Clarks is celebrating its 200th anniversary with the publication of From Somerset to the World: Clarks A Visual History 1825–2025, a comprehensive 448-page volume charting the brand’s evolution from a small Quaker-run workshop in rural Somerset to a global cultural touchstone.
Commissioned by Clarks and created by writer-designer Alexander Newman, the book is published by One Love Books and brings together two centuries of archival material, photographs and illustrations. It traces the company’s beginnings in the village of Street, its transition from rugmaking to shoemaking, and its growth under generations of family leadership. The narrative highlights the brand’s long-standing design innovations, its iconic silhouettes, including the Wallabee, Desert Boot, Desert Trek and Nature Trek, and its lasting impact on style across the UK, Jamaica, Japan, North America and West Africa.
The book also delves into the Clark family’s Quaker heritage, exploring the values of simplicity, community and social responsibility that shaped the company’s ethos. Previously unseen archival stories sit alongside examples of pioneering advertising, from hand-drawn 19th-century imagery to celebrity-led campaigns and award-winning television work.
The book notes the role of figures such as Marvin Gaye, Vybz Kartel, David Bowie, David Beckham, Florence Welch and the Wu-Tang Clan in cementing Clarks’ global identity. It also charts the brand’s continued focus on innovation and sustainability, from early inventions like the footgauge to contemporary eco-driven designs such as the Origin 2.0 and Desert Nomad Mule.
For more information and to purchase the book, visit the Clarks official webstore.
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