Clarks Wallabees - Back and Better Than Ever

First came the desert boot. In 1950, Nathan Clark of England introduced the classic Clark Desert Boot to the world. It was unlike any Clarks' shoe before it. Modeled after the uncluttered, comfortable boots that his army colleagues found in the bazaars of Cairo. The boot had attitude and was an international success from Harvard to Hamburg. It was the one thing that Mods and Rockers had in common. Next came the 1960's, and Clark went ahead and designed the world's first comfort shoe, a moccasin built on Clarks' nature-formed last. Called the Clark Wallabee, it went on to join the Clark Desert Boot as a timeless classic.

Now, 50 years later, the Clarks England Originals Collection is wildly popular again. The Clark Desert Boot and especially the Clark Wallabee are being sighted everywhere from designer runways to high fashion magazines. Both Clarks and the now independent Padmore and Barnes continue to make Wallabee shoes. Clarks sells the Wallabee in over thirty countries and it is most popular in France. At some point they grew in popularity in the UK, and lately bizarrely they were picked up by some of the hip hop community here in the US. Its 2007 and the Wallabee is an icon of popular culture and fashion.

These are the shoes that just won't die. They seemed to have faded out of fashion unless you were over 55 and maybe an orthodontist or something. I used to wear these in high school and we called them beer drinkers back then in the 1070 because even if your were a little buzzed and you tipped your mug and some beer spilled out, the shoes would catch the spill and hold it on that funny looking lip they have on the front. No spills on your friends beautiful hardwood floor, ingenious.

Could it be that its hip to be square? Some people believe these are the ugliest shoes on the planet. Appearing to be stitched together by elves, Wallabees have this strange sole made of what appears to be Art Gum that would make squeaky sounds when you walk across a freshly waxed linoleum floor. In reality it's a "Genuine plantation crepe outsole" that cushions the foot. They also have the "nature-formed last allows for a natural toe spread and the EVA foot bed has a leather sock liner to keep feet comfortable and dry". That's what makes them so damn comfortable. They are more like a sneaker in comfort and you can wear them almost anywhere because they have a casual look but are still a shoe. Strangely attractive!

If you'd like to own a pair of these classic beauties, I checked around the Internet and it looks like prices start around $80.00 a pair. Another thing I noticed is you will have a lot more choice of style than back in 1965. First of all you can choose high or low top. High tops are more like a boot; the low top "oxford" is more like a regular shoe. Next choose leather or suede. Then choose your color. You can go conservative with the standards like Sand, Black or Brown or go a little radical and get something like the limited edition desert camo! Even the Artish Stash got together with Clarks on a special edition brown suede Wallabee. They are very clean and simple, like Wallabees should be. The insole features Stash's signature fatcap graphic.