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The Clarks Original Desert Boot is one of the most legendary pieces of footwear. “You have a masterpiece
in your hands,” says Matteo Bellentani, the head of product for Clarks Originals. So why mess with it?
The new 221 comes with various pastel laces and fobs so
you can curate your own look.
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“The desert boot is like
a reliable friend,” says
Bellentani. “It gains value
with time like a pair of
jeans. They will continue
to influence different
personalities and different
subcultures in the future,
I’m sure about that.”
THE NEW 221
A CLASSIC
Toying with an icon is dangerous business but, if you’re going to do it, why hold back? With
their striking, whiter-than-white new Desert Boot 221, Clarks spins a bold, fresh variation
on their enduring classic.
Head of product Matteo Bellentani and his design team were well aware of the pressure
and responsibility that come with tinkering with a legend, but they embraced a technical
hurdle—how to update the proportions and improve the fit using a slightly updated shoelast
able to incorporate a thicker OrthoLite® footbed for added comfort.
Let’s start at the source: suede. Working with their longtime tannery partner, Charles F.
Stead, the 221 uses a chrome-free suede which accounts for the noticeable brightness of
their white. This chrome-free suede is also treated with a water repellent to keep the boots
from getting stained in the rain. “The decision to use chrome-free was aesthetic and
environmental,” says Bellentani. “The sustainability, durability and friendly approach
to the environment is our main objective.”
Inside, the 221 features an OrthoLite footbed cushion support—made with a 20% recycled
mixture of OrthoLite foam waste and rubber waste. This footbed is covered by a thin
leather lining, a nice touch. “It’s a cost,” Bellentani concedes, “but we believe the leather
lining provides a benefit and you can really see and feel the difference.”
The only aesthetic modification, to keep the boot properly balanced, is a slightly thicker
crepe sole. After months of testing, the calibrations paid off —and the OG desert boot
offerings (desert sand, black suede and seasonal colors) are available in the new 221 style.
“The desert boot is so simple but easy to overcomplicate,” says Bellentani. “They are like a
pair of jeans—they get better the more you wear them. You can wear them for 30 years. So
when we apply our new designs, we never want to lose this authenticity. You have to think
about the future generation of consumers without forgetting the past.”
Clarks is a 200-year-old family business founded on the principles of caring for employees
and partners. They practiced sustainability before it was ever called sustainability, and
the proof is in the durability of the desert boot, the perfect marriage of form and function,
bound by tradition but ever-ready for reinvention.