Customer Reviews Clarks Desert Boot

Shoe seemed to rub and feel comfortable.

This is my second pair. First one lasted 5 years and fit like a soft comfy glove. This one is a nightmare!!! I've had it for 3 months and it refuses to break in!!! i have to wear thick Wigwam hiking socks just to get by. Now I'm bashing it with a two by four to try to make it more pliable, especially in the heel/ankle area. The leather is as stiff as plywood!!! Ive tried polish, shoe cream and was going to try neatsfoot oil but my shoemaker said that would ruin it! I'm at a loss!! Ridiculous!!

I had a pair of Clark desert boots 35 years ago and they were great. When they wore out, I had difficulty in finding size 14 replacements. When I finally found this pair, I bought them. Clark put the laces too low and that allows the boot to ride up and down on the foot, causing a blister on the back of the heel. Not good! They look great but I would not buy another pair until they made the heel narrower and the laces more effective.

I bought several of the Clarke Desert Boots but as extremely disappointed in the BLACK boot as the material was not leather but made from man made material as the other 2 colors I purchased were leather uppers. Why Clarks switched to a synthetic fake material is strange.

They looked great when they were new, look okay still. I have had them about 9 months, can't wear them in the rain, as my socks will be soaked. The sole is almost black now but I guess that isn't really surprising. For the price, not too bad.

They run larger than normal but I ordered my usual size which worked out well because the footbed is very hard with no arch support. Adding insoles with built-in arch supports solved these problems. Surprisingly cheap shoelaces for a shoe of this price. Good materials and workmanship.

These are just ok. Not the most comfortable shoes I've ever had and not the worst. The "feel" a little cheap. Material in the back of show cuts into the back of my heal. They look better than they feel.

These are a 'look nice' only shoe. They are not a 'walk home in them' shoe. The problem I was trying to solve was to find a shoe that would look nice and not be uncomfortably hot to wear. While I have not yet worn them in summer weather, they have thus far proven to be comfortable for office wear. If you are a person who walks a lot, these are not your shoe. The arch support is poor, and while these shoes are fairly comfortable on a flat surface, they are uncomfortable on hills, especially downhills. I installed an over-the-counter Dr. Scholls CF orthotic to supplement the arch support. This improved the situation while on flat ground, but maybe made it worse on hills. Since I live in Seattle, where nothing is flat (except for the Mariners), this is a problem. Speaking of Seattle, these are not a shoe to wear in wet weather. The traction is fine, but the suede gets spotted by rain drops. In summary, I will get some suede cleaner, clean the spots, and then keep these shoes under my desk at work. I will wear more comfortable shoes going to and from and while feeding my FitBit. These will just be pretty shoes that don't get too hot, and that's about it.

First off, I have never received as many compliments on a pair of shoes as when I got these. The look fantastic right out of the box, and only get better with age. And if you're just going out to dinner, or an event where you won't be walking around too much, they are fine. That said, if you are going to do any more walking than shuffling from one side of a room to another, be warned: these are by far the most uncomfortable shoes I have ever worn in my life. As they come, you are going to feel every shock and vibration from every step you take, and since the entire shoe is just an entirely unpadded swath of leather, my feet were just slipping and sliding around in there with every step. After some purchased insoles, and some heel pads, they are much better, but I wouldn't walk more than a quarter mile in these things unless I was feeling masochistic. Another negative is the sole material. It is some sort of synthetic cork, a very soft rubber, that will pick up every little bit of detritus and dirt you step on. The soles of these shoes are going to get filthy, trust me. You get a little moisture on these bad boys, and people are going to be able to follow your brown footprints across town. This also leads to the fact that, during the recent winter storms, these things were death traps if I got anywhere near a sliver of icy sidewalk. No tread whatsoever. You might think I hate these shoes, but no: I still love 'em, because I look damn good in them. But buyer beware, these are not your "walking around town" shoes.

The style is great, but sizes 12 and above start to fit too loose around the ankle, giving a sloppy look and loose feel.

Love how they look, hate how they feel. Flat-footed, I am in need of more support than the average person, and unfortunately these shoes do not deliver. Perhaps they will soften up as time goes by, but ironically I don't wear them enough to break them in. On my feet all day at work, I hesitate to wear them. Also, they run a size big. I am a size 14 naturally, and bought a size 13. The length is perfect.

Really nice boot, but the sole is getting really dirty really quickly and the heel is already wearing down at the back with not many uses.

I love the look of Clark's Desert Boots - unfortunately I couldn't bear the discomfort. These shoes have no arch support whatsoever and in beeswax leather, the leather is quite stiff and unforgiving. I had to get these a size smaller than my normal shoe size. The front of the shoe was tight, but the back/heel area was loose and slipped as I walked. Combine this with no arch support and this made for a very unpleasant walking experience. Perhaps it is the way the shoe opens up or the laces, but I cannot recommend these for those who value a comfortable pair of shoes (and need arch support).

Though timeless, incredibly good looking (goes well with practically everything) and quite comfortable, the quality Clarks has been synonymous with for decades is gone, long gone... replaced with marketing. That being said, the sole is surprisingly durable, but the rest of the shoe...isn't. The stitching attaching the sole to the upper will come apart, the shape will stretch, the toe box will cave-in... but before all of that, the laces will most certainly brake. If Fiat or Alfa Romeo made shoes, these would be them, great to look at, but they fall apart. Regardless, I still like them... so, if you're willing to put up with shoddy quality, an annoying break-in period (the back of your calves will be sore... but suck it up, you'll be fine), and can appreciate these for what they are -not walking shoes- but comfortable, casual, everyday, yet "disposable" (you'll get 6, maybe 7 months out of 'em) boots... then buy a pair, few things are as cool as these.

I really like how rugged an good these shoes are, but man, are they uncomfortable. I thought they would break in after a few days, but my feet still really bother me after a day of wearing. I think it's because the sole material is pretty rigid and not soft, which makes it durable but uncomfortable. It's a shame because I really liked these shoes otherwise. This is the only pair of Clarks I've found to be uncomfortable.

I love the style of boot however was not prepared for the finish. The color has more yellow in it then the picture presents and looks very worn

So very comfortable. I ordered the Oakwood suede color. They were a bit lighter in color that I wanted. They almost look vanilla colored. Hopefully they get darker with some wear and tear. The price is exactly what I would have paid at one of the shoe stores here in NYC on Broadway.

I wore these as a kid & am seeing them in all the stores. I really wanted something darker than the sand suede (the original color) and ordered the taupe suede. It arrived much darker than online and actually is distressed suede not the actual "suede" which has a soft nap. The size seems okay, but I haven't worn them yet; if I have to eventually add a thin innersole all the better!

No quite as I remebered... My recollection from many years ago was that this was the most comfortable shoe in my wardrobe. When I found it again at Zappos I was thrilled to experience this shoe again. I would say that it looks as good as ever. I like the suede and classic crepe sole, but the shoe is wanting in the comfort department, especially as I compare it to my new Born's purchased at the same time. It seems the heel cup rides low and feels like the shoe is coming off when I walk.

Clark's Desert Boot - First pair of Clark's and am hoping that the legendary comfort will come as the shoes break in over time. I was disappointed by their initial comfort. It's been several weeks now of lots of wear and 2-3 block dog walking excurstions are pretty comfortable now. I also had to get pretty aggressive with waterproofing and cleaning treatments. Any liquid contact stains this shoe's light suede color. Wish I had gone for a darker color for sure.

Clarks narrowed - The desert boot is a clasic from the 50s. This version is close to my memory. There were two flaws. One minor and one major. First the minor. The shoe string is a very thin flat one that will wear out fast. I will replace it soon with the original one that is round. The second problem is that the width under the ball of the foot is too narrow. I bought these boots for the comfort provided by the soft upper. It is not a medium. The shoe will stretch out and I started out with no socks and increased the sock thickness until the uppers conformed to my foot. Overall I would buy again.

Eh - I was really excited to get these boots, owing to how much I like my Wallabees and also because they're so classic and cool...plus most of the reviews on here said these were quite comfortable. As for myself, I can't agree with the comfort factor at all. They're rather constricting, which is strange because I don't have a wide foot. Plus they seriously need to be broken in before they're finished being painful to wear, and what's worse is that they seem to hold serious amounts of heat. My feet were sweating terribly after just a few minutes of walking. Thy look really cool, so I guess I'll wear them for the looks, but for comfort I'd say look elsewear.

Felt flimsy with little support

I purchased these for my husband for Christmas in a size 10, which is his normal size. He didn't like them at all. Other reviews mentioned that these ran big but it didn't seem that way. My husband's foot is a little wider in the front and more narrow in the heel. These boots were okay in length but were way too snug in the front and way too big in the heel. He also said they were like walking around on the floor with just your socks on. The total lack of arch support didn't bother him as much as the overall lack of comfort. I also ordered him a pair of the Clark Desert Coal boot just as a back up, and he liked them so much better. I will be returning these.

Ordered these last minute for my sons Prom. I love the look but SUPER disappointed that they were over a full size larger than every other size 10.5 that he owns. He had to wear them like that bc I had no time to return. Now he has to live with shoes that he’ll never wear again cuz they r sooo big and I’m out $150