The Timberland Company’s ascension in the rugged footwear industry was sometimes rocky, but savvy marketing, excellent products, and extraordinary luck eventually turned an obscure bootmaker into a worldwide symbol of rustic chic. The first hint of widespread interest came in the early 1980s, when Italian trendsetters made Timberland hiking boots the ultimate in style and sophistication. The resulting European buying frenzy sent U.S. retailers scrambling for Timberland footwear, sparking the first of many fashion booms.