5 July 2011

Nathan Clark.



As an avid Clarks fan it's hard not to mention the original Clarks Commando. The Great Grandson of Clarks founder James Clark down in their Somerset base, Nathan Clark. Working for Clarks he had an eye for detai, he cut his teeth at Queens college in Oxford via Odenwaldschule in Germany. After taking time out to take on Franco in the Spanish civil war he then served in Burma and North Africa during WWII where he first discovered and eventually tweaked, the perfect desert boot, what is now arguably Clark's most famous and timeless offering. Not to mention helping make suede become something us here in blighty would happily wear on our feet.
"Nathan Clark understood what few did - that the fighting kit of the wartime allies could become popular as peacetime leisurewear"
Nathan Clark, shoemaker, originator. 1916 - 2011.
The Guardian, Oi Polloi blog.

2 comments:

  1. Haven't seen these on your blog yet. Clarks Originals x Concepts in Boston. They look right up your street and somewhat timely.

    http://cncpts.com/

    Keep up the good work, this blog is quite simply essential reading.

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