Y
ou can’t mistake the classic silhouette of the original Clarks
Desert Boots: the durable crepe-soled boot with butter-soft sand
suede cut just above the ankle. It’s an enduring icon of modern
design, a remarkable combination of form and function.When Nathan Clark, great-grandson of C & J Clark founder James
Clark, served in Burma and India during WWII, his family asked
him to keep an eye out for new shoe designs. Nathan encountered
boots in Burma that had been made-to-order at the bazaar in Cairo
for 8th Army soldiers during the North African campaign. They
were designed for the desert terrain as functional and comfortablealternatives to the heavy, painful—and hot—British government
issue army boots. He returned with a plan for a remarkably simple
and elegant chukka boot, with no idea of the global success they
would soon enjoy.How could he? Nathan couldn’t even convince his family to
produce them in Great Britain. But Esquire fashion editor Oscar
Schoeffl er immediately recognized their appeal when he spotted
them at the 1949 shoe fair in Chicago.An Esquire feature that followed shortly afterward bestowed upon
Clarks Desert Boots their bona fi des, and they took off in America and
Canada. Sneakers were decades away from being accepted as casual
wear, but desert boots, advertised as “the world’s most travelled shoe,”
had an irresistible dressed-up/dressed-down vibe that appealed to the
teenagers and hipsters fast becoming the new tastemakers.By the end of the fi fties, a decade that brought us rock ’n’ roll, white
tees, and blue jeans, Esquire was publishing Jack Kerouac, and
his beatnik fans were rocking desert boots, which had become an
integral part of any cool kid’s wardrobe.
As the youth culture exploded in the sixties, Desert Boots proved
to be more than a passing fad. In Jamaica, the boots—known as
“Rebel Shoes”—had a massive impact on the Rude Boy culture and
music scene. Finally available in Britain, they were quickly adopted
as standard Mod attire in Swinging Sixties London; “Les Clarks”
took France by storm, and were soon the rage in Italy and Japan, too.Desert Boots weren’t just for kids, either—they were for anyone,
from any culture around the globe. And they’ve never been uncool.
Truth is, they don’t belong to a specifi c era. They look as sharp
today—and well-suited to this moment—as they always have. We
take comfort in their endurance, and are amazed by the brilliant
collaborations and limited editions that push the genius of the
basic design. Now and forever, they are an elemental part part of
our wardrobe that only improves with time. —Alex BelthESQUIRE STUDIO X CLARKS
The radical simplicity of Desert Boots struck a deep cultural nerve around the globe and became
a rite of passage. Your first pair, so lovingly worn-in, won’t be your last.For 70 years, Clarks Original Desert
Boots have been a cherished part
of our wardrobe that only gets
better with age, looks good with
everything, and never goes out of style.FOREVER ORIGINAL
Why Your Favorite Boots
Are Also Your
Most Indispensable
By the mid-’50s,
“the world’s most
travelled shoe” was
part of the new
rugged but casual
style Esquire
championed.