Bizarre Beginnings
Clarks Originals | Footsteps In History | Clarks,Street,Somerset 1950 On July 7, 1950 a soft, floppy, ankle-high boot stepped into the fashion scene and became an icon. A timeless classic almost unchanged since its launch, the Clarks Desert Boot continues to defy the sands of time.
To understand the legend of the Desert Boot and Clarks Originals, you need to understand their origins. The Desert Boot, the very first Clarks Original, was the idea of Nathan Clark, the great grandson of one of the founding brothers of Clarks. In this extract from a letter, Nathan tells of its origins: “I got the idea from crepe-soled rough suede boots which officers in the Eighth Army were in the habit of getting made in the Bazaar at Cairo.”
Trial samples were not greeted with much enthusiasm but, when Nathan took charge of overseas development in 1949, he took them to the USA and launched them at the Chicago Shoe Fair the following year.
GROUNDBREAKER
The Clarks Desert Boot was greeted with great interest. The Fashion Editor of Esquire magazine gave them substantial editorial credits, and large volume sales followed.
In 1965, Lance Clark agreed to promote them in Europe. Overnight, the name ‘Clarks’ became a household word. “In France,” Nathan wrote triumphantly, “all boots of that type became known as ‘Les Clarks’.” An icon was born, worldwide.
CHEESE BOTTOMS
Original. Versatile. Authentic. Understated. How did words like these ever come to be used to describe a raw, unstructured, unlined boot with crepe soles? Or ‘cheese bottoms’, as Jamaicans know them.
The originality of the Desert Boot and all Clarks Originals: the Wallabee, Desert Trek and the many other styles in the range, derives from their design. The combination of innovation and traditional influences; fashion and functionality; natural materials and handcrafted simplicity. But it’s the relationship of Clarks Originals with their wearers that gives them their true individuality. Once out of the box, no two pairs will ever be the same.
YOUR SOUL, ON YOUR FEET
Like the Wallabee introduced by Lance Clark in 1965 or Desert Trek, introduced in 1984 during the Oil Crisis when everyone had to walk everywhere. Clarks Originals don’t belong to any particular era. Each generation rediscovers Clarks Originals and makes them their own. Devotees who have their own unique sense of style and who prefer to discover what they like, rather than have it presented to them; people who are fed up with throwaway products that you use and dispose of; people who want authentic, beautiful products.
TIMELESS CLASSIC
You can never change a classic. Change it and you kill it. Never frivolous, Clarks Originals outlive trends. As a classic, they’re always with you. Change your look and you’re sure to find a classic that fits. Just ask your feet.
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