Clarks shoes might not be the epitome of cool here in the UK, but in Jamaica, they hold a special place in Jamiacans’ hearts. Referenced in hundreds of reggae and dancehall songs, the “champion shoes” are the preferred footwear of gangsters, school children, Rastas, government officials and everybody in between, and it’s been that way for as long as anybody can remember.
Now One Love Books is releasing the long-awaited second edition of Al Fingers‘ cult classic, Clarks in Jamaica, updated with new interviews, photographs and previously unseen archive material.
With a focus on the Jamaican singers and DJs who have worn and sung about Clarks over the decades, this classic style reference explores how footwear made by a Quaker firm in the quiet English village of Street in Somerset from 1825 became the “baddest” shoes in Jamaica and an essential part of the island’s culture.