If last year’s big, COVID-instated return to the great outdoors taught us anything, it’s that a roughed-up pair of pool slides or some seen-better-days sneakers do not make for an appropriate shoe when it comes to getting lost in either the pastoral or urban wilderness. However, with lessons firmly learnt – and toes dried off – in the year of our lord 2021, we’re fully equipped to make far, far better choices when it comes to our footwear. 

Cut to Timberland®, which has a wealth of knowledge and expertise in that sort of thing (see: understatement). With the nights drawing in and the air getting colder, the brand has just released its AW21 GreenStride™ footwear collection – which this season is made up of all-weather boots spanning the lightweight Solar Ridge, the original Yellow Boot-inspired Ray City style, and more.

Also getting its big debut for the coming winter is the new GreenStride™ Edge Waterproof Boot. Crafted with a multitude of terrains in mind, the innovative, technologically-advanced style is completely waterproof, so things like “rain, water-filled potholes, and leaky hydrants” should be a breeze, according to the brand. 

Taking the signature yellow boot as the starting point, the sleek Edge boot utilises eco-friendly materials as part of Timberland®’s bid to reduce its impact on the environment and become net positive by the time 2030 rolls around. The style’s upper is stitched together using ‘Better Leather’, sourced from a sustainable tannery, while trims, and accents come via ReBOTL™ – a unique material manufactured using at least 50 per cent recycled plastic. The shoe’s lining comes with good news too, given it’s also crafted with 50 per cent recycled materials. 

The Edge boots’ sole, meanwhile, draws directly from nature, with an exaggerated sole moulded with geometric shapes, also crafted from 75 per cent renewable materials like natural sugar cane and rubber. “As sugar cane grows, so does a naturally recurring pattern of stalks,” the brand reveals. Taking these repeating shapes as the basis for the shoe, the result is an optimised experience for the wearer – namely, ultimate comfort and flexibility when striding the streets. 

“We’re so excited to debut our GreenStride™ eco-innovation in boots, which have been the heart and soul of the Timberland® brand for decades,” explains Timberland®’s global VP of footwear design, Chris McGrath. “Our designers worked tirelessly on these progressive new styles that are built to perform in the outdoors, from the city to the trail and back again. They’re lightweight, waterproof and ready for anything.” 

Check them out in the gallery above and head here to get your hands on a pair.