The island of Jamaica is associated with myriad cultural signatures, from reggae and dancehall music to Red Stripe beer to jerk chicken. Among the ongoing list is a certain British footwear brand that has been around for 200 years: Clarks.

The strong connection between Jamaica and Clarks has endured for decades, with generations of island natives embracing the brand over the years — and Clarks has reciprocated the love through collections and collaborations.

Jamaicans’ passion for Clarks shoes is rooted in the complex relationship between Britain and the Caribbean island it colonized from 1655 to 1962.

“Jamaicans love Clarks — possibly more than any other country in the world,” said Al “Fingers” Newman, the cultural historian, DJ and author behind the book “Clarks in Jamaica,” which now has a second edition, and the upcoming book “Somerset to the World: Clarks a Visual History,” which is a history of the brand commemorating its 200th anniversary.

The author explained to FN how the U.K. and Jamaica continued to influence each other after the island gained its independence.

“Between 1955 and 1968, around 200,000 Jamaicans emigrated to the U.K., more than 10 percent of the population at the time,” Newman explained. “This strengthened the ties between the two countries, and there was constant back-and-forth. A rich cultural exchange. People would come to the U.K. to visit relatives, carrying records to sell on in the U.K. and would bring back clothes, shoes and other goods on the return trip.”

And those goods included Clarks shoes. For some Jamaicans, their knowledge of the brand traces back to their youth.

“Clarks has always been a part of my life,” said London-based menswear designer Nicholas Daley, who recently worked with Clarks on a Wallabee collaboration reflecting his Jamaica-Scottish heritage, which debuted in an exclusive friends and family colorway at the Metropolitan Museum of Art as part of the “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” exhibit.

Not only did Daley wear the shoes growing up, but so did his father and his grandfather, who was a shoemaker in Jamaica.

“As I got older, I began to understand the cultural significance, not just in my own family, but across music and wider communities in both Jamaica and the U.K.,” Daley shared. “So for me, this collaboration during Clarks’ 200th anniversary feels especially meaningful, because it ties my personal story into the legacy of a brand that has been present in my family for generations.”

Newman explained that Clarks’ presence in Jamaica actually dates back to the 1910s and ’20s, but at the time the brand was primarily offering shoes for women and children. Then Clarks released men’s styles including the Desert Boot and Vacation following World War II and began promoting more overseas. Between these marketing efforts and the high quality craftsmanship of the shoes, the brand’s reputation in Jamaica was solidified.

The dancehall genre, which came about in the 1970s, played a major role in popularizing Clarks in Jamaica. It evolved from the sounds of reggae, making use of quick tempos, heavy beats and tracks that were prerecorded or digitally created. Newman shared that hundreds of dancehall and reggae songs have called out Clarks through the years. It was the 2010 song “Clarks” by Vybz Kartel featuring Popcaan and Gaza Slim, which inspired Newman to reach out to Clarks and chronicle the brand’s story in Jamaica.

Additional artists to have mentioned the British label in their music include Little John, Super Cat, Ninjaman, Eek-A-Mouse, Jahvillani, Ranking Joe and Early B. To accompany his book, Newman has even put together a “Clarks in Jamaica” album for Greensleeves Records, which features some of the songs referencing Clarks.

Daley also discussed the ties between the British brand and Jamaican music.

“In the ’70s and ’80s, reggae and dancehall artists wore Clarks as a way to express individuality, the way you styled them said something about who you were. That authenticity has carried through to today, and the shoes still resonate.” Daley said. “I’ve worked with some amazing Jamaican artists like Protoje, Chronixx, Don Letts and Zion Marley, and Clarks remains such a key part of their wardrobes. It’s more than footwear, it’s cultural identity.”

Newman listed the Desert Boot, Wallabee and Desert Trek as the island’s most popular Clarks styles, with the Desert Boot a particularly popular style for men.

“Historically, the Desert Boot has been the top style, but over the years the Wallabee has grown in popularity, appealing to both men and women. To be honest, as long as a shoe features the Clarks logo, it’s likely to be popular in Jamaica. Some of the rarer styles, like Cruisers, Luggers, Polyveldt and Nature Trek — many of which aren’t made anymore — have also been very sought-after. In the 1960s, a loafer style called the Vacator was very popular.”

And decades later, Clarks celebrates its connection to Jamaica with projects like the collaboration with Daley. The designer explained that he wanted to authentically interweave his Scottish and Jamaican heritage through the shoes.

“The color palette and fabrications are inspired by traditional Jamaican madras textiles, which carry so much history and folklore, while the emblem on the side of the shoe combines the Scottish thistle and Jamaican hibiscus flowers as a nod to my ancestry,” Daley said. “At the same time, the shoe reflects Clarks’ craftsmanship through details like whip stitching, madras laces, and layered suedes and leathers. It’s about bringing those worlds together through materials, storytelling and design.”

In addition to working with Daley, Clarks released its Jamaica Pack in 2021, a collection which was fittingly awash in the flag colors of black, yellow and green, and The Dancehall Collection tributing the shoe’s presence in the genre in 2023. Dancehall artist Popcaan collaborated with Clarks on a 2023 collection as well, and designer Martine Rose, who is British-Jamaican, was announced as the brand’s first guest creative director in 2023.

“Jamaica has given Clarks a cultural home. The brand isn’t just worn there, it’s celebrated in music, communities, and in the heritage,” Clarks global director of product Dawn Porto said. “Honoring that connection means respecting and supporting the people who made Clarks what it is today. It’s about keeping alive a story of authenticity, creativity and cultural exchange that continues to inspire us as a brand.”

And so the unique relationship between the Caribbean islanders and the British shoes continue.

As a 2011 quote from producer Bunny “Striker” Lee referenced in Newman’s book reads, “Clarks is the ting. Inna Jamaica they just love Clarks. From a baby can talk and you ask him which shoes him like, him ah gwaan tell you…Clarks.”