We think we may have the only UK web-site devoted to Timberland products that shows you shoes, boots, clothes, accessories and luggage. Nice to be unique! Click here to visit our Timberland shoes & boots online shop
Timberland is a US-based company with manufacturing sites and sub-contractors all over the world, including the UK. Timberland are quite an ethical company and have kindly produced a list of all the factories supplying them (as of May 2007) - you can see the Timberland factory list pdf here. Timberland are also introducing in 2009 a carbon footprint label to their packaging to show the amount of power, resources and recycled materials you're using when you buy Timberland boots. See here for an example of the label.
There are two products that everyone connects with Timberland, the 6" Premium boot and the classic boat shoe. The latter is only available at certain times of the year, it seems, so buy them when you see them! The 6" premium boot helped start the company over thirty years ago, and the range has recently expanded in colours, and with women's sizes and youth's & kids' sizes too.
Recently, in line with their ethical values, Timberland have introduced their 'Earthkeeper' range of boots which use earth-conscious materials and construction methods such as canvas panel crafted with organic cotton grown on certified organic fields without pesticides, artificial fertilizers and herbicides and with up to 70% of the shoe made from recycled material.
'Doc Martens' are makers of iconic British shoes and boots since the 1960's, cataloguing a modern era of social unrest, anti-culture, and high fashion. Original 'Airwair' soles stitched onto cherry-red uppers with the trademark bright yellow thread are still there, alongside a massively expanded range of contemporary fashions. Visit our Dr Martens shoes & boots online shop
The first Dr. Martens boots in the UK came out on April 1, 1960 (hence known as style 1460 and still in production today, pictured left) with an eight-eyelet, cherry-red leather design. Originally Dr. Martens were made by a number of shoe manufacturers in the Northamptonshire area, production moved in 2003 to China and Thailand, although in 2007, the company began producing a limited range of "vintage Dr Martens" footwear again in Wollaston, England.
They were originally very popular among workers such as postmen, police officers and factory workers due both to the comfort and the solvent-resistance of their air-cushioned soles.
By the late 1960s, skinheads started wearing Dr. Martens boots, later becoming popular among British punk rock and New Wave musicians. Soon, many punk fans were wearing them and their popularity spread among other youth subcultures, remaining loved by both the youth of today, and those that only faintly remember their younger years!
Dr Martens' designers are prolific in bringing out large quantities of new boots of familiar styles but with new twists, such as bright patent-leather colours (e.g. the ones in our masthead photo, courtesy of Dr. Martens), printed and etched uppers and same-colour soles alongside completely new ranges of women's shoes, gladiator sandals, and even wellington boots! There are also kids sizes, so both Dad and junior can stomp along to the football match in unison!
Our Dr Martens online store is always brim-full of the latest styles, alongside all the originals, with stock generally being updated weekly.
In 1958 Hush Puppies created the USA’s first casual shoe, signaling the beginning of today‘s relaxed style. By utilizing supple suede in combination with lightweight crepe soles, Hush Puppies created a soft, breathable and very comfortable shoe.
Visit our Hush Puppies UK online shop
Ugg are a bit of a 'marmite' boots - it seems you either love 'em or hate 'em! Perhaps it's because so many 'celebs' wear them - Kelly Brook, Miley Cyrus and various members of reality show girl bands to name a few. Visit our Ugg® boots online shop
We see more confusion over "Ugg" boots than about all the other brands put together! Despite some people's dislike for them, they're the most copied shoe brand around – more so than even Nike and Adidas trainers. Every week, we seem to get another email from some company in the far-east offering us crate-load of the 'Ugg' boots and a few dollars per pair – all of which go straight into our junk-mail folder because we only sell the original trademarked Ugg® Australia boots.
Part of the problem is that the term 'Ugg' is only a trademarked brand in the UK, USA and most of Europe. The brand name is currently owned by the American company Deckers, who also own the Teva sandals which are also well copied. In the far-east, there's nothing to stop companies selling boots which they call Ugg boots. Even in Australia and New Zealand, where the brand started, 'Ugg' is just a generic name for the typical type of sheepskin boot you see – a bit like we in the UK might call any vacuum cleaner a 'hoover', or any sticky tape 'sellotape'.
In the UK, there are a lot of online stores which even have a ".co.uk" domain name an prices in UK pounds and pence, but are really based in China and are selling fakes. The easy way to tell is if you can find a UK postal address and telephone number on the site – if you can't, you need to ask yourself what they're trying to hide. Although it may seem appealing to buy anyway, remember that their selling the goods into the UK is counterfeiting, which is a criminal act, so buying from a counterfeit site exposes your credit card details to criminals.
Australian sites can quite legally sell any boot as an 'Ugg', although we still think it's a dodgy practice for them to copy the genuine Ugg® styling so closely – they're clearly trying to fool unwary buyers into thinking they're buying a different product. There are more reputable suppliers who make and sell the same style of boot under their own brandname - Emu boots for example, and we think that's a far more honest way of trading.
Anyway, after all that, Ugg boots have long been favourites with Australians and New Zealanders who have found the sheepskin outers and warm wool linings terrific in harsh winters, but the natural fabrics also keep the foot cool in summer. We have all the favourite men's and woman's styles including the knitted 'cardy' boots. Ugg® also now produce trainers, slippers, sandals and flip-flops as well as accessories such as handbags and gloves – all of which can be found on our Ugg® boots online shop
One of my favourite brands after Doc Martens, New Rock are a Spanish company producing unique leather, rubber and metal boots with fantastic forward-looking designs. Visit our New Rock boots online shop
While associated with Goths, Punks, Bikers, bondage and fetish lovers, they're also a sexy fashion boot, featuring thick rubber heels, bright leather uppers, solid metal trim and a fantastic colour range. New Rock are really taking off in the UK and central Europe, and the factory's designers are working hard to come up with lots of great new stuff including 1970's inspired platform shoes and cowboy-style boots.
You may also have seen them on TV, if you're a fan of NCIS (Abbey, played by Pauley Perrette sometimes wears them) or a Dr Who fan, where they were standard issue to Judoon troopers.
Ne Rock are a celebrated sexy fashion boot, featuring thick rubber heels, bright leather uppers, solid metal trim and a fantastic colour range. One of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you...
If you haven't seen Crocs shoes before, you'll be delighted at how low a price you can buy a fashion shoe! They're light, easy to keep clean and come in an amazing range of colours, and there are dozens of different styles from which to choose. Visit our Crocs shoes online shop
Like Uggs, Crocs are sometimes treated with a lack of respect by people who think they have the need to tell everyone else about fashion. It's a modern shoe, first seen in 2002, designed as a plastic clog and manufactured from a tough, lightweight foam resin, Croslite®.
Crocs are manufactured in many countries around the world including Italy, Mexico, China, Brazil, Vietnam, Bosnia, and Romania.
They're bright, light and waterproof, and so seem ideal for beach and holiday wear as well as boating and even gardening. They are also ideal as vegan shoes and possibly medical workers and chefs due to their slip-resistant, non-marking sole and antimicrobial qualities (although the holes in the design need some thought!). The antimicrobial qualities may also help with a few people having especially smelly feet!
Converse Allstars are well known for their trademark rubber ankle 'bumper'. There's now an amazing range of styles and colours, with many limited edition shoes with designer and personality prints. Now owned by Nike, Converse has been making shoes since the early 20th century. Visit our Converse shoes online shop
More of a fashion shoe than a trainer, still Converse finds a sporting home with skate fans and all teens wanting something familiar but a bit less of a commercial brand than Nike – which is perhaps why Nike thought it a good idea to buy them.
Most familiar as a soft canvas ankle boot with the trademark 'allstar' logo on the ankle bone, the shoes have developed into a wide range of colours and become even more popular with a series of graphic designs mimicking how wearers would like to customise their own shoes. As a more normal size deck-type canvas shoe, the Converse Ox is a little less popular, perhaps because it's a little more ordinary, but Dr Who fans will love it as an oft-worn favourite of David Tennant's Doctor.
Vans are the original skateboard shoe, created in California in the '60's. They're tough - the original Vans vulcanized "waffle" outsole gives incredible flexibility and grip. They're comfortable - easy slip-on canvas uppers or soft suede. They're fashionable with many new styles, but still including the famous diamond pattern 'Checker-board' slip-on Classics.
Visit our Converse shoes online shop
In the past year or so, Vans have extended their range into more conventional sneakers, particularly with big clumpy designs carrying lots of graphic detail. Like Converse, their traditional ranges have many designs styled to look as if they're self-made.
Vans often scores sales because of their 'emo' appeal, appearing a little less commercial than shoes such as Converse.
We a real UK company, governed by trademark and sales UK laws. Please be careful when you buy online because there are a lot of fake shoe sites, especially for Ugg. If you are unsure about any site, please email me and I'll give you an unbiased opinion.