Sorry, Sneakers—Fashion People Are in Agreement About These Classic Flats

Two-hundred years ago, two brothers from Street, Somerset, in England came up with an idea to repurpose otherwise wasted materials from their tannery business: Make slippers. It was 1825, and no one, especially not Cyrus and James Clark, could have predicted the success of Clarks, the powerhouse footwear brand those slippers turned into.

Today, Clarks has reached every corner of the world, from Jamaica to Tokyo, with its Originals, including the Wallabee, Desert Boot, and Desert Trek silhouettes, being the brand’s most noteworthy styles. They’ve been worn by musicians such as David Bowie, Liam Gallagher, Drake, Wu-Tang Clan, and athletes, including LeBron James. John F. Kennedy Jr., one half of the iconic style duo that was Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy and her husband, wore Wallabees, as did King Charles, Wes Anderson, Notorious B.I.G., and Marvin Gaye.

But while Clarks has no doubt made a name for itself across popular culture, becoming a staple in so many’s wardrobes, until recently, the brand’s footwear offering was mostly associated with men like those mentioned above. Clarks has been producing women’s shoes successfully since the early 1900s, and yet, it hasn’t quite secured the foothold with women that it has with men. Over the last few years, however, female consumers have begun adopting Clarks footwear, especially the Wallabee, a suede, lace-up shoe with crepe soles and an elevated square toe. Fifty-eight years after the Wallabee was launched, Clarks is still finding new audiences to introduce one of its most famous shoes to, thus ushering in yet another era of dominance for the shoemakers from Street.

“Women have been driving [the Wallabee’s] resurgence in fashion,” says Dawn Porto, Clarks’ Global Head of Product. Say what you want about collaborations, but they can very successfully introduce pieces and brands to new audiences. “Recently, we partnered with female Dutch designer Daniëlle Cathari, music artist Aleali May, and iconic Amsterdam boutique Maha to reimagine the Wallabee with bold, fresh perspectives, reinforcing its relevance to modern women,” Porto continues. And the efforts paid off.

According to Lyst, in the third quarter of 2024, Wallabees claimed the ninth position on the global shopping search engine’s index of the hottest products of the period. (Also on the list were Alaïa’s fishnet ballet flats, Coach’s Brooklyn bag, Puma’s Speedcat sneakers, and Longchamp’s Le Pliage bag.) “The classic style—popular for over five decades—remained a summer wardrobe staple, with demand increasing 32% that quarter,” a rep from Lyst shares. But it’s collaborations with Cathari, Moncler, Aries, and more that they say cemented the style in 2024’s cultural cachet. “These strategic partnerships have transformed the classic shoe from a traditional staple into a highly sought-after collector’s item,” they say. “Each collaboration reinterprets the Wallabee through unique design lenses, positioning it as a canvas for creative expression that attracts sneaker enthusiasts and fashion-forward shoppers.”