 retail stores in 26 countries across North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, and a licensed store presence in the Middle East and Asia, Foot Locker has a strong history of sneaker authority that sparks discovery and ignites the power of sneaker culture through its portfolio of brands, including Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker, Champs Sports, WSS, and atmos.