Sporty and Rich teams up with Clarks Originals

Lifestyle brand Sporty and Rich has collaborated with Clarks Originals to redesign its iconic Wallabee silhouette placing sustainability at the heart of the design.

Each aspect of the design and production of the shoes was made “very deliberately” explains both brands, with sustainability being of great importance to the new look.

Clarks Originals explain that this began with the ‘Heinen Hillcrest’ leather chosen and sourced from a family-run tannery located in Germany called Heinen. The tannery has been reducing its carbon footprint by introducing energy-efficient production and offsets CO2 that can’t be reduced by supporting the Kikonda Forest project, planting trees in Uganda to combat forest depletion.

The Clarks Originals brand has offset 6 tons of CO2 emissions produced during the leather tanning process, including this Hillcrest leather, in the last 12 months.

The shoe also features FSC certified Natural rubber crepe sole to make them the most socially and environmentally responsible outsole to date. The Natural rubber comes from the sap of the rubber tree, making it a natural, renewable resource, while the FSC label means that rubber has been harvested to benefit communities, wildlife, and the environment.

By choosing these products Clarks explains that they are supporting responsible management of the world’s forests. The focus on sustainability continues with the packaging, with a box made of 90 percent recycled paper and printed with water-based inks.

Clarks Originals focuses on sustainability with its collaboration with Sporty and Rich

The collaboration will see the Clarks Originals Wallabee silhouette reinterpreted in three unisex colourways, Merlot, Cream Puff and Robin’s Egg Blue. Each shoe will also come with a coordinating leather tag embossed with the Sporty and Rich logo in gold.

Emily Oberg, founder of Sporty and Rich, said in a statement: “To me, the Wallabee embodies the sort of genderless image that I always try to incorporate into Sporty and Rich’s aesthetic. It perfectly ties together elegance and casual styles – not a dress shoe, but not quite a sneaker either. And the history of the shoe within 90s culture has also made it a versatile icon to all different groups of people.

“When we started coming up with ideas, I immediately knew I wanted a soft, buttery, pebbled leather for the shoe. This is my favorite type of leather and since Clarks Original is traditionally suede, I thought it would be a nice but subtle update. There really was no better shoe to work on for our first footwear collaboration, especially with Clarks Originals’ alignment with Sporty and Rich’s sustainability efforts.”

James Frapwell, Clarks Originals – global head of marketing, added: “Partnering with Sporty and Rich, was a natural decision for us; Emily’s timeless aesthetic and environmentally conscious ethos mirrors the spirit and ambition of Clarks Originals. Historically, the Wallabee has been seen through a masculine lens but in recent years more and more women are adopting the style into their wardrobes. To celebrate this fact we connected with Emily to get her unique take on one of the most iconic shoes of all time.”

The Sporty and Rich x Clarks Originals Wallabee retails for 140 pounds / 180 US dollars and is available to purchase exclusively via SportyAndRich.com and Clarks.com from February 15. The collaboration will also be available from global retailers including Selfridges, Footasylum, SSense, Holt Renfrew, and Sole Brother from February 22.

Images: courtesy of Clarks Originals