Wyclef Jean, the socially-active solo artist and former member of The Fugees, falls pretty far from any music video stereotypes in his real life. He’s frequently performing at benefit concerts, started his own nonprofit foundation (Yéle Haiti), is a Haitian Goodwill Ambassador, and has now joined the ranks of the Timberland Earthkeeper Heroes, a group of eco-focused individuals that Timberland has assembled to promote going green.

Timberland, like Wyclef Jean, has switched things up from their reputation (as a construction-site staple) to become one of the greenest shoe companies around, and it’s rare that a month goes by without the shoe company making an appearance on the Greenzer blog, whether it’s for a new LEED-certified store or a new addition to their seriously eco-focused Earthkeeper shoe line. By joining together with Wyclef Jean, Timberland is hoping to aid in his environmental and humanitarian efforts in his native Haiti and give Timberland-wearers a chance to do the same. Click here to read more

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A great pair of boots is arguably the biggest must-have for fall fashion, partially because they tend to tie any look together and partially because although it’s warm now, ugly weather is lurking right around the corner—and those ballet flats you’ve been sporting all summer just won’t cut it.

Until recently, however, the only eco-friendly boots out there looked far from fashion-forward, in clunky shapes more suitable for hitting the trails than the town; but one brand that’s single-handedly changing that is Timberland, and their Bethel Tall Brogue Pull-On Boots are a perfect example (just in time for fall). The pull-on style means no cluttering from zippers or buckles on the shaft (though you’ll still be able to tuck your skinny jeans inside), and if you pick them up in their taupe option, you can tap into the gray trend that’s all over runways this season. Never a company to sacrifice comfort for fashion, Timberland kept the heel on the Bethel to one inch, so you’ll still be able to move quick when you need to.

The upper on the Bethel boot is made from leather, which isn’t the greenest of materials, but thanks to Timberland’s new policy (which has been praised by Greenpeace), none of the leather used in their shoes is Amazon-sourced, and hasn’t caused the deforestation linked to some other shoe companies’ leather. Click here to read more

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It wouldn’t be fall back-to-school fashion season without Gap jeans staring you down on all of your shopping trips. This year, Gap redid their entire line and introduced their 1969 Premium Jeans. While the jeans aren’t made from organic cotton or in anyway green, you can catch an eco accessory in the store windows–Timberland boots.

Timberland Earthkeepers 6″ Leather Boots are the eco-friendly footwear of choice for jean-clad Gap mannequins nationwide. For guys who rock the casual jean look, Earthkeepers finish it off well. The rugged mens boots feature organic cotton laces, solvent-free adhesives, recycled rubber outsoles and recycled EVA inside along with recycled PET lining. While the leather boots are, well, made of leather, they’re not vegan or animal-friendly, but they are organically tanned.

Plus, company-wide, Timberland is an eco-conscious company. Click here to read more

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Timberland boots have long been the favorite for hard workers everywhere and there may not be a brand that’s become more associated with tough footwear. That’s why it may surprise you that the folks over at Timberland are just as focused on making their shoes eco-friendly as they are on making them durable. Their latest eco-action is the recycled rubber soles that will be featured on 200,000 pairs of shoes from their upcoming Fall 2009 collection. The recycled rubber will come from old tires, but before you think “big deal, how hard can it be to convert those to soles?”, you should know that vulcanized rubber (the tougher, more durable rubber used in things like tires, bumpers and shoe soles) is actually a very difficult material to recycle, because of that same durability that makes it useful. Timberland will be using the services of a Malaysian company called Green Rubber, who have figured out a way to break down vulcanized rubber for reuse, and will be using a blend of 50% recycled and 50% virgin vulcanized rubber for the soles. Worn out shoe soles with the blend will be able to be recycled again for further use.

While most of the shoes getting “secondhand soles” will be in Timberland’s new EarthKeepers line, they won’t be the only green shoes from the brand. Timberland has been featuring 100% organic cotton canvas, recycled PET plastic, and more diluted recycled rubber blends in many of their products for some time. And the products aren’t the only thing getting a green makeover, either. Everything from their shoe boxes (now made with 100% post-consumer recycled paper and soy-based ink) to their mall-based retail stores (which have received LEED gold and silver certification) has been improved for reduced impact in an effort to meet carbon neutrality goals that Timberland has set. Click here to read more

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