Clarks Desert Boot is 65 years old.

CLARKS ORIGINALS® celebrates 65th Anniversary of the Desert Boot.

Clarks Originals Desert Boot, which was first created in 1950 and launched by Nathan Clark, made its debut at the Chicago Shoe Fair  the year before.  The original boot was made from suede supplied by Charles F. Stead, an English tannery established in Leeds in 1895.   

As the story goes, during Nathan Clark’s time served in the Second World War, a type of casual suede boot was seen on soldiers who had picked them up in the bazaars of Cairo.

Using these rough suede boots as his inspiration, Nathan set about cutting the pattern himself and on his return to the home of Clarks in Street, England, this unique dress casual boot was born.

Crafted today using the same techniques as it was in the fifties, including its unusual ‘stitchdown’ construction, slim line last shape and natural crepe rubber sole, Clarks Originals is celebrating the original Desert Boot this year with a limited edition Maple Suede style.

From spring summer 2015 onwards, all Clarks Originals Desert Boots re  made from Stead suede or leather and will feature the tannery’s logo on the in-sock; a reminder of not only our shared heritage but of our shared passion for

quality too.

Photos by Lucia Carpio for My Fashion Connect.