It’s been thirty years since The Notorious B.I.G. dropped his seminal album, Ready To Die , and to celebrate the moment, his footwear brand of choice, Timberland, is dropping their second Biggie-inspired collaboration with Foot Locker Europe, following their first drop in September.
Biggie’s approach to style was, much like his music, a unique blend of the rugged and the smooth that has since become iconic—think signature medusa shades and colourful lounge knitwear mixed with army jackets and oversize denim.
He also loved the iconic Timberland 6” boot, and repped them hard, in life, in his music videos and in his lyrics, and is now seen as one of the main forces in helping the shoe and the brand gain adoption in both hip-hop and popular culture.
Called The Christopher Wallace Collection, the pack features two styles of the iconic 6” boots. The wheat colourway sold out quickly after it was dropped in September, and the new black colourway is released exclusively through Foot Locker on December 13, both in-store and online.
Both take inspiration from the great man’s approach to style in general and draw on iconography from Ready To Die in particular.
Design Features:
- Biggie’s name etched into the heel of the sole and embossed on the collar;
- The iconic baby from the Ready to Die album artwork on the shoe tongue.
- Gold accents, including a crown-shaped hangtag, paying homage to Biggie as the “King of NYC.”
- Lace locks and hardware inspired by his signature eyewear and chains.
- Laces and aglets designed to resemble ‘90s aux cords, evoking nostalgia for Walkmans and Discmans.
The overall feel of the design is clean, with details subtle, in keeping with Biggie’s style and the Ready To Die artwork aesthetic. Nods to his eyewear and chains are in the hardware, lace locks and hangtags, while the laces and aglets (tips on the ends of the laces) mirror ‘90s aux cords (of the sort found on a Walkman or Discman back in the day)—a particularly nice touch.
Speaking about the collaboration, Geraldo Rodriguez, VP of Global Energy Marketing at Timberland, said: “The Notorious B.I.G. will forever be a legend and honoured by the Timberland family. Through this new collection, we salute his contribution to hip-hop culture and what he has done for our brand over the years. The 6-inch boot became an integral cultural icon thanks to icons like The Notorious B.I.G., and we want to continue his legacy through this collaboration.”
The collaboration was done in partnership with the Christopher Wallace Foundation, which was set up in the wake of the rapper’s death back in 1997, to serve as a vehicle for giving back to the community. To help support the Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation’s programming around reading literacy, Timberland will be making a donation to the foundation which will fund book drives for local children and families.
The Timberland collab isn’t the only special release in honor of Ready to Die’s anniversary. Amazon has a 2-LP black vinyl reissue that features a newly reimagined limited edition cover.
