Products C. & J. Clark

1 products

1.1 joyance sandal
1.2 desert boot
1.3 wallabee
1.4 desert trek

products

the clarks joyance children s sandal


joyance sandal

during 20th century, clarks established reputation quality children s footwear. crepe rubber soled joyance t-bar sandal both boys , girls 1 of popular designs. launched in 1933, continued in production until 1972.

desert boot

the original desert boot – vintage ad



the clarks desert boot

the company s best known product desert boot – distinctive ankle height boot crepe sole made out of calf suede leather traditionally supplied charles f stead & co tannery in leeds. officially launched in 1950 desert boot designed nathan clark (great-grandson of james clark).

nathan clark officer in royal army service corps posted burma in 1941 orders establish supply route rangoon chinese forces @ chongqing whilst launching series of offensives throughout south east asia. before leaving home brother bancroft had given him mission gather information on footwear might of use company whilst travelling world. desert boot result of mission.

his discovery of desert boot made either @ staff college in 1944 or on leave in kashmir 3 divisions of old eighth army (transferred far east north africa) wearing ankle high suede boots manufactured in bazaars of cairo. nathan sent sketches , rough patterns bancroft, no trials made until after returned street , cut patterns himself.

the desert boot cut on men’s guernsey sandal last , sampled in neutral beige-grey 2mm chrome bend split suede. company’s stock committee reacted badly sample , dismissed idea ‘would never sell’. in capacity overseas development manager nathan had success shoe after introducing oskar schoefler (fashion editor, esquire magazine) @ chicago shoe fair in 1949. gave them substantial editorial credits colour photographs in esquire in 1950. bronson davies subsequently saw these articles , applied represent company in selling them across usa, long before available in uk. desert boot sold in britain through shops in regent street, featuring union jack sewn label, targeted @ tourists. lance clark credited popularising them in europe during 1960s.

the desert boot have been manufactured @ shepton mallet, small scale production having occurred @ street. during course of time, whitecross factory in weston-super-mare subcontracted relieve shepton factory of manufacture of desert boot, before bushacre factory @ locking road, weston-super-mare constructed in 1958. desert boot manufactured there until closure of factory in 2001. rest of clarks range, desert boots made in china.

the clarks wallabee


wallabee

produced clarks 1967 , based on moccasin called grashopper, launched in 1964, german company sioux, wallabee brand manufactured @ padmore , barnes factory based in kilkenny, ireland, clarks had acquired in 1963 , continued operate until closure in 1987, when subject of management buy-out. managed lance clark responsible having negotiated licence produce shoes in kilkenny , arranged factory staff trained in production of moccasin shoes, product took off once decision taken market in north america in 1968. general manager of factory, paddy roberts took shoe trade fair in new york in same year, whereupon learnt trademark grasshopper had been licensed. in conjunction jack rose-smith (clarks overseas shoes export manager), bob cullerton (the president clarks in america/clarks of england), hugh woods (managing director of clarks canada), roberts trademarked name wallabee.

the clarks desert trek


desert trek

another style associated lance clark had seen zwartjes version of shoe on feet of artist, sonja landweer in late 1960s. artist in residence @ kilkenny design workshops, had come contact lance clark, landweer’s shoes became basis production of trek first attempted @ clarks factory in dundalk. more attuned construction of stitch-down footwear. shoe launched in north america in 1971 trek, before featuring in uk range in 1972 renamed hike, owing existing footwear trademark. ‘trek man’ first featured on shoe drafted lance clark , refined advertising manager in dundalk, bob patten.