Knee-High, GORE-TEX Clarks Are a Fisherman’s Friend
Clarks Wallabee shoes, with their easily scuffed suede outer and low-traction crepe soles, aren’t footwear you want to wear for hours on end in deep mud and water. However, the Clarks Originals x DAIWA PIER 39 ANGLER'S WALLABEE GTX SP? Well, that’s ready to get dirty in the great outdoors.
DAIWA PIER 39, a Japanese label founded by the former director at Beams Plus, Nakada Shinsuke, crafts rugged outdoor clothing inspired by fishing gear. And it’s turned Clarks’ classic casual leather shoe into a knee-high boot fit for angling.
Like most angling boots, which are typically similar to a welly boot, the Wallabee has a tall construction with a cinch cord at the top in case you’re fishing in deep waters. For times that you’re not knee-deep in a river, the shoe’s GORE-TEX gaiter can be removed, making the knee-high boot become ankle-height.
Without its tall waterproof extension attached, the classic moccasin-inspired shape of a Wallabee reveals itself. However, this outdoorsy Wallabee has durable metal lace hooks and a waterproof zipper plus a deep ridged Vibram sole — features that a keen fisherman will appreciate.
Arriving alongside pocket-heavy field jackets and weather-resistant GORE-TEX trousers, the fishing-appropriate Clarks will be released on September 28 as part of the third drop of DAIWA PIER 39’s Fall/Winter 2024 collection (the shoes retail for ¥55,000, which is roughly $388).
Strangely not the first fishing-inspired moccasin to release this year, DAIWA PIER 39 might have created the most sturdy, all-terrain-appropriate Clarks Wallabee in the shoe's storied 56-year history.
