The Essential Series: The Only Thing I know about Burma
It was a hot muggy day during WWII that Nathan Clark spotted a crepe soled boot while on tour in Burma. Fascinated by this boot, he began to see a pattern among it’s wearers….it was exclusively being worn by british military officers who came to Burma via Cairo. Little did Clark know that the soliders were having these made at the local bazaars in Cairo. After returning to Somerset, England from Burma, Clark called on a friend and shoemaker to create a pattern for a boot that resembled the crude crepe soled boot that fascinated him in Burma. Hard at work and ready to premiere his new boot, Clark headed across the pond to Chicago. The shoe premiered at the 1950 Chicago shoe fair. If life is defined by big breaks and taking chances, Clark rolled the dice and got his break in a huge way. The shoe became a phenomenon among men of the Ivy persuasion and firmly planted it’s flag in the field of classic American style. Ironically, although it was made in England, it took almost 15 more years before the shoe was adored by the men of Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester. I love the desert boot for it’s simplicity. It’s just a simple crepe sole with a suede or leather upper and just 4 eyelets. In a time, where the colorways and styles of shoes get louder and more grandious there’s something to be said for understated and simple design. Thank you Mr. Clark.
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