What are Timberland boots made of? Suzanne Somers' husband reveals reason behind why she was buried wearing signature shoes

On Sunday, October 15, iconic actress and author Suzanne Somers passed away after a 23-year battle with "aggressive breast cancer". The 76-year-old actress lost her life after the aggressive breast cancer metastasized to the brain. Suzanne Somers was most prominently known for her role as Chrissy Snow in the popular television series, Three's Company.

In a People magazine interview on December 5, Suzanne Somers' husband, Alan Hamel revealed that the actress was laid to rest in Timberland boots that he had engraved for her. Timberland boots are made of nubuck leather, which according to the company's official website is sourced from "LWG silver or gold-rated tanneries".

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Timberland boots are made of a different type of leather, called nubuck leather

According to the company's official website, the iconic Timberland Yellow Boots were made from "nubuck leather". Numerous materials were employed to ensure that every pair of boots performed the designated tasks accurately. The company claims that it uses leather sourced from "LWG silver or gold-rated tanneries" that follow "environmental best practices."

The company explains:

"Nubuck leather is essentially full grain leather that’s had its outer surface sanded down. Because most of the natural blemishes on a hide appear on this outer layer, sanding it down gives a smooth, consistent finish."

Nubuck leather is quite different from natural leather. Natural leather is layered, with an outer shiny layer and thicker layers beneath it that give it strength and flexibility. Full-grain leather makes use of the complete material after removing the excessive thickness. The suede has no remaining outer surface and is simply a lower layer.

Whereas, nubuck leather is described as the "best of both worlds" since the outer layer is removed and all that's left is a soft "supple leather with no visible grain'. The company states that nubuck leather gives the appearance of suede but is much "sturdier".

The uppers of the boots are made out of either "hard-wearing full-grain, stylish suede, or best-of-both nubuck". This depends on what these boots are intended for, "leisure, fashion, working or hiking". The inners of the boots are made of smooth and soft glove leather that provides the sturdiness of leather while still resting "incredibly soft on the foot".

The soles of the boots are made from "injection-molded rubber" that provides "maximum grip, waterproofing, and durability". To ensure sustainability, the company also claims that the rubber on the outsoles of the boots is made of "33% recycled vulcanized tire rubber".

All these different parts are stitched together with flexible yet strong "quadruple-row nylon". The company claims that the material is also fit for all weather conditions as they are rot and mildew-resistant.

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Suzanne Somers' Timberland boots were a gift from her husband, Alan Hamel

In the People interview, Suzanne Somers' husband and entertainer, TV Host, and producer, Alan Hamel revealed that the actress was adorned with a pair of Timberland boots when she was laid to rest. Hamel had ordered the boots for her as Suzane Somers did not have any shoes that were fit for "hiking on the rocks". He explained that his gift was very personal to the actress.

He told the outlet:

"(I) made my gift personal by drawing on them in a few words that represented our life to some degree and made them very personal to Suzanne,"

The TV Host explained that despite Suzanne Somers being a big fan of and owning a plethora of Manolo Blahniks, it wouldn't have been personal if she adorned those "for her final trip". Every time Somers adorned the Timberlands, she would tell him, "I am wearing you, and my boots will keep me safe".

Alan Hamel and Suzanne Somers had a daily routine of hiking to the top of a mountain close to their residence. The mountain had "a creek and a large flat rock in the middle" of it. The rock would be warmed up by the sun after their two-hour hike. He explained to the outlet:

"We would have our lunch on the rock and then take a one-hour nap on the rock and then hike back down and go to work."

Suzanne Somers passed away on October 15 due to breast cancer with metastasis to the brain, a condition in which cancer cells spread from the breast, Somers' original affected location to other parts of the body, in this case, her brain. This leads to the emergence of multiple tumors. Suzanne Somers passed away a day before her birthday.