The Jamaica Trek

Single right men's black green and yellow suede 2-eyelet front lace shoe; Clarks Originals 'Jamaica Trek', 2008

The Desert Trek, characterised by its central seam and crepe sole, was first introduced in the 1970s. As with the earlier Clarks’ Desert Boot style (First launched in 1949) The Clarks’ Trek has hardly changed and still has the same suede upper and crepe sole – as shown in this example from 2009. This iconic boot design has been a canvas for a wide range of interpretations adopted by cultures across the globe.

The Desert Trek was an innovation from the Desert Boot and features and a trekking man icon impressed on the heel. It was nicknamed the ‘Bank Robber’ in Jamaica – an interpretation of the ‘Trek Man’ icon (a man carrying a bag) on the heel.

Trek was developed in Ireland in the 1970s while Lance Clark was in charge of Irish operations at Padmore & Barnes. The P&B factory were principally a factory based on moccasin construction and unable to manufacture sandalveldt/stitchdown shoes, so production was transferred to a factory in Dundalk under the superintendence of Neil MacDonald.

The ‘Trek’ man icon which adorns the back of the shoe was also designed in Dundalk. The emblem – a picture of a trekking character with a backpack and walking stick – had originally been sketched out on the back of an envelope, before being refined under the direction of Bob Patten, McDonald and Clarks’ advertising manager in Dundalk.

The shoe was launched as the Trek in America in 1970/1971 and became an immediate success – so much so that Dundalk were unable to contend with demand. Wansdyke factory on the Lower Bristol Road near Bath was subsequently contracted to produce 4,000 pairs per week.

The following year the style was released in the UK, under the name ‘Hike’ due to an existing Trek trademark. Although it continued to sell well overseas UK sales were poor and it was pulled from the domestic range after a couple of seasons.

The design was rereleased in the 1980s, this time manufactured at Bushacre Factory in Street and renamed Trek following the successful acquisition of the ‘Trek’ trademark from its original Northamptonshire owners (John/Ward White).

Culture and music is an ongoing theme in the adoption of Clarks styles of Desert Boots, Desert Treks and Wallabees.  Clarks has been the brand of choice in Jamaica, especially amongst ‘rude boys’ since the 1950s and 1960s. Migration to the UK in this time influenced young white working-class subcultures like Mods who were drawn to the same underground, non-commercialised dancehall scene and started to adopt the rude boy image and music including these Desert boots. The Rude Boy scene had a resurgence in the 1980s and into the 1990s as Clarks provided a fashionable counterbalance to branded sportwear, offering the freedom to be interpreted without aggressive advertising.

This example of the Jamaica Trek, a version of the Desert Trek, was released by Clarks Originals in 2009, featuring black green and yellow suede – the colours of the Jamaican flag.

Image: Single right men’s black green and yellow suede 2-eyelet front lace shoe; Clarks Originals ‘Jamaica Trek’, 2008 sample for A/W 2009. 2024/17