Shop Clarks Originals at Gallery Streetwear

Gallery Streetwear is an authorized Clarks Originals retailer serving customers across Canada. Our collection spans the Wallabee, the Desert Boot, and key seasonal colourways for both men and women. We ship nationwide from our boutique at 588 Bernard Avenue in Kelowna, BC, with delivery to Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal, Ottawa, and everywhere in between. Whether you're chasing a specific colourway or discovering Clarks for the first time, we're here for it.

The Wallabee — One Silhouette, Endless Culture

The Clarks Wallabee was born in 1967, inspired by a German moccasin known as the Grasshopper. What came out of that inspiration was something entirely its own: a square-toed, moccasin-stitched silhouette sitting on a full-length crepe sole, roomy enough for any foot, quiet enough to wear everywhere. It looked like nothing else on the market. That's still true today.

The Wallabee's trajectory through culture is unlike any other shoe. It started in the UK, quietly beloved by British youth. Then it crossed the Atlantic through music — Jamaican immigrants brought their love of Clarks to New York City, where the shoe became woven into the fabric of hip-hop style. By the early 1990s, the Wallabee wasn't just a shoe in New York. It was a statement. Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, Method Man, Slick Rick, the Notorious B.I.G. wore them and wrote them into rap history. Ghostface, who called himself the Wallabee Champ, had pairs custom-dyed by a New York shop owner. His 1996 debut album Ironman featured those Wallabees on the cover. The shoe had become iconography.

The collaborations that followed deepened the legend. Supreme, Stüssy, Patta, BAPE, Aimé Leon Dore, Carhartt WIP — the list of brands that have reimagined the Wallabee reads like a streetwear hall of fame. Wu-Tang Clan partnered with Clarks through their Wu Wear label on limited-edition marble cake colourways. Drake and his OVO imprint commissioned handmade Italian-leather Wallabees that became some of the most coveted footwear in Canadian streetwear history. For a shoe born in Somerset, England, the Wallabee travels well.

What makes the Wallabee work in any era is its refusal to chase trends. The moccasin construction, the crepe sole, the low-profile silhouette — none of it has changed in any meaningful way since 1967. When everything else is screaming for attention, the Wallabee stays composed. That's why it fits equally well with a skate fit, a tailored trouser, or a golf-adjacent outfit on a Sunday morning.

The Desert Boot — The Original That Started It All

Before the Wallabee, there was the Desert Boot. Nathan Clark, great-grandson of Clarks co-founder James Clark, served with the British Army in Burma during the Second World War. He noticed officers who had served in North Africa wearing something unusual — rough, crepe-soled suede boots made to order at bazaars in Cairo. Clark sketched the idea and brought it home. The Desert Boot launched at the Chicago Shoe Fair in 1950, caught the attention of Esquire's fashion editor, and sparked a slow-burn cultural takeover that still hasn't stopped.

The Mods wore it in London. Beatniks wore it in Paris. Bob Dylan wore it. George Harrison wore a pair for the Abbey Road cover. Jamaican rude boys made it part of their street uniform — calling the crepe soles "cheese bottoms" — and when they brought their culture to New York, the Desert Boot came along. The design today is essentially unchanged from Nathan Clark's original: two-eyelet lace closure, soft suede upper in sand, beeswax, black, and seasonal colourways, sustainably sourced crepe sole, ankle-height silhouette. No branding on the outside beyond the subtle lace fob. One of the most perfect shoe designs ever made.

Construction and Materials

Both the Wallabee and Desert Boot are built with a moccasin-stitched stitch-down construction — the upper is turned outward and sewn directly to the sole. It's a labour-intensive method that creates the characteristic rolled-edge look and contributes to exceptional durability. The crepe sole is naturally harvested rubber, dense enough for all-day wear with a bounce that feels like nothing else underfoot. Clarks has sourced premium suede from Charles F. Stead tannery in Leeds for over 70 years, maintaining consistency that mass-market footwear can't replicate.

Sizing note for Canadian customers: Clarks Originals run in UK sizing. If you typically wear a US size 10, you'll want a UK 9. The Wallabee has a generous, moccasin-inspired toe box — if you're between sizes, sizing down is often the right move. Our team at Gallery is always available to assist before you order.

Clarks Originals for Women

The women's Clarks Originals lineup carries the same DNA as the men's collection, with updated lasts and seasonal colourways that reflect how women actually wear these shoes. The women's Wallabee is one of the strongest silhouettes in the lineup — the square toe and low crepe sole create a grounded, confident look that pairs equally well with wide-leg trousers, denim, or a midi skirt. The women's Desert Boot brings the same minimal, heritage-rooted energy in refined colourways including warm neutrals, classic black, and suede textures that age beautifully with wear.

Women's Clarks Originals have found a loyal following across Canada among customers who want footwear with a real story — not fast fashion, not seasonal trend-chasing, but shoes built to last. Sizing runs consistent with UK conventions: a women's US 8 typically takes a UK 6, though the Wallabee's generous toe box means some customers prefer to size down half a size. The crepe sole on both silhouettes offers all-day comfort with a low profile that works under cropped denim or alongside a longer hem without competing for attention. We stock a full women's size run at Gallery and ship nationwide across Canada.

Why Gallery Carries Clarks Originals

Every label at Gallery Streetwear is here because it belongs in the same conversation as the rest of our lineup — Malbon Golf, Dime MTL, Butter Goods, Gramicci, New Balance. Clarks Originals earns its place because it sits at the exact intersection where heritage craft meets subculture credibility. The Wallabee has been on the feet of skaters, rappers, b-boys, dancehall artists, and Ivy League-adjacent creatives across six decades. That's the kind of range that matters to us.

Gallery's founder has been wearing Clarks since before opening the store. The Desert Boot in particular has been a constant through years of snowboarding in Whistler, skating in Kelowna, and building what Gallery has become. These shoes hold up. They get better as they age. That's not marketing copy — that's just how Clarks works.

Clarks Originals Collaborations — What to Know

The collaboration history of Clarks Originals is legitimately remarkable. Supreme has revisited the Clarks catalogue multiple times, bringing silhouettes like the Desert Mali and the Weaver into the streetwear conversation. Patta, Stüssy, and BAPE have all put their stamp on the Wallabee. Aimé Leon Dore featured Nas in their Clarks campaign — a full-circle moment given Ghostface's 1990s Wallabee obsession. The Wu-Tang Clan's Wu Wear collaboration produced limited-edition marble cake nubuck Wallabees with co-branded footbeds and leather fobs that are now considered collector's items.

For Canadian customers, the Drake OVO collaboration carries particular weight. Drake and OVO commissioned handmade Italian Wallabees in four colourways — a nod to the Jamaican-Canadian cultural connection that has always made the Wallabee feel at home in Canada's major cities. The shoe's journey from Cairo to Kingston to Brooklyn to Toronto to Kelowna is one of the more unlikely stories in footwear history, and it's still being written.

How to Style Clarks Originals

The Wallabee in beeswax or sand suede works naturally with relaxed, wide-leg denim — the kind of silhouette that Dime MTL or Gramicci does well. The crepe sole doesn't compete with a heavier trouser; it grounds it. In black leather, the Wallabee pulls cleaner, pairing with slim-cut chinos or a technical trouser. The Desert Boot is the more versatile silhouette for transitional seasons: layers well under cuffed denim, reads heritage and relaxed in sand, edges toward something more intentional in black. Both work. The key is letting the shoe do the talking — it has enough history built in that it doesn't need help from the rest of the outfit.

Shipping Clarks Originals Across Canada

Gallery ships Clarks Originals to every province and territory in Canada. Orders are processed from our boutique at 588 Bernard Avenue, Kelowna, British Columbia V1Y 6P2 and dispatched via Canada Post. We offer free shipping on qualifying orders with typical delivery of two to five business days to major Canadian cities. For customers in Kelowna and the Okanagan, our in-store experience is available for fitting and same-day pickup. We're a 5.0-star-rated boutique and we take product knowledge seriously — reach out any time with questions about fit, colourways, or availability.