“From Beef and Broccoli to brolic brand collabs,” reads a post from the social media page of Showtime’s Desus & Mero, announcing their upcoming collaboration with Timberland, due out Friday, Nov. 13. The brand also touted the new partnership of “two NYC icons coming together for the collab we’ve all been waiting for” on social media with a tribute retracing the steps of the two Bronx-bred personalities.
“I ain’t even gonna lie...this gotta be a New Yorkers dream. #KeepPushin,” wrote one Instagrammer—and from the looks of other comments, it’s evident that this is indeed a borough lover’s dream team. But in case you’re wondering, no, “Timberland isn’t owned by the Ku Klux Klan, nor does it have any such connections,” writes Snopes, which also debunks the ridiculous rumor that Maya Angelou poetically derided the brand as racist.
Furthermore, as pop culture site Mandatory notes, there’s never been any proof offered to substantiate the “one urban legend, a myth, or a fake news story [that]...one of the CEOs of the company was quoted to saying he didn’t want Latinos and blacks wearing his shoes....this was reported on a now-shutdown site that had a disclaimer about all of its stories being ‘completely fictional.’ Unfortunately, that didn’t stop the fire of misinformation.” (Also worth noting is that this same rumor has also long been attributed to Tommy Hilfiger and Liz Claiborne—also without any proof, Snopes confirms.)
That said, what we do know for sure is that Timberland denounced a former collaborator and canceled their partnership over racist remarks made in 2015 (h/t The Cut). At the time, A.P.C. designer Jean Touitou titled a runway segment “Last Ni##@$ IN PARIS” and said of the A.P.C. x Timberland boots used as accessories: “The Timberland here is a very strong ghetto signifier. In the ghetto, it is all the Timberlands, all the big chain.” In Touitou’s defense, he pointed to his friendship with Kanye, calling the gaffe “[an] homage to our friendship,” so make of that what you will.
But back to the matter at hand: From the looks of the promo, when Desus & Mero’s collab with Timberland drops on Friday, there will definitely be some beef and broccoli served, as well as some Bodega Boys realness. “Don’t get stomped out,” says the duo.