Everything about Clarks Originals collaboration, from Supreme to Wu-Tang.
If we could visit your personal Alibaba cave, what treasures would we find? Paintings by great masters? Matisse for sure! Or, would it look more like a junkyard warehouse, with Perriand or Eames furniture stacked on top of each other…? A Telecaster temple with giant Jimi Hendrix posters on the walls? Is your cave the biggest retro gaming club in the world?
Oh no! A huge dressing room with all the clothes you dream of? One thing that’s pretty certain is that, if you are reading this blog, this cave would probably be a mix of all of that. Another thing that’s fairly certain is that you’ll find a pair of Clarks Originals in here, either on display or at your own feet.
Redesign the iconic Clarks Originals!
If there is one pair of shoes that has had a major impact on culture and deserves its place in the pantheon of classics, it definitely is this one. From the early rude boys of Flatbush Avenue to Drizzy, Wes Anderson, and your math teacher, everyone has already had a pair of Clarks Originals moccasins.
The key to their success: versatility and variety of colors. If the Desert Boots were quickly established as a timeless classic, it is the Wallabee who will hold our attention here. Since their creation in 1967 in Great Britain, the famous shoes with rubber crepe soles have never ceased to be renewed, in particular through numerous collaborations.
We note among others the Sporty & Rich x Clarks with their blue robin’s egg color, those of Drake which highlight the spirit of OVO, the Bape with their Vibram sole and camouflage-tinted leather, the cozy Aimé Leon Dore with their wool upper which gives a fluffy appearance, but also the Goodhood, Supreme, Atmos, Carhartt, Stüssy, Beams, Staple, Palm Angels, ENDClothing, NEiGHBORHOOD, Bodega, the Kith with the participation of Ronnie Fieg …
Before you think about buying such collabs', make sure you always have clean shoes on your feet. Read our article on how to clean Clarks suede shoes? You'll learn all about the different leathers, as well as tips and advice on how to care for your shoes to increase the life of your pair. Once you've acquired this knowledge, you'll be able to treat yourself to an anthology collaboration with peace of mind, carefully.
The list seems endless so much everyone aspires to revisit the mythical silhouette in their own way.
Supreme + Clarks = 1
Forget your physics books: perpetual motion exists. The theorem says, “When the marketing finest team up with a pair of timeless aesthetics, the love affair between these two can go on indefinitely.” It seems so easy for them as what they have come up with so far is so diverse.”
There are already many models as such as the one in GoreTex, or another essential drop in the bandana theme with a paisley pattern, a pack reminiscent of the first shoe customs with tinted suede leather, a model with the braided leather toe box, another with an interpretation of the seams and aesthetics of the moccasin…
There is no shortage of ideas and each release aesthetics is unpredictable. The association of these two is an example of a win-win partnership: the designers at Supreme play with a timeless shape that they will know how to decline endlessly, while Clarks Originals managers update their customer base by staying in trendy and at the forefront of hype with a model dating back over 50 years now.
Wullabees: Wu-Tang and Clarks Originals.
Let’s give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar: everyone agrees that if the shoe was so easily propelled into the Hip-Hop and streetwear universe, it is in part thanks to early aficionados: the rappers of the famous Wu-Tang Clan. If RUN-DMC had “their Adidas”, and Biggie or Pac (among others) also opted for “Yellow boots”, the members of the Clan very quickly put forward their love for their “Wullabee”.
Gza says they were inspired by their old greats, the neighborhood Jamaicans who roamed the streets of Brooklyn with the first pairs. Rappers began to buy them to assert their identity, in particular by dyeing them several colors on an entire half (further proof if it was necessary that the custom was not new).
Like the Timberlands and the legendary Superstar, the Clarks Originals Wallabee carried the Hip-Hop movement as much as it was inspired by it. So it is not uncommon to see a large part of American rappers of the ’90s sporting one of these pairs.
The big springboard which gave all its letters of street nobility to the Wallabee was the cover of the title Ironman, of Ghostface Killah, followed very quickly after by numerous appearances of Notorious Big with the pair on the feet. It didn’t take much for the streets to catch on, and for everyone to embrace it. The group will subsequently have the opportunity to partner with the brand to develop their own model, with a two-tone marbled pattern.
Imperishable.
The shoe has well and truly passed the test of time. Since the end of the ’60s, it has already crossed, resisted and inspired a large number of different movements and cultures. Much more than a go-anywhere shoe, you can actually wear it for any occasion—get married dressed in Clarks Orginials Wallabee!
But to make sure you don't make a fashion faux pas, check out our blog post on how to wear Clarks shoes. Tips, association with pants, types of models according to the seasons ... You'll know everything you need to know about how to make a success of your outfits.
More topical than ever and deeply rooted in the landscape, the pair of moccasins has achieved this feat both thanks to a timeless atypical line, but also to a regular refreshment resulting from collaborations with other major players in the ready-to-wear universe. So, have you now decided to make room for your favorite version next to your favorite vinyl collection?
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