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Timberlands have been a wardrobe staple for Rihanna since the early ’00s. The hard-wearing waterproof boots, which were originally designed in 1973 for American construction workers, may seem an unlikely style mainstay for a global superstar, but Rihanna is actually one of many celebrity fans.
In the music and fashion industries, Timberlands have become a status symbol, worn by hip-hop stars throughout the 1990s and the style set in the noughties. The brand has even collaborated with the likes of Stüssy, A-Cold-Wall and Supreme, and recently launched the Hip Hop Royalty Boot to celebrate its longstanding connection with legendary artists.
But no one wears them quite like Riri. While her style has evolved dramatically since 2012—a year she wore Timberlands nonstop, including while performing at the Brit Awards—she still enjoys pairing the worker boots with jeans.
Earlier this month, for an outing with A$AP Rocky (another Timberland fan), the singer leant into the shoes’ casual appeal and wore the brand’s signature 6-inch boots, baggy Agolde denims, a striped Loewe polo top—which she tucked under her bra to reveal her baby bump—and a Louis Vuitton box clutch.
Rihanna’s trick for transforming Timberlands from functional footwear into a fashion statement? Undoing the laces. Looking back at her past outfits, she rarely—if ever—ties them, preferring to leave the upper unfastened.
The brand’s trademark yellow Nubucks are by far her favorite style owing to their versatility, but Riri has been spotted in black, brown and pink pairs, as well as decorative custom versions, since her obsession first started. Take note: at $170, Rihanna’s Timberlands are one of the more accessible items in her wardrobe, and as her decade-long endorsement proves, they’re worth the investment.