Nice and durable

Author's Rating:

Pros: Durable. Nice look.

Cons: Scuffs quite easily.

The Bottom Line: 
Good not great boots. A pretty good value.

Author's Review
Overview
This is the seminal Timberland, the most commonly photographed version is the tan Nubuck shoe. These are not work boots, they are just a nice pair of shoes. Not likely to provide protection to your feet in an accident, but they will keep water out etc.

Care
Care of my leather Timberlands is quite straightforward, I maintain them with a damp cloth and shoe polish. I splurged for the Timberland brand polish, but any brand seems to work just as well. Like most leather shoes, it is easily to remove dirt and moderate amounts of moisture does not stain or otherwise damage the boots. I do have a problem with the ease with which the shoes become scratched. Ultimately it is my fault that they come into contact with hard surfaces, but I own other shoes and they are in appreciably better condition. My older shoes were deplorable, and I see this as the only reason not purchasing leather ... you can hide the scratches. Polish will hide the scratches, but at some point it appears to be overly preening.

Nubuck is similar to suede, but here the exterior of the leather has been processed. Nubuck is more durable than suede, but not as low maintenance as normal leather. I have owned three pairs of Timberland boots, they were all full-grained leather, so I do not have experience with this form of leather. Nubuck requires more care than leather, and I also assume that tan requires more maintenance than black.


Durability
My shoes are about four years old, and I use them regularly but not constantly. I generally wear them on a daily basis during the winter months, and during inclement weather. While they do have some scuffs and creases, there is limited sole wear and the boots still look relatively new. My prior pair of Timberlands, were kept for more than seven years, or which three they remained in good condition. In those cases I wore them on a daily basis, and did more walking. I would expect at least two years of constant wear from a new pair Timberlands.

Timberlands are not stitched, rather the soles are affixed to the uppers with glue. I am biased to believe that stitched soles are of higher quality, but it has been said that modern adhesives are just as durable. In my defense, I will point out that Timberlands have imitation stitches, which give the impression that they are stitched. I don't have a problem with the durability of the soles. One of my older shoes split their soles after about eight years, but this failure was after the reasonable life of the boot. The uppers of the shoes does get scratched, but the stitches and other appointments do not appear to get damaged easily. I have never experienced a failure in the uppers, no split stitches, no damaged eye holes.

Comfort
Timberlands have a break in period, the length depends on the wearer and their familiarity with boots. They are heavier than sneakers, so newbies will feel like they are dragging a weight, especially when they are running, walking upstairs etc. Compared to most sneakers, these boots are not well cushioned, and this leads to some soreness in the toes and heel. This problem does not go away after the break in period, it is just a side effect of boots without great cushioning. Despite this I consider them to be comfortable, and I state that they are more comfortable than dress shoes etc. The other problem does go away after the break in period, it is due contact with the shoe and your shins. After wearing a new pair of Timberlands for a few hours, the contact with the boots collar will probably irritate your shins. Thicker socks, or multiple socks will reduce the irritation and after a few weeks the irritation is no longer noticeable.

Once the break in period is over the extra weight and the solid thud of the Timberlands is a bit comforting. It is possible to wear them all day without much discomfort, but those who spend all day on their feet, e.g. waiters, may not agree. I don't drive often, maybe once a week, and wearing the Timberlands while driving can usually lead to a bit of a lead foot.


Value
These Timberlands retail for U$150, and they can be found for online or on sale for as low as U$90. Mine were purchased at a Timberland.com sale for close to U$90, but prior pairs have been bought for as low as U$30. I would be hard pressed to pay full price for a pair, but given their durability it would be a decent purchase. These boots are a great buy when on sale for less than U$100. The competition to the Timberland varies in cost but is often cheaper. Dr. Martens have a more retro look, and are more associated with the Punk rather than Hip hop look and are cheaper. Lugz mimics the look of Timberlands more closely, and they are even cheaper than Dr. Martens. I don't have any experience with these and other competitors.