Clarks & Dancehall

Our shoes might have been born at our Somerset headquarters, but our roots are more global than that. Since the original Desert Boot set foot in Jamaica in the mid-20th century, our soles have accrued cult status year after year. Today, they’re the go-to shoe of the island nation.

The key reason? Music and the dancehalls. From the 1970s onwards, our soles became the iconic styles of statement hero artists, moving from street to music clips, from street to dancehalls. The police even used the shoes to identify the ‘rude’ boys of Kingston when raiding the dancehalls. And then Vybz Kartel came along with his dedicatory song — titled ‘Clarks’ — and sparked a whole new level of obsession for Clarks Originals.

More than a mere status symbol, our icons symbolise permanence; people would — and still do — save up for them for months, even years, to wear them for a lifetime.

With the newly launched Dancehall collection, we headed to Jamaica to shoot with a full Jamaican cast and crew, paying homage to the rich Jamaican music culture that's embraced our icons for generations. From vibrant colours to subtle striped detailing, our makeover of the Wallabee and the Wallabee Boot incorporates instantly recognisable Jamaican cues — celebrating a lasting style legacy.