DNA Deep-dive: A classic, the Clarks Originals Desert Boot

Clarks, the internationally renowned name we know today, hasn't always represented a footwear-culture image overflowing with monthly Wallabee and Desert Trek collaborations. After all, collaborations are a relatively recent phenomenon compared with the brand's 1825 founding — nearly two centuries ago.

Origins

As the story goes, inspiration began at the Clark brothers' family tannery — specifically Cyrus Clark's tannery, where his brother James worked. The tannery produced a range of comfortable, near‑premium goods, including sheepskin rugs; have you guessed where this is going yet? Of course you haven't.

Design discovery

But it wasn't until 1942 that the shoe at the centre of today's story hit the shop floor — the Desert Boot. Nathan Clark, James Clark's great‑grandson, was serving with the West African Brigade in Burma and India when his older brother Bancroft, who had become chairman in 1942, asked him to keep an eye out for practical footwear designs that might benefit Clarks.

Doing his due diligence, Nathan encountered the Chupplee men's sandal — a distinctive style popular in north‑western India — and, more importantly, the crepe‑soled Desert Boot worn by officers of the 8th Army, who'd first seen them on the feet of Boer farmers across South Africa. Similar to the traditional chukka, there are a few key differences that set the Desert Boot apart — notably an upper turned outwards rather than under the foot, then sewn directly into the sole — qualities that made it appealing to Clarks.

Reception and legacy

However, it wasn't all plain sailing for Nathan's Desert Boot — in fact, the board decided it would never sell. Nathan took the silhouette to as many markets as he could, helping establish Clarks Australia in 1948 to introduce it to a new audience. Fortunately the Australians loved his reverse‑leather design, and pairs soon appeared overseas, adopted in the West Indies and becoming a pillar of Jamaican rudeboy culture — much like the Wallabee.

Its pared‑back construction and accessible sensibility helped the Desert Boot move effortlessly between subcultures and seasons, proving that restraint can be as powerful as ornament. And... boom — the Desert Boot had made its mark, leaping from shelf to shelf and delivering comfort to style‑conscious wearers from England to Australia and everywhere in between. Today it remains a cornerstone of Clarks Originals, as comfortable and relevant as ever.

Shop the Clarks Desert Boot at TOWER

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