Clobber: Nazi-fighting shoes - Clarks

Back when schools could be arsed with having proper uniforms, primary schools the length of the country would be full of young’uns sporting a pairs of Clarks shoes. One of the final days of your summer holidays would be spent traipsing around the shops with your mam, trying on new trousers, and picking up a fresh set of Crayola’s finest coloured pencils. This shopping trip almost always included having to call in to the Clarks store, and waiting in what can only be described as a doctors’ waiting room for shoes. Sitting there patiently until your number came up on the board and you could have your feet professionally measured, secretly hoping you’d reached the mythical status of being an adult size 1. The next day at school would be spent comparing new shoes, only to find that almost everyone was wearing the same ones, which in itself was pretty cool, as the general conclusion would be they must be the best ones.

As you matured though, Clarks were bullied from the scene by the likes of Kickers and Pod, and were seen as pretty much untouchable, relegated to the choice of young kids and old blokes. However, these shoes were merely Clarks’ mainstream footwear. Their cult classics, relaunched in recent years as Clarks Originals, have remained a staple in the wardrobes of many a finely dressed chap throughout the decades. The Desert Boot is up there with the greats of cult footwear, despite it becoming dangerously trendy over the last year or so, hijacked by soulless fashion magazines, and reproduced by the likes of Topshop and Primark. A favourite with the mods in the 60’s, due to them looking equally as smart with a suit as they do with a pair of Levi’s, Clarks Desert Boots are based on a similar design worn by the British Eighth Army as they fought the Nazis in North Africa. Initially Nathan Clark, great grandson of the company’s founder James Clark, was told by the Stock Committee superintendent that his design would never sell, but Nathan persisted and the shoe soon became a bestseller. Worn by the likes of the Cooler King, Steve McQueen, the Desert Boot has become an iconic shoe.

Whilst the Desert Boot may receive the majority of the attention, Clarks also produce a number of other quality shoes. Based on a Dutch design, the Desert Trek has become popular with both ramblers and football lads alike. Its trademark centre seam gives it its distinctive look, and like the Desert Boot, looks just as good when worn with a pair of jeans as it does with something a bit more formal. The Wallabee was done to death a few years ago, but is still a smart alternative to some of the shoes available out there, and while the Oberon conjures thoughts of a 70s history teacher, it looks refreshingly tidy when combined with some decent threads.

Whilst a lot of top trainers are becoming soul-destroyingly common, Clarks are a breath of fresh air. With a pair of Desert Treks on your feet you’ll be soon be looking as sharp as the Ace Face, or cooler, considering he’s a bell boy, and Sting.