ClarksWomen's Desert Boot Ankle Bootie

I absolutely love these shoes! I purchased them in navy, and based off other reviews ordered a half size bigger then I usually would. One of my feet is an 8, the other is an 8.5, so I split the difference and ordered a 9. They fit great and, most importantly (for me), they don’t pinch the ball of my foot. After wearing these for 3 days they’re breaking in nicely and are loosening up through the ball of the foot a bit. Like other reviewers said, these have basically no arch support. I’ve noticed it more with thin socks than with medium weight hiking socks, and it hasn’t bothered me so far. I did purchase a pair of dress shoe Superfeet insoles, but was sent the wrong size so I can’t comment on whether or not they significantly improve the fit/feel.These are constructed with high quality Charles F. Stead suede leather which is a beautiful, rich navy that looks almost black depending on the light. It’s much thicker than I was expecting and smooth on the reverse, which makes these easy take on and off while wearing socks. The leather is breaking in beautifully, not creasing or folding but slowly molding to the shape of my foot. I highly recommend spraying these boots with a suede protectant before wearing them. I used a can of Wilson’s suede protectant I had laying around, which did not darken or change the look of the leather. As with all suede, don’t use any creams, liquids, waxes, or polishes on these or you will significantly alter the look and of the suede.Regarding the sole - if you’re unfamiliar with the crepe sole, make sure you know what you’re getting into before buying these! Crepe soles look like they should be super grippy, but they aren’t, and if it rains they’ll pretty much betray you. Crepe soles aren’t water resistant, and they permanently pick up dirt, blackening over time. I specifically bought these shoes because I bike to work and I wanted something I could comfortably bike in, that would still be work-appropriate. These absolutely fit the bill. Although they’re a bit more slippery on the pedals than a pair of sneakers, they’re still it’s a thousand times better than a pair of leather sole shoes, and they’re holding up far better to the pedal grip studs than my leather sole shoes and my sneakers with foam soles. Since they’re navy, I also don’t have to worry as much about road dirt than I would with a lighter pair.Overall, if you’re looking for a nice, casual, comfortable boot, go ahead and get these! I highly recommend the navy- it’s a super versatile color and a bit more sophisticated than the more traditional (ie, common) sand or beeswax, in my opinion.

I adore literally everything about these boots. They are exactly what I wanted when I typed "old school boots" into the Google search bar. When these arrived, they were perfection. I ordered the beeswax leather and am happy with my choice. They do scuff (sort of) but I think it adds character and makes them even better. They look utterly fabulous with jeans - I've worn them with both boot cut and skinny (with and without a cuff). They also look great with some tights and a skirt. The only thing that you have to watch with every day wear is that the material on the bottom of the shoe is not as 'grippy' as I thought it would be. It's spongy and comfortable, but I've noticed that it doesn't provide very much traction on ice. As for size, I wasn't sure whether to size up or down so I just went with my normal size of 9.5 and they fit very well with comfy socks.The thing I will tell you is to heed the warnings about breaking these in. When I read the reviews, I didn't think it would be that bad as I've never really had a problem breaking in new shoes before. These were horrific during the first wear despite the fact that I wore very thick socks with them. The back of my heel rubbed painfully almost immediately upon putting the boots on my feet and within an hour, the area above my ankles (where the top of the boot hits your leg) was killing me. When I got home that night the backs of both of my heels were bright red and tender and I had a deep purple indentation around my ankles from the boot tops. I have to say I was terrified to put them back on but they are so dang cute! So I waited about a week before I wore them again. The second wear was ridiculously comfortable and they have been ever since. If you can make it through the initial wear, you're golden and these boots are amazing. I want to order in more colors but I will admit that I'm hesitant to go through the breaking in process again. The pair I have, though, are my favorite shoes now.

These shoes look and feel great. I went backpacking through Europe last summer and wanted some shoes that fit a few different criteria:1) Be able to handle differences in climate and environment including snow/ice (I went to the Swiss Alps), lots of pavement and walking (Rome, Barcelona), long plane and train travel, and dirt/possible mud (for the Pyrenees mountains in Spain).2) Look good doing it. I didn't want to wear sneakers all the time for all the walking I was going to be doing, shoes like flats or sandals wouldn't work for long distances, and it was too warm outside for boots of any kind. These were perfect and didn't make me seem too "touristy," which I appreciate.3) Not have any wear and tear on my feet or heels. I experienced absolutely no blisters, chaffing, sweating, or irritation of any kind going very long distances in these boots. I did feel as if they were slightly more comfortable wearing socks that went up past my ankle, but mostly I wore these with ankle socks.4) Be easy to get on and off without being too loose. These are simple and take a few seconds to tie up.These Clarks fit all of these criteria and exceeded my expectations. I get many compliments on them from people of all ages.I got the size 8 after reading the reviews and seeing what other people said. They fit perfectly. I decided to include some measurements of my foot in case they could help anyone with fit.Length: 9"Width at widest point (ball of my foot): 3.5"Circumference of ankle: 9"I have a moderately high arch of my foot which sometimes makes it hard to get into boots of any kind, but these are great.The Beeswax color looks wonderful. I did not experience a "wearing in" period where the shoes were uncomfortable at first, but they definitely have gotten more comfortable with time. I have been wearing them for nearly a year and they are in great condition even after nearly daily use. These shoes will last you a long time and are classic.

ACHAT EFFECTUÉ LE 30 MARS 2023 - Ça faisait longtemps que je voulais m'acheter une paire de bottillons de désert avec le fini cire d'abeille, mais comme il n'y en a presque plus dans les magasins (du moins au Québec, au printemps 2023), j'ai décidé de me tourner vers Amazon. J'ai payé moins cher et je suis globalement très satisfaite! Bien sûr, j'ai lu en amont les commentaires qui disaient de faire attention à la pointure. Je chausse normalement du 9 (femmes) et j'ai les pieds étroits, mais suivant les conseils des consommateurs, j'ai pris un 9 et demi et mes pieds sont rentrés dedans comme dans un gant! Pas d'inconfort, pas de blessures, bref, c'était comme si je les avais choisis au magasin et faits sur mesure pour moi! Le seul bémol que j'ai est qu'ils semblent s'user rapidement: après quelques sorties, j'ai remarqué qu'ils sont sensibles aux frottements et aux plis. D'ailleurs, ils avaient l'air légèrement déjà portés par quelqu'un d'autre avant qu'ils n'arrivent chez moi... Mais comme la semelle était impeccable (sans taches ou traces d'usure), je les ai gardés. Je les aime vraiment beaucoup! Ils sont confortables et je considère que c'est un très bon achat! PS: j'ai quand même mis un enduit protecteur dessus pour les préserver le plus longtemps possible.

There are Clarks Original Desert Boots and Clarks Desert Boots - Chukka. The only way to tell is on the inside sole it's stamped as the Original Desert Boot. They aren't exactly the same. A giveaway is the checkered print on the inside...these are not the original boot. Otherwise, these always fit 1/2 a size too small but are AWESOME!

After my knock-off Clark's broke, I decided it's time to invest in the original desert boots. I've always loved how they look and how well they go with both casual and work clothes. I purchased the boots in Beeswax lather.The breaking-in is not as excruciating as I thought. I was able to wear them at work for around 4 hours (Avg 2000-3000 steps) before I feel the need to switch out of them (just some mild soreness on my heel and ball of my foot). The first day wearing them, I felt the back of the boots digging into my Achilles tendon, but wearing higher socks helped significantly. I'm now on day 4 of wearing them and found that the leather has softened considerably and I'm able to make the full 8-hour work day (Avg 5000 - 6000 steps), feeling moderately achey at the end of the day.[1 Week Update]There is little to no foot support, so I have ordered a pair of arch support inserts to go with these boots. Unfortunately, any type of inserts made these shoes way too tight and painful to wear... So I will continue to break these in without any inserts.[6 Month Update]Admittedly, I have not been consistently wearing these because of the discomfort. In cold weather (below 15 degrees), these shoes start to harden, and in the Canadian winter without snow, wearing these shoes is impossible, because it's hard as a rock. Indoor wearing is more bearable, as the leather softens. I think I will enjoy these boots more now that spring is coming. Considering that these are "desert" boots, I hope that these fair better in hot weather vs. cold.Overall impressions thus far:Quality: 5/5Fit: True to size for length; width is narrowAppearance: 5/5Comfort: 1.5/5

I typically wear a 6 1/2 or 7. I ordered an 8 1/2 after reading some reviews. They were all bang on. The 8 1/2s barely have any extra room in the toes and fit everywhere else. I have a bit wider feet so I am stretching them a little in the width of my toe area. The heel is a little roomy but any smaller size and I would not be able to get my feet inside them. The colour is great, I got the beeswax and the colour is uniform and very nice.

Okay, so let me just say that I’ve tried this style on in the store and could not even get them on my feet. I didn’t want to force them in case a ripped them. When I got these, I put on thin socks and used a shoe horn to get them on. I had to wiggle and forcefully ease them on using the tongue and the horn. Once they were on, they were not tight at all. I’ve worn them 3 times and they’ve already somewhat stretched out perfectly. Keep in mind this is a stiffer leather and I would recommend bringing back up shoes for the first few wears. Glad I stuck with these, they are gorgeous!