When the fashion pranksters at MSCHF dropped their Big Red Boots last February, it set the entire style world aflame—a headline-grabbing stunt that doubled as a dadaist fashion statement. The boots were purposefully gaudy and ostentatious, and one’s level of tolerance for their absurdity became a sort of sartorial litmus test. Love ‘em or hate ’em, it’s hard to deny MSCHF’s innate ability to attract attention.
So it’s hardly surprising that the brand’s latest boots have already stirred up plenty of controversy before they’ve dropped. The MSCHF 2×4 Construction Boot, which drops tomorrow for $400, looks strikingly similar to Timberland’s classic 6-inch work boot, which the Boston company has been producing since the early 1970s. In fact, the 2×4 appears to be a play on the Timberland original, remixing and recontextualizing the icon with a wry sense of humor—the boot version of a Warhol painting.
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Like other MSCHF releases, the 2×4 boot flips familiar design elements in unconventional ways: The bold tread sole of the Timberland has been replicated along the boot’s tongue and upper, giving the whole thing an M.C. Escher feel. The doubled heel, meanwhile, adds an illusion of disjointed height.
Earlier this week, Timberland seemed to acknowledge the homage, posting an Instagram image that declared its 6-inch boot “The Original,” which of course implies that there’s a copycat. Shortly thereafter, MSCHF overly responded, using an identical template to declare that its own boot was “Also Original,” a clever play on words that summarizes the label’s entire design philosophy. This isn’t simply a case of one brand mimicking another. MSCHF seems to want it to be a bigger conversation: What is originality? What makes for an iconic boot? Does parody law cover work boots?
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