Timberland is the yellow-boot brand, and it has belonged to VF Corporation, the American owner of The North Face and Vans, since September 2011. VF publishes what Timberland sells worldwide, and the body of its latest annual report does not mention India once.
The Indian picture is less direct. Search Myntra for Timberland and most of what comes back is spectacle frames and sunglasses. Reliance Industries has named Timberland among the brands launched on AJIO, without saying on what terms. This audit sets out what each of those sources actually says.
Timberland is owned by VF Corporation, which reported US$1,735.9 million of Timberland revenue for the year to March 2026 in an unaudited brand table. No VF filing names an Indian partner; Reliance Industries listed Timberland among AJIO’s brand launches on 14 October 2024 without stating the arrangement. On Myntra on 21 September 2026, the Timberland shelf was mostly licensed eyewear made in Italy by Marcolin, so its prices are not a guide to what Timberland boots cost here.
Snapshot
- Owner
- VF Corporation (NYSE: VFC), since the acquisition completed on 13 September 2011
- Price paid
- US$43 a share, total consideration US$2.3 billion
- Timberland revenue
- US$1,735.9 million, 12 months to March 2026, up 8% (5% in constant currency); VF’s unaudited brand line
- VF-operated Timberland stores
- 147, worldwide, per the FY2026 annual report
- Indian trade mark
- TIMBERLAND, class 25, registration 493266, held by TBL Licensing LLC (register mirror)
- Indian partner in a filing
- Reliance Industries names Timberland among AJIO “new brands launches”, 14 October 2024; arrangement not stated
- On Myntra, 21 September 2026
- 711 listings; the first 100 were 73 frames and 23 sunglasses
- Indian price band
- None set: no Indian footwear price was read
Who owns Timberland
The Timberland Company was a public American company in its own right until 2011, filing annual reports with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. On 12 June 2011 it signed a merger agreement with VF Corporation at US$43.00 a share in cash. VF announced completion on 13 September 2011, putting the total consideration at US$2.3 billion.
- The Timberland CompanyFiles its own US annual report for fiscal 2010
- Merger agreement with VF12 June 2011, US$43.00 a share in cash
- VF completes the acquisition13 September 2011, total consideration US$2.3 billion
- Timberland inside VF’s Outdoor segmentReported with The North Face in fiscal 2026
Each step comes from a VF or Timberland filing; nothing later shows a change of control.
VF’s latest annual report is its Form 10-K for the year ended 28 March 2026, filed on 20 May 2026. A search of VF’s filings from that date to 21 September 2026 found a quarterly report and a first-quarter results release since, and no later annual report. From fiscal 2026 VF manages Timberland and Timberland PRO as one operating segment, and reports it inside its Outdoor segment beside The North Face.
VF does publish Timberland’s revenue in dollars, in a supplementary table attached to its results release and headed “Unaudited”. For the twelve months to March 2026 it shows US$1,735.9 million, against US$1,607.7 million a year earlier: up 8%, or 5% in constant currency. The fourth quarter alone was also up 8%, but only 2% in constant currency, so the two periods should not be confused. For the quarter to 27 June 2026, VF reported US$266.1 million, up 4%, which it said was “driven by the Americas”.
Who sells Timberland in India
VF’s own filings are the first place to look. Its 10-K describes selling Timberland through “specialty and chain stores, independent distributors and licensees”, partnership stores, concessions and 147 VF-operated stores, but names no distributor or licensee for any country. The word India appears in none of VF’s filings since 20 May 2026, except the list of significant subsidiaries.
That list names one Indian company, VF Sourcing India Private Limited, a sourcing office covered in the North Face audit on this site. Nothing read links it to selling Timberland. Timberland’s own website does not offer India as a delivery location either, though it lists Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and South Korea.
The one company filing that names Timberland in India is Indian. Reliance Industries’ results release of 14 October 2024 says: “AJIO has been strengthening its portfolio through new brands launches like ASOS, H&M, Timberland, to name a few.” Its analyst presentation that day repeats the line. Neither document says whether this is a licence, a distribution deal or plain wholesale supply, which Reliance company holds it, or for how long.
Two days later, FashionNetwork India reported that AJIO was offering Timberland watches, eyeglasses and sunglasses. That is a press report, not a filing, but it matches what the Myntra shelf shows below.
An earlier Reliance chapter, reported in the press
Timberland has been in Indian malls before. Indian Retailer reported the first store, at Ambience Mall in Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, run by Reliance Brands Limited. FashionUnited reported on 24 June 2011 that the first outlet opened in August 2010 and that seven were trading. Coverage in October 2024 dated the arrangement to 2009 and said the stores closed in 2015.
The press does not agree on what that deal was. Indian Retailer called it a “license cum distribution agreement”; FashionUnited called it a distribution agreement; the 2024 reports said distribution and licensing. No filing read confirms the start, the type or the exit, so treat all of it as history reported by trade journalists.
- 2007A Timberland HK Trading liaison office is set up in Bangalore
- 2010First store, New Delhi, per press reports
- 2015Stores closed, per press reports
- 2024Reliance lists Timberland among AJIO brand launches
- 2026Myntra’s Timberland shelf is mostly eyewear
Only the 2024 entry comes from a company’s own filing.
Liaison office from a register mirror; 2010 and 2015 from Indian Retailer, FashionUnited and 2024 trade coverage.
A register mirror shows that Bangalore entry as Timberland HK Trading Limited, a foreign company’s liaison office at Raheja Towers, MG Road, established on 12 February 2007. A liaison office is a foreign company’s contact point, not a trading company. It shares a name with a Hong Kong company on VF’s subsidiary list; the mirror does not carry enough to say they are the same legal person. The Timberland Company’s 2010 annual report separately described a Chennai office that supervised footwear sourcing.
The Indian trade mark is clearer. A mirror of the register shows TIMBERLAND, registration 493266 in class 25 for clothing and footwear, filed on 22 June 1988 and valid until 22 June 2029. TBL Licensing LLC of Stratham, New Hampshire was recorded as proprietor on 26 February 2018, and TBL Licensing LLC appears on VF’s own subsidiary list.
What Myntra’s Timberland shelf actually holds
On 21 September 2026 Myntra’s Timberland brand filter carried 711 listings. Of the first 100, 73 were spectacle frames and 23 were sunglasses. This shelf is mostly licensed eyewear, not Timberland boots.
The declarations say who stands behind it. Of 40 product records read that day, 39 named Omni Astra Private Limited as seller of record, declared Italy as the country of origin, and named Marcolin S.p.A. as manufacturer. The fortieth was sold by Brandman Retail Limited, declared Bangladesh as origin, and named VF Singapore Overseas Services Pte Ltd as manufacturer.
On those declarations, Marcolin is the maker of the frames and Omni Astra the seller of record.
Brandman Retail is a company listed on the NSE’s SME platform since 11 February 2026, whose IPO summary names New Balance, and which also sells Skechers on the same marketplace. Brandman’s website carries a Timberland page of brand history and product copy.
On Myntra on 21 September 2026, 96 of the first 100 Timberland listings were spectacle frames or sunglasses.
What Timberland costs in India
The Myntra numbers are real, but they are eyewear numbers. On the 100-listing sample, the median MRP was ₹8,400 and the median price paid was ₹6,019, which is 71.7% of MRP. Every one of the 100 listings was reduced, across nine distinct MRPs and discounts of 22%, 28%, 30%, 34% and 50%.
Read that 71.7% as a figure for licensed frames and sunglasses. It is not what Timberland footwear sells for in India, and this page sets no Indian price band or tier for the brand on the strength of it.
On Timberland’s American site on 21 September 2026, the Premium 6-Inch Waterproof Boot, style TB110061713, was US$220.00. The Timberland 25 6-Inch Waterproof Boot, TB0A6CH6754, was also US$220.00, and the Waterproof Field Boot, TB1A18RI231, was US$160.00. Those are American list prices before state sales tax, which the pages do not mention.
| Style | US list price, 21 September 2026 | Indian price |
|---|---|---|
| Premium 6-Inch Waterproof Boot, TB110061713 | US$220.00 | No matched listing read |
| Timberland 25 6-Inch Waterproof Boot, TB0A6CH6754 | US$220.00 | No matched listing read |
| Waterproof Field Boot, TB1A18RI231 | US$160.00 | No matched listing read |
timberland.com/en-us, read 21 September 2026. No Indian comparison was taken, so no gap is shown.
No Indian listing for these style codes was read, so there is no like-for-like comparison here, and no currency conversion. If you find the Premium 6-Inch in an Indian shop, the base code 10061 is the one to match.
Where an Indian pair is imported, customs adds 20% basic duty and an 18.5% agriculture cess, 38.5% in all, charged on the landed cost rather than the shelf price. The US product pages say only “Imported” about their own boots, so the box is the place to check where a pair was made.
Where Timberland is made
VF does not split its sourcing by brand. Its 2026 annual report says its products “were primarily obtained from approximately 216 independent contractor manufacturing facilities in approximately 24 countries”, and that VF sourced about 231 million units across all its brands. India is not named.
Timberland’s own blog, in May 2024, put its footprint at “over 300 factories in 30 countries”. The blog gives no period and covers one brand; the 10-K covers the whole group. The two figures differ and are printed side by side.
For history: The Timberland Company’s 2010 annual report said about 88% of that year’s footwear came from independent manufacturers in China, Vietnam, Thailand and India. It made about 12% itself in the Dominican Republic. That describes 2010 and says nothing about a boot on sale today.
Timberland’s waterproof and leather claims
Timberland describes its waterproofing in words. Its customer-care page says it “puts each pair of waterproof boots through a rigorous testing procedure to guarantee that the boots are absolutely watertight”. The Premium 6-Inch page promises “waterproof seam-sealed construction to help keep your feet dry”.
None of the pages read publishes a hydrostatic-head figure, the water pressure a material resists, or names a test standard or an outside laboratory; that describes the pages, not the boots. Some outdoor brands print such a figure: Columbia’s Saudan Pro rain shell, read the same day, prints “Waterproof 30,000mm”, as Columbia’s audit sets out.
The leather claim comes with a figure. Timberland said in May 2024 that “96% of the leather we use is from tanneries rated Gold or Silver by the Leather Working Group”, an industry auditing body. In 2017 it reported 98.8% for footwear and 93.1% for apparel and accessories, measured by skins, against a goal of 100% by 2020. Nothing read reports that goal as met, and no page read states the tannage.
The recycled claims carry figures but no named certifier. Timberland says its TimberDry membrane is “made from 50% recycled plastic”. One product page describes the ReBOTL lining as “at least 50%” recycled plastic and another as “50% recycled PET”. The Premium 6-Inch lists 400 grams of PrimaLoft insulation.
Fakes and how to check
Timberland publishes no product-level authenticity check: no code, QR or serial a buyer can look up. Diesel’s UK site, by contrast, offers a QR and 12-digit code check. Timberland’s counterfeit page says genuine products come from timberland.com, its own stores and “authorized retailers”, and names no Indian seller.
Read the manufacturer line
On Myntra, Marcolin S.p.A. means licensed eyewear. For boots, look for the name of the company that made them and who imported them.
Turn the box over
The Legal Metrology block should give MRP inclusive of taxes, country of origin and the manufacturer or importer.
Ask about the website
Timberland’s counterfeit page invites buyers to email counterfeits@vfc.com with a website’s name, and says it will reply on whether that site is authorised. It checks sites, not pairs.
The Indian court record
Three decided Delhi High Court judgments show the mark being enforced here, and the brand won all three. In CS(OS) 1516/2005, decided on 23 November 2010, three defendants settled and the court restrained three others from using TIMBERLAND or the tree device on garments, but refused damages for want of evidence.
In a second suit, CS(OS) 2158/2007, decided on 4 September 2014, the court granted a permanent injunction and awarded ₹3,00,000 in compensatory and ₹2,00,000 in punitive damages, with ₹50,000 costs. In The Timberland Company v House of Fashion, decided on 3 March 2015, it decreed the suit with ₹1 lakh punitive damages, after 312 shirts had been recovered at a court-ordered inspection in 2005.
All three were wholly or partly ex parte: the other side did not appear, so nothing was argued against the brand. Each judgment decided that suit as it then stood, against those defendants. Nobody has ruled on the goods on any Indian shelf today, and none of the three involves an Indian licensee.
Who Timberland is actually for
Timberland suits a buyer who already knows the boot, wants a brand whose ownership is on the public record, and will check where a pair was made. The leather sourcing figure is published and names a real auditor, which is more than many footwear brands offer.
It suits less well a buyer who expects a clear Indian home for the brand. There is no Indian Timberland website, VF names no Indian partner, and Reliance’s filing gives a launch but no terms. The Myntra shelf read here sells mostly glasses.
Common questions
Who owns Timberland?
VF Corporation, the NYSE-listed owner of The North Face and Vans. VF completed its purchase of The Timberland Company on 13 September 2011, for US$43 a share and US$2.3 billion in total.
Who sells Timberland in India?
No VF filing names an Indian partner. Reliance Industries listed Timberland among AJIO’s brand launches on 14 October 2024, without saying what the arrangement is. Reliance Brands ran Timberland stores from about 2010 to 2015, according to press reports.
Why is Timberland on Myntra mostly glasses?
On 21 September 2026, 96 of the first 100 Timberland listings were frames or sunglasses. On 39 of 40 records read, Marcolin S.p.A. was the declared maker, the country of origin was Italy and the seller was Omni Astra Private Limited.
Are Timberland boots really waterproof?
Timberland says they are, and describes seam-sealed construction and in-house testing. The pages read publish no water-pressure figure, test standard or outside laboratory.
How much does a Timberland boot cost in India?
This page does not give a figure: no Indian listing for a Timberland boot was read. The American Premium 6-Inch was US$220.00 on 21 September 2026. Myntra’s ₹8,400 median MRP is for eyewear, not boots.
References
- VF Corporation Form 10-K, year ended 28 March 2026, filed 20 May 2026 — Timberland’s channels, 147 VF-operated stores, the combined Timberland segment, the Outdoor segment, and the 216 facilities, 24 countries and 231 million units
- VF Exhibit 99.1, Summary Revenue Information (Unaudited), 20 May 2026 — Timberland US$1,735.9 million against US$1,607.7 million, up 8% and 5% in constant currency for 12 months; fourth quarter up 8% and 2%
- VF Exhibit 99.1, first quarter of fiscal 2027, 29 July 2026 — Timberland US$266.1 million, up 4%, “driven by the Americas”
- SEC EDGAR, VF Corporation filings, 20 May to 21 September 2026 — no later annual report; India only in the subsidiary list
- VF Exhibit 21.1, significant subsidiaries, fiscal 2026 — TBL Licensing LLC, Timberland HK Trading Ltd. (Hong Kong), and VF Sourcing India Private Limited as the only Indian company
- Agreement and Plan of Merger, 12 June 2011 — US$43.00 a share in cash
- VF release, “VF Completes Acquisition of The Timberland Company”, 13 September 2011 — completion and US$2.3 billion total consideration
- The Timberland Company Form 10-K, fiscal 2010 — the Chennai sourcing office, 88% of footwear from independent makers in China, Vietnam, Thailand and India, 12% made in the Dominican Republic
- Reliance Industries results release, 14 October 2024, page 10 — the AJIO “new brands launches like ASOS, H&M, Timberland” sentence
- Reliance Industries analyst presentation, 14 October 2024, slide 31 — the same line
- FashionNetwork India, 16 October 2024 — Timberland watches, eyeglasses and sunglasses on AJIO; the 2009 Reliance Brands arrangement and 2015 store closures
- Apparel Resources, 15 October 2024 — the 2009 distribution and licensing arrangement and the 2015 exit
- Indian Retailer, Timberland’s first store in Delhi — Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj; Reliance Brands Limited; “license cum distribution agreement”
- FashionUnited India, 24 June 2011 — distribution agreement, first outlet August 2010, seven outlets
- Register mirror, Timberland HK Trading Limited, F02923 — liaison office, Bangalore, established 12 February 2007
- Trade mark mirror, TIMBERLAND 493266 — class 25, filed 22 June 1988, valid to 22 June 2029, TBL Licensing LLC recorded 26 February 2018
- Timberland location selector, read 21 September 2026 — the markets listed; India not among them
- Myntra, Timberland brand listing and 40 product records, read 21 September 2026 — 711 listings; 73 frames and 23 sunglasses; median MRP ₹8,400, median paid ₹6,019, 71.7%; Omni Astra 39, Brandman 1; Italy 39, Bangladesh 1; Marcolin 39
- Chittorgarh, Brandman Retail IPO — NSE SME listing on 11 February 2026; New Balance named
- Brandman Retail, Timberland page, read 21 September 2026 — brand history and product copy
- Premium 6-Inch Waterproof Boot, TB110061713 — US$220.00, seam-sealed wording, LWG, 400 grams PrimaLoft, “Imported”
- Timberland 25 6-Inch Waterproof Boot, TB0A6CH6754 — US$220.00; ReBOTL “at least 50%”
- Waterproof Field Boot, TB1A18RI231 — US$160.00; ReBOTL “50% recycled PET”
- Timberland, “Are Timberland boots waterproof?” — the “rigorous testing procedure” wording; no figure, standard or laboratory
- Timberland Singapore, TimberDry — “made from 50% recycled plastic”
- Timberland blog, 14 May 2024 — 2017 LWG shares by skins, the 2020 goal, and “over 300 factories in 30 countries”
- Timberland blog, 13 May 2024 — 96% of leather from LWG Gold or Silver tanneries; ReBOTL “at least 50%”
- Columbia Saudan Pro 3L rain shell, read 21 September 2026 — “Waterproof 30,000mm”
- Timberland counterfeit page — authorised channels and the counterfeits@vfc.com website check
- Diesel UK authenticity check — QR and 12-digit code
- The Timber Land Co., CS(OS) 1516/2005, Delhi High Court, 23 November 2010 — part settlement, part ex parte; injunction; damages refused
- The Timberland Company, CS(OS) 2158/2007, Delhi High Court, 4 September 2014 — ex parte decree; ₹3,00,000 and ₹2,00,000 damages; ₹50,000 costs
- The Timberland Company v House of Fashion, CS(OS) 1518/2005, Delhi High Court, 3 March 2015 — decree; ₹1 lakh punitive damages; 312 shirts recovered
Timberland’s ownership is about as clean as brand ownership gets: one acquisition in 2011, a US$2.3 billion price in a filing, and revenue of US$1,735.9 million published every year. Its leather sourcing names a real auditor and a percentage, and the mark has won three Delhi High Court suits, each wholly or partly undefended.
India is less documented. VF’s filings do not name an Indian partner, Reliance’s one line gives a launch but no terms, and 96 of the first 100 Timberland listings on Myntra were spectacles and sunglasses. The waterproof claim is described in words on the brand’s pages, without a published test figure.
A well-documented American boot without a published Indian partner: worth buying if the price is right, after checking the maker and origin lines on the box in your hands.
