The company changed its name to The Timberland Company in 1978.
Before that change, the business was known as the Abington Shoe Company. Founded in the Boston area and later moved to Newmarket, New Hampshire, it initially made footwear for other brands. The Swartz family’s development of waterproof leather boots gave the business a successful product under the Timberland name.
The original Timberland boot debuted in 1973. Its popularity encouraged the company to move away from mainly producing private-label footwear and to concentrate on its own brand. The 1978 renaming reflected that shift: Timberland was no longer just a product name but the identity of the growing company.
The date is sometimes confused with later milestones. Timberland went public in 1987, and VF Corporation acquired it in 2011. Neither event marks the company’s name change. The 1978 date specifically refers to the renaming and incorporation of the business as The Timberland Company.