Brand: Clarks

A timeless classic almost unchanged since its launch, the Clarks Desert Boot continues to defy time. 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 an extract from a letter, Nathan tells of its origins. “I got the idea from crepe-soled rough suede boots who officers in the English army were in the habit of getting made in bazaar at Cairo”. Trial samples were not greeted with much enthusiasm by the board of directors but with Nathans persistence and hard work an icon was to be born worldwide. Original, versatile, authentic, and understated. How did words like these ever come to be used to describe a raw, unstructured, unlined boot with crepe soles? What makes Clarks originals special? The Desert Boot, the Wallabee, Desert Trek and the many other styles in the range, comes 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 give them their true individuality. Once out of the box, no pairs will ever be the same. In the US, the desert boot has been the dress code at Princeton University and worn by Steve Macqueen in the movie the Great Escape. In the UK, it has been a breath of fresh air in the city and the chosen footwear of Mods in suburbia. The Wallabee has been the symbol of retro, cool Britannia and the offbeat style of eurothrash. Just the way we like it down at Nitty Gritty.