Clarks "Desert Boots"

[bburtner@moran]

Wearing Clarks desert boots for 40 yrs,not a bad shoe,but quality has dropped,any other makers of this classic design that might be had?I do not like the gum soles,I am having my shoemaker AKA cobbler put on a set of Vibram #222 soles,like WC Russell uses on the PH Safai boot.

 

[Inusuit]

I wore Clark's in College in the 60's and loved them. I now have a pair made by Keen that I like, but they have gum soles and the styling is not traditional "Clarks."

 

[H.Johnson]

I was recently talking to a fine old man who worked for Clark's from the late 1940s to the 1980s. He remembers the 'desert boot' being introduced to their range (he placed it at 1950 but I think it may have been later) and the designer - Nathan Clark, a descendant of the original founders. Contrary to what I have seen stated 'by experts'. Clark's (they were a Quaker family) did not make desert boots in WW2, but copied the design from the Egyptian-made originals brouhgt back by 8th Army officers in a fashion perhaps influenced by the popular British war films of the time.

I have a couple of pairs from the 1960s and I agree, they are better than the current version.

 

[Tooch]

J. Crew makes the MacAlister boot, which is a classic desert boot style. A bunch of them turned up on ebay last summer -- overstock, I guess -- and I picked up a pair for a third of retail price.

The boots I bought fit great, are well made, and are marked "made in Italy."

They do have the gum soles, though.

I see that J. Crew still offers the boots on the Web (http://www.jcrew.com/AST/Browse/MensBrowse/Men_Shop_By_Category/shoes/boots/PRDOVR~79438/79438.jsp).

 

[Spatterdash]

Tooch,

Linky no worky. [huh]

 

[bburtner@moran]

J Crew

Nice boots, but more $$ than the Clarks.

 

[bburtner@moran]

Gum Soles

Got to get rid of those gum soles,when my Clarks are done I will post pic`s with the new Vibram#222 soles,I believe they will be more comfortable than the gum sole.I shall see.

 

[Tooch]

Tooch,

Linky no worky. [huh]

Arrggh. Looks like the board software included the closing parenthesis in the link. Try this:

http://www.jcrew.com/AST/Browse/MensBrowse/Men_Shop_By_Category/shoes/boots/PRDOVR~79438/79438.jsp

 

[Tooch]

Nice boots, but more $$ than the Clarks.

I just checked ebay. There's a good supply over there for about half price in several different sizes. See if you can match up your size with the color you want. (Search "macalister boot")

 

[barra063]

Desert boots were part of the youth dress code when I was growing up. Desert boots and a black dufflecoat with the wooden torpedo toggles and you were in with the in crowd. We then had those who were rebels from society and they wore ripples. These are black desert boots with a distinctive rippled sole. In Australia, Rossi boots still make desert boots.

http://www.rossiboots.com.au/catalogue/catalogue_browse.asp?deptID=15

 

[Talbot]

Ripple soles....

...give the ants a chance!

I loved my ripple sole DB's, but they could get a bit slippery sometimes.

DB's are pretty soft. I hope your Vibram soles aren't too stiff.

 

[Trenchfriend]

Now, market "wants" to sell classic desert-boots all around (Germany), with classic crepe-soles, rippled soles, simple flat soles. But, shoes are not that cheap in Germany, especially, if you want "massmarket A-quality".

 

[handymike]

I wear mine all the time!

 

[Doublegun]

Wearing mine today.

 

[Trenchfriend]

I think, the most men got bigger shoesizes than me.

But, how "stabilizing" would they be on size german 42/US 8,5? I mean, how secure are they on "rolling one's ankle"?

 

[shadowrider]

Not stabilizing at all. They are not padded or anything.

 

[handymike]

yes, they are very floppy. Not much support at all.

 

[belfastboy]

I just checked ebay. There's a good supply over there for about half price in several different sizes. See if you can match up your size with the color you want. (Search "macalister boot")

I was in Holt Renfrew an upscale department store (just passing thru) and I spotted a pair of classic desert boots on the sale table. Checked them out, liked them, turned them over to view the "sale" price.....they were Prada desert boots marked down from $700 to a waaaay more affordable $500....and yep they were just your everyday, nothing special desert boot. Needless to say I took the high road and did not buy....left them for some other deserving fellow.

 

[shadowrider]

I was in Holt Renfrew an upscale department store (just passing thru) and I spotted a pair of classic desert boots on the sale table. Checked them out, liked them, turned them over to view the "sale" price.....they were Prada desert boots marked down from $700 to a waaaay more affordable $500....and yep they were just your everyday, nothing special desert boot. Needless to say I took the high road and did not buy....left them for some other deserving fellow.

Did they have crepe soles with that ugly red stripe??

 

[Trenchfriend]

yes, they are very floppy. Not much support at all.

Thanks, buddy!!