Some silhouettes become classics. Others become a canvas for what comes next.
For Fall/Winter 2026, Clarks Originals explores that idea with Desert Riders, a collection that brings together the romanticism of the American West and the craftsmanship of Mongolian nomadic culture. Developed with artist Blanche Yu as guest creative director, the collection reimagines familiar Clarks silhouettes through a different cultural lens.
The campaign was shot in Inner Mongolia, where vast landscapes and traditions passed down through generations provide the setting for this meeting of worlds. Here, the rugged spirit of Western workwear encounters a rich tradition of handmade details, from intricate embroidery and leather weaving to layered textiles and distinctive embellishments.
The result is a collection that feels both grounded and unexpected. Animal-print uppers, textured leathers, studs and expressive lace details give familiar silhouettes a new character. At BSTN, the selection brings together three interpretations: the Wallabee, the Nomad Mule and the Jane Lace. Each offers a different way into the Desert Riders universe, balancing Clarks’ recognisable design language with a more expressive approach to texture, material and detail.
Yet reinvention has always been part of the Clarks Originals story. Few shoes demonstrate this better than the Wallabee, whose journey from British footwear design to a fixture in Jamaican dancehall, New York street culture and beyond shows how an icon can take on new meaning in the hands of different communities.
Its appeal lies in that ability to move between worlds without losing its identity. Adopted by musicians, artists and style communities across generations, the Wallabee has become more than a recognisable silhouette. It is a reminder that the meaning of a shoe isn’t defined by its original purpose alone, but by the people who wear it, the cultures that embrace it and the stories they build around it.
Desert Riders continues that tradition. Rather than simply revisiting the archive, it brings distant influences together through craftsmanship, texture and a shared spirit of exploration.
Classic by origin. Unfamiliar by design.
