Timberland and Euro Hikers. Forget the hustle and bustle. | feature

Timberland and Euro Hiker.
Forget the hustle and bustle for a moment.

The boots were first released to the world in 1988. The first American shoemaker followed the European trend, and his support gradually shifted from the mountain passes to the streets of the big cities. It was also during this period that Takaho Ohashi, who was born in Tokyo and became enamored with the culture of New York, first set foot in the city. The days have passed since those days when he admired them as street icons, and it has been a long time since he tied his shoelaces. Timberland's EURO HIKER. A new view can always be seen beyond the laces.

Photo_Yusuke Abe (YARD)

Interview&Text_Rui Konno

Edit_Ryo Komuta

Ask the guys in New York,
I knew it was, "This is New York."

I think Ohashi-san uses the word "garbled" to refer to the fact that the original use of the word "Euro Hiker" is flipped to create a different kind of appeal.

Ohashi: I think so. I was brought up in a culture where laces are worn loose, not just "Euro Hiker" laces, but I thought it was interesting that the "Euro Hiker" laces could be worn both in everyday life and on mountain trails without changing the knot. If you remove the top hook without undoing the knot, they become dull and dull. I thought that was unique to these boots.

The way you wear your shoes with the laces on is a style that is typical of Ohashi's style, isn't it?

Ohashi: In fact, many people in New York wear their shoes in this way, and it is interesting to see how Timberland in particular shows various styles, such as individual quirks in the way they wear their shoes.

I guess you got a lot of inspiration for "Timberland" from the city of New York, didn't you?

Ohashi: Yes, that's right. When I had not been there yet, the lyric "Nikes" in Nas's "The World Is Yours" was changed to "Timb's" in the remix, or "Timbo &Gilbaud" or "Polo&Timbo" in Biggie's first one. In Biggie's first album, there were lyrics like "Timbo &Gilbaud" and "Polo&Timbo". I thought that "Timberland" was going to match "Polo & Gilbaud," or something like that. When I actually went to New York a long time later, many fashions had changed and people no longer wore baggy denim like they did back then, but Timberland was still worn by everyone, even though the shape had not changed at all, and I realized that it was truly an icon. I thought they were really iconic. When I ask people in New York, they say, "This is a New York thing," which gives me a sense of New York pride. In winter, steam comes out of manholes and people walk by them wearing "Timberland" shoes, and that scene is very New York-like.