When Martine Rose’s collaborative footwear with Clarks first walked the runway last year, our resounding takeaway was that the shoes are surprisingly muted.
The range of oxford shoes and heeled loafers felt subdued for a designer whose previous footwear collaboration was square-toed, heeled mules made out of Nike Shox.
However, when taken out of the context of a high-energy fashion show presented in a packed North London community hall, you start to paint a different picture of Martine Rose’s debut Clarks collection.
Green snakeskin loafers with a puffy strap and a block heel? There’s nothing quiet about that.
The full collection, which dropped exclusively on the Martine Rose website and at Selfridges before hitting the Clarks website on February 16, offers up a proper look at the full selection.
Iconic Clarks shoes from the English brand's vast archives have been edited through Rose’s imitable, unconventional eye, which has resulted in shoes that both brands describe as “pillow-like”.
The block-heeled loafers, technical sandals, and oxford shoes (which are already mostly sold out on the Martine Rose website) have been stuffed with goose-down to create a billowing padded effect.
Last year, we asked the question of why luxury goods are getting so damn thicc, and these Clarks only add weight to the puffy footwear agenda (joining the likes of PDF’s Drake-approved shoes and Paraboot x TNF).
Beyond the puffy construction, each pair of shoes comes in colorful snakeskin for an extra touch of eccentricity.
The full collection is titled “Coming Up Roses,” a British phrase that means that everything is going well for someone — something that rings true for Martine Rose. The designer was recently announced as last year's best British Menswear Designer and has been gaining widespread acclaim (thanks in part to some big-name co-signs).
Being named Clarks' first-ever guest creative director is among Rose's long list of recent accolades and, as we saw in her recent Fall/Winter 2024 presentation, the duo has more experimental footwear to come.
