Advice: The guide to the men's desert boot, choosing it well, wearing it well

Already present in many wardrobes, the desert boot is the casual shoe par excellence . As is often the case in men's fashion, it was originally a workwear piece (military, more specifically) which subsequently became widely popular.

Light, comfortable, easy to wear ... we quickly understand what makes it so successful, but that was far from being the case from the start.

So what is the story behind desert boots? What was the role of the famous Clark's brand? What difference(s) between desert and chukka boots? How to wear them? Where to buy them?

1944 - 1950: NATHAN CLARK (RE)INVENTED DESERT BOOTS

CAIRO SHOES

At that time, the Clark's brand was already a recognized company . Nathan Clark, grandson of the founder, was sent to serve the British army in Burma. There, he noticed shoes on the feet of certain brothers in arms that caught his attention: simple-looking models, in suede, with a crepe sole.

By digging a little, he learns that they come from a Cairo souk , where the soldiers went precisely to have them made.

The advantages of desert boots are indeed numerous:

• Lightness of the whole,
• Rubber flexibility,
• Fineness of leather,
• Stem high enough so that sand does not enter.

LABORIOUS BEGINNINGS

Truly conquered, the Nathan will not wait for his return to England. From his camp, he made paper prototypes and sent drawings to his brother. His service finished, he returns and begins looking for partners to make his project a reality.

Once his model was completed, Clark presented it to the board of directors of the family business. The verdict is clear: no one believes it will sell. This taints neither Nathan's will nor his hopes.

In 1949, he left for the US and presented his desert boots at a trade show in Chicago. Its practical and refined design appeals to our friends across the Atlantic; the men's monthly Esquire praises it in its columns. It is the beginning of success .

SHOES THAT HAVE BECOME CULT

Given their apparent simplicity, desert boots have been able to make their way through recent decades without going out of style. From the mainstream to the underground, they have been everywhere.

The beatniks will make them their shoes of choice. In the same vein, many students from May 68 walked the Parisian pavement in desert boots. This is even found in the Clark's advertising campaigns of this period.

In Jamaica, desert boots have even become a powerful social marker, as this article published in Vogue explains very well.

Today, you will find desert boots from a lot of brands, in a variety of designs. That being said, let's give back to Caesar what is Caesar's, it is to Clark's that we owe the authorship of shoes as we know them today.

Well, that's all well and good, but how do you recognize a good pair of desert boots? This is what we will see right away.

HOW TO CHOOSE MEN’S DESERT BOOTS?

A NICE LEATHER

Originally, the desert boot is in suede calfskin . Today, whether nubuck or suede, it is always this texture which is the most widespread.

Do not hesitate to run your fingers over the material before purchasing, while looking for a soft and fairly regular texture, on leather thick enough to last over time.

Some tips for leather to age harmoniously:

• Never wear them in the rain,
• Brush them with a suitable utensil,
• Waterproof them,
• Read our Clark's : quite a few variations around the original desert boot, still available,
• Paire & Fils : desert boots with balanced shapes,
• Sanders : excellent tailoring, you can even wear the same models as Steve McQueen,
• Carmina : superb pairs in Goodyear welt, it will be up to you to keep them for 10 or 20 years!

NOT FORGETTING OUR OWN CASUAL SHOES...

Thanks to the Tanneries d'Annonay and our Barker Shoes workshop, we have developed real bootmaking know-how: assembly in England from A to Z.