Brand Backstory: How Clarks Went from Sheepskin Scraps to 200-Year Digital Revolution

Clarks just turned 200 and they're more relevant than ever.

Clarks:

• Transformed from Somerset cobbler shop to billion-pound global empire

• Launched 51 new websites in 9 months during pandemic chaos

• Founded by Cyrus and James Clark in 1825 using leftover sheepskin from rugs

Here's their story:

In 1825, two Quaker brothers had leftover sheepskin. Their rug business left scraps everywhere. Why waste good material?

Cyrus Clark had an idea. Make slippers from the remnants. James thought it was ridiculous.

But Cyrus persisted. He created the "Brown Petersburg" slipper. Soft sheepskin. Innovative design. Nothing else like it existed.

Local farmers loved them. Word spread through Somerset villages. The brothers had accidentally started something huge.

Somerset factory floor where Clarks built their reputation on craftsmanship

For decades, Clarks stayed small. Quaker values meant fair wages. No Sunday work. Modest growth. They weren't chasing empire.

Then 1950 changed everything. Nathan Clark spotted boots in Cairo's bazaar. British officers wore them off-duty. Simple. Comfortable. Different.

He brought the design home. Management hated it. "Too casual. Not proper. Nobody will buy these."

Nathan launched them anyway. The Desert Boot was born. It became their first global sensation.

The "too casual" boot that became a global icon

The 1960s brought unexpected fame. Jamaican rudeboys adopted Clarks. Reggae artists sang about them. London mods made them essential.

Clarks didn't plan this. They made sensible shoes. Culture found them. Made them cool.

From Jamaica to hip-hop, Clarks became streetwear before streetwear existed

By the 1990s, Wu-Tang Clan wore Wallabees. Britpop bands sported Desert Boots. Fashion kept discovering this "boring" British brand.

But digital age brought crisis. 2018 was brutal. Sales collapsed. Stores hemorrhaging money. Amazon eating their lunch.

The closing signs that sparked radical transformation

LionRock Capital stepped in. Massive restructuring began. Everything needed fixing. Stores. Systems. Strategy. Everything.

"We can't make it in the 21st century with technology from the 19th." – Clarks leadership on their digital transformation

Time for radical change.

In 2022, Clarks went all-in. Complete digital transformation. New e-commerce platform. New point-of-sale systems. New everything.

The speed was staggering. Forty countries got new websites. Six months flat. Zero downtime during launch.

They introduced their "Modern Workshop" concept. Somerset craftsmanship meets Silicon Valley. Heritage materials. Digital integration. Beautiful contradiction.

Store associates got mobile devices. Check out anywhere. Access global inventory. Instant refunds for online purchases. True omnichannel.

Modern retail meets traditional craft in new store concepts

Kingston store became the flagship. Blonde timber echoing workshop benches. Shoe repair bar. Community workshops. Old soul, new body.

"Consumers want quality, authenticity and comfort. No other brand checks all those boxes." – Tara McRae, CMO

The Modern Workshop concept honors heritage while embracing innovation

The transformation worked. Online conversion rates soared. Store efficiency doubled. Gen Z started buying Clarks again.

In 2024, they opened in Kingston, Jamaica. Full circle moment. The culture that adopted them got recognized.

Local artists painted murals. Community programs launched. Clarks didn't just sell there. They invested there. Gave back properly.

Today, Clarks operates 1,000+ stores globally. Sells 50 million pairs annually. Still makes shoes in Somerset.

They're collaborating with Supreme. Martine Rose. Ronnie Fieg. Heritage brand became streetwear essential. Granddad's shoes got cool.

New generation discovers 200-year-old cool

The metaverse came calling. Clarks built Roblox worlds. Virtual concerts happened. 200-year-old brand playing in digital playgrounds.

So what's Clarks' secret sauce?

Honor your story while writing new chapters. Use heritage as foundation, not limitation. Let history inspire, not imprison.

Make stores living museums, not retail graveyards. Blend craftsmanship displays with digital touchpoints. Show the making. Sell the story.

Technology serves tradition, never replaces it. Digital tools should enhance human service. Speed up fitting. Personalize experience. Keep the soul.

Let culture find you, then embrace it. Clarks never chased trends. Trends chased Clarks. When subcultures adopt you, adopt them back.

Renovate thoughtfully, not desperately. Every update should feel authentic. Modern but recognizable. Fresh but familiar.

From Somerset to the world - celebrating two centuries of innovation

Clarks teaches us permanence requires change. 200 years means constant evolution. Standing still means dying slowly.

They survived industrial revolution. Two world wars. Digital disruption. Each crisis forced reinvention. Each reinvention strengthened foundations.

From sheepskin scraps to streetwear grails. Somerset workshop to global empire. Clarks proved heritage brands can transform completely.

They kept the craft. Embraced the future. Satisfied traditionalists. Attracted revolutionaries.

That's stepping boldly into century three.

Michele

KRCrossing Consulting