You know that old joke that begins “A celebrity, a designer, and an editor walk into a shoe store … ?” No? Okay, fine, neither do I. But if I were to write it, the punch line might be a nod to boots from Clarks — a timeless shoe for men and women endorsed by more than one Strategist editor, Chris Black, designer Andy Spade, even actress Frieda Pinto. Chris has called them “super-wearable and eternally cool,” Andy has been “wearing them since high school,” and Frieda (who has collaborated with the brand) told us she feels like she “can walk a million miles in them.”
As the owner of two pairs of Clarks boots, I can attest to all of the positive endorsements above. While said endorsements were technically made about the brand’s Desert Boots, I own both those and these Bushacre Boots and can honestly say that, until doing some light research for this piece, I thought I owned two pairs of Desert Boots — that’s how similar the two styles are. (The Bushacres, upon further inspection, have a slightly different sole.) Reasons I like Clarks boots: They look good with any pant, from black and blue jeans, to chinos, to even something a bit dressier (for the right occasion). They also look good at any age: It’s been two decades since I first discovered the shoes in high school, and my love for how they look has never wavered. A lot of that has to do with their simple design of just two eyelets, tonal stitching, and a toe that’s rounded, not square. Clarks boots are also, as Frieda suggested, quite comfortable. They’re less bulky and heavy than other boots I own (like Red Wings), while still looking unmistakably like a boot — though not one I’d advise wearing in truly inclement weather.
Presumably, for these reasons, it’s not often you see Clarks boots on sale. You might occasionally find a discount on one of — as Andy puts it — the “funky-colored” pairs, but not often will retailers mark down the brand’s neutral, goes-with-practically-everything styles like this pair in brown leather. It’s one of more than a dozen pairs of Bushacres on sale this Black Friday at Amazon, where you can also get several discounted suede pairs in just-as-wearable colors, along with a couple of bolder options (in green or “rust” suede) for those who prefer funky footwear.
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