Manchester
based Oi Polloi has teamed up with British shoe brand Clarks Originals to
revamp their classic 'Wallabee' shoe, creating The Wallabee Ridge which has a distinct
1960's influence. Available in some new shades including light mustard and a
deep chestnut, the new design looks thick and durable. Crafted from 'Unicorn'
(elk) leather, the versatile new style is a classic and also an easy to wear
casual design - just add skinny jeans and your favourite t-shirt. Speaking on
the collaboration, the company commented on how the revamped design came
about: "When tasked with creating a variation on one of our favourite
shoes, we were initially stumped. How to improve on a design as classic as the
Clarks Wallabee? Something special was in order — ‘Unicorn Leather‘ — the
name given to elk hides by the specialist tannery tasked with producing the raw
materials. As with all deer and antelope skins, the resulting leather is naturally
very soft."
Clarks
explain that the leather used in the new shoes is completely unique and each
hide has gone through a full process to create the softest and highest quality
foundation for the design: "When using hides from wild animals, there
are always plenty of scars and scratches on the leather. The tannery have
rightly made a feature of this natural quality, accentuating it with the use of
aniline dye. Aniline dyed leathers are tumbled for up to 12 hours, in order to
enhance the subtle variations of each hide and ensure a vibrant colour."
The Oi Polloi for Clarks Originals Wallabee design is available now.
