Clarks and Culture

I’m Shian; 22 years old, British born with 2nd generation Caribbean parents - a Jamaican mother and St Lucian father. My mum is a small but mighty woman, in the same way that Jamaica is a tiny but influential island. I will be talking more on this, specifically Jamaica’s relationship with footwear brand Clarks, how it came about and what it means for the culture.

I got my intro into Dancehall circa 2010, via the song ‘Virginity’ by Vybz Kartel, a song I am still very much obsessed with to this day. About 3 years prior, Uncle Vybz dropped ‘Clarks’ and the scene went crazy. The chorus, ‘everybody haffi ask weh mi get mi Clarks’  is a truer statement than you might have originally thought. This article by The Guardian explores how although yes, Clarks’ shoes were popular in Jamaica already, the song had a direct effect on sales. Stores nationwide were selling out of the shoe immensely quickly, which then caused retailers to start hiking up prices. Many couldn't afford this and so here came the replicas. (Sound familiar? I’m looking at you, trainer resellers!) Additionally, there wasn’t a single shipment that didn’t get robbed when it reached the country. A demand had always been there but this was unlike anything Jamaica or even Clarks had seen before. Since the song, Vybz has gone on to make Clarks Again (2010), and newer Dancehall artists like Jahvillani have followed suit with songs titled Clarks Pon Foot and Suede Clarks (2020) The list of songs referencing the iconic shoe is truly endless.

But even prior to this, Clarks had already become synonymous with the “rude boy” subculture in Jamaica. These were young men sporting the Desert Boot Style, were believed to be up to no good by authorities and were against the colonization of their country. They were rebellious and mischievous but overall, a symbol of revolution. The book ‘Clarks in Jamaica’ illustrates how the shoe became so tied to this demographic, that parties were raided by police, asking those who were wearing the shoe to stand to one side, part with their footwear and receive a beating; because after all, “you must be a criminal if you can afford such expensive shoes”. The profiling immediately stood out to me in regard to its similarities with what I am calling the “Nike Pouch Epidemic” in London (if you know, you know) History really does repeat itself!

Clarks has even since produced their own documentary to explore the relationship between its shoe and Jamaican people. It features several people of Jamaican heritage in current pop culture such as Raheem Sterling, Koffee and M1llionz. They share their insights on what the shoes mean to them, and tell stories on what it meant to own a pair of Clarks or to have one of your “rich” cousins send a pair in a barrel. 

So here’s what I think… It’s no secret that marketing a product has a lot to do with selling a lifestyle as opposed to the item itself per se. So when the Dancehall King himself says in an interview that he owns 50+ pairs of Clarks, or other artists are saying the shoe “literally means culture” (Koffee) or it makes them “feel like a Goddess”(Lila Ike), people will cut a check - simple. Essentially, these are not ordinary shoes to Jamaicans. These are Clarks we’re talking about here: stylish, versatile and from “farin” (England). They were and still are a status symbol. A fashion symbol. A symbol of what it means to stand for something, to fight the man!  

As I’ve said, Clarks are well aware of their significance in Jamaica and play into it very well. 1) They’ve collaborated with artist M1llionz who has sported their shoes in his music video 2) They’ve designed and released Clarks using the colours of the JA flag etc. 3) They have also set up partnerships with schools in Jamaica donating shoes to children. Similarly to the work we do in our scheme Irin Ajo, Clarks works with Koffee’s organisation Families Rule/MTLT, to mentor and train Jamaican youth. Away from Jamaica, they worked with brand hidden.ppf and American artist Lil Yatchy to revamp the classic wallaby. In 2021, they partnered with Levi’s on a new collection inspired by Manchester’s music scene in the late 80s and then another collab with Supreme that same year. Arguably, this is when they made their comeback and had people talking again. So it seems to me that Clarks will continue to be relevant so long as they get tastemakers to support and promote them. They’ve made waves as a brand across the world - from Jamaica to Japan, UK to USA. Clarks will go down in classical fashion history in my book.

So I suppose the question is now about what more is left for Clarks to do. I am proud to say that Jamaica is an island rich in talented and hardworking people. It’s a shame to say that they often lack the resources and opportunity to excel and reach their full potential. My only critique of Clarks as it stands is that I’d love for them to create a scheme through which they train up and employ young people across various roles in their company, like marketing, design, even finance etc. Don’t just send a camera crew down there to capture a nice backdrop for your video. Get the residents behind the camera! Shoes are nice and all, but skills and access are invaluable assets, and it’s time brands start compensating and supporting marginalised communities adequately.

Research support: Anna Adusei