Clarks desert boots are a variety of footwear for men. Desert boots are a good choice for casual, business-casual, and formal events due to their flexible and sleek style.
Clarks brought the desert boot style to the greater world in the 1950s, creating its iconic ankle-high crepe sole boots.
Clarks has been a popular UK-based footwear provider for almost two hundred years.
The brand’s designers have created many staple boot styles, the most iconic of which is the crepe sole desert boot.
Regardless of the dressing expectations I face, I know that my Clarks desert boots will fit almost any occasion and fashion. Nothing beats these boots with a sturdy sole and how they are true to size!
C. & J. Clark Desert Boots Background
Each leather suede desert boot is 11.5 inches tall, unlined, fastened with laces, and reinforced with a crepe sole.
This combination of qualities makes a shoe that looks vintage but performs as well as other leather modern boots.
Clarks desert boots are available online in a vast palette of colors and styles. Each boot has a stamp with the signature store logo. Clark Desert Boots Review Is It The Right Pair For You ?
As with any boots, it’s important to accurately assess your sizing needs so that the shoes fit well.
Not only does this save your investments, but it can prevent painful conditions caused by incompatible sizing.
Let’s briefly discuss the history of the infamous desert boot, how to determine your size, and how to properly use the Clarks’ sizing chart.
While these boots are true to size and wear well, it’s always a good idea to double check.
A Brief History of Clarks Desert Boots
Although the Clarks footwear company has been around since 1825, its most known product is only 61 years old.
Nathan Clark modeled the suede desert boot after shoes that British World War II soldiers wore.
The soldiers had purchased the boots from bazaars in Cairo and found that they were better for sand trekking than their standard military-grade boots.
Egyptian Leather Boots
Inspired by the growing popularity of the Egyptian rough-suede boots, Nathan Clark launched the first desert boot designs in 1950.
These boots featured elegant suede outsides and crepe soles. Since their initial release, leather desert boots grew in popularity primarily in the United Kingdom.
Due to the popularity of polo, many people began to call desert boots “chukka boots.”
Today, although there are many variations of the suede chukka boot, Clarks is still recognized as the original popularizer of the style.
In both business and casual settings, men choose leather desert boots with crepe soles to complement their suits, vests, and other clothing.
The 61-year-old look provides an air of elegance and antiquity. And, because they are true to size, you can count on these leather boots being comfortable.
How Do I Determine My Clarks Desert Boot Size?
A desert boot that you can’t wear is useless, so it’s critical to thoroughly understand your sizing requirements.
While Clarks desert boots do fit standard sizes, feet are not standard sizes and may have nuanced space needs, such as being a half size.
Here are some factors you should consider to prepare yourself for buying Clarks desert boots.
Measure Your Foot for Your Pair of Chukka Boots
First, measure the length of your foot. An accurate foot measurement spans from the back of your heel to the tip of your longest toe.
When sizing your feet, make sure that you are sitting down with your feet planted flat on the floor.
Standing or putting extra weight on your feet can skew the results of your measurement and give you an extra half size.
Swollen Feet Impact the Size of Your Boots
In addition, sometimes feet swell as a result of physical activity or the other shoes we wear.
Because of this, you could mistakenly order a half size smaller than you need. Measuring your feet at the end of the day can help you get an accurate reading for your pair of chukka boots.
Check Your Width to Ensure Your Leather Boots Don’t Run Big
Next, consider the width of your foot. A shoe that isn’t wide enough will feel tight even if there is toe room available.
Most stores like Clarks have medium and wide-fitting boots for patrons with foot widths of about four inches or more. There are no extra-wide Clarks desert boots available, however.
Lastly, keep in mind that foot length and width are relative to each other when buying shoes.
If your foot is regular width but is not very long, you may still need wide shoes. Due to all the nuances of shoe sizing, I highly suggest trying the shoes on if possible.
If you’re ordering from the website, I suggest ordering slightly larger than your size and keeping the store return policy in mind.
When buying Clarks shoes, you may want to order a half-inch or inch longer than your length.
If you can try on the boots at a store, try several size options near your length measurement.
Clarks correlates its sizes to centimeter measurements, so don’t forget to record both your centimeter and inch lengths.
If you’re buying from the Clarks website, remember that the company’s location is in the UK, and UK shoe sizes differ from American sizes.
Make sure that you’re seeing the correct size for your country.
Once you understand the dimensions of your feet, you’re ready to consult the store sizing guide.
Using the Clarks Sizing Guide
The following Clarks sizing guide applies to mens’ footwear, including the desert boot.
Each product online comes in one or more of these sizes, and sizing charts are readily available for your convenience.
Keep in mind that availability varies greatly by product and that some shoes are only made in specific sizes.
| US Size | Standard UK Size | Foot Length (Centimeters) |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | 6 | 24.6 |
| 7 1/2 | 6 1/2 | 25 |
| 8 | 7 | 25.4 |
| 8 1/2 | 7 1/2 | 25.8 |
| 9 | 8 | 26.3 |
| 9 1/2 | 8 1/2 | 26.7 |
| 10 | 9 | 27.2 |
| 10 1/2 | 9 1/2 | 27.6 |
| 11 | 10 | 28 |
| 11 1/2 | 10 1/2 | 28.5 |
| 12 | 11 | 29.8 |
| 13 | 12 | 28.9 |
| 14 | 13 | 30.6 |
| 15 | 14 | 31.4 |
In addition to this chart, Clarks has width measurements as follows:
- G for regular width/medium fit
- H for wide width/wide fit
- XW for extra wide fit
Each Clarks item has a mark with the proper size and width indicator either on the physical box or on the item’s online sale page.
It is important to note that only one variety of Clarks desert boots, the Desert Boot 2, come in wide fit sizes.
Using the chart is as simple as comparing your measurements to the figures in the sizing chart.
If your feet fit between two sizes, I suggest choosing the slightly larger size for a better fit.
Make sure that the desert boot size you pick will be compatible with other footwear you’re wearing.
For example, if you commonly wear thick socks, I suggest picking a half size larger than your measurement.
How Do I Know If I Picked the Right Size?
Clarks desert boots of the proper size will feel comfortable and easy to put on. Try walking around in the boots, taking note of any heel slipping and scratching against your ankles.
The bridge of your foot will feel unconstricted in each boot, your toes will not feel tight, and your boots will fit snugly with your socks.
If you are experiencing tightness, adjust your laces if the problem persists. Otherwise, you may have ordered shoes that are not long or wide enough.
Clarks desert boots do not have other components like pull tabs to help your shoes fit, so if you are struggling to put them on, they are likely too small.
On the contrary, if your Clarks desert boots are too big, they will likely slide around with each step even if the laces are tightly tied.
Wearing thick socks, insoles, or shoe inserts may be able to alleviate this issue. Keep in mind that sometimes shoes will feel large until you break them in.
If you are confident that you happened to pick the wrong size for your Clarks desert boots, there is a solution.
Clarks stores offer a 90-day free return policy on unworn products. In the context of the policy, a boot is unworn if it has less than one or two days of use.
In other words, if you merely try on the shoes once and they don’t fit, you can still return them.
After submitting a boot return either online or in-stores, you can trade for the right size or style in exchange or request a refund.
Keep in mind that periods for return policies and refunds are liable to change and depend largely on mailing times.
In general, you can expect at least a few weeks for shoe returns.
Now that you know how to determine your perfect boot size, you can begin wearing your pair of suede crepe sole desert boots with confidence and style.