Clarks Men's Wallabee Boot Chukka, Black Suede, 080 M US Review

My husband and son love these, but I don't get the concept of Wallabees. I think they're ugly, and there's zero insulation so they can't be warm, but men think they're comfortable, "manly", and will last forever. They do not last forever; in fact, they barely last 3 months before the paper-thin suede starts to wear, and you start to see sock (or toe) through the shoes. But the men will not care; they would probably use duct tape or rope to hold these paper-think wafers on foam together, and do you know why? Because the entire shoe could wear away, but the physics-defying material that sews the Wallabee together is indestructible, and this makes men proud. "Yes," they'll say. "The suede is paper-thin; the tongue of the shoe is, after two months, non-existent, but the soles are still on, and the shoe is held together by *good craftsmanship*." (That's something men are proud of; money well spent on the labors of a hard-working "cobbler"). No, instead of buying new shoes, the men will gift you with a bottle of "suede cleaner", never-minding that there is no suede left to clean, and expect you to fix these netted-sandals.Just, don't try to "save" the suede — again, the super-string that holds the Wallabee together literally lasts forever, though the suede seems designed to last, at best, through a mere puff of wind. The poor Wallabee will start to fall limp and apparently "shrink"; this is when men will proudly think, "these are just getting broken in". But their toes or socks will be showing through the holes in the suede, and you'll either have to live with the embarrassment of going to dinner dressed to the nines with the man's socks showing through these "man shoes", or you're going to have to swap the used Wallabee with a new Wallabee every three months, and pretend like you used magic woman skills to repair the paper-thin suede.Why five stars, then? Because (1) the man WILL find out about the Wallabee one day, and (2) the one redeeming value of Wallabees is, they're all exactly the same, and men don't notice when you toss their trashed, see-through shoes for a new pair!Indeed, it gets pricey. $80 you think? Oh no: the first pair is $80, but invariably, the same color shoe will have to be shipped from England for the full $125 plus shipping. Sometimes, you'll get lucky and find a shade close to the original shade; it doesn't have to be perfect. In fact, I literally replaced my husband's black Wallabees with a white/tan color, and he believed the suede cleaner and my hard labor removed the dirt from the shoe. Ultimately, it simply doesn't matter: all Wallabees feel the exact same. So every three months, punch out about $80-$130 for the shoes, wait for sleep or drink to overtake the man, then replace the old Wallabees with the new ones. So the man can be happy with life in general.Tip: it is best if you make clear you utter disdain for the appearance of the shoe. It comes naturally, so it's not a lie. This way, even if they know the money is slipping out of their parched back accounts every few months, they'll be too filled with pride in their Wallabees to much think about the loss of funds.I've been doing this for almost 24 years. I've attempted all sorts of changes of foot apparel, but take it from me: do not waste your time. The minute a man tries on a Wallabee is akin to being "born". Five stars because this, the Wallabee, is the secret to a man's happiness and well-being. Every step they take, they consider the man "cobbling" his Wallabee together with tools that haven't been in existence for centuries, and the man feels whole. And if all they need to feel "whole" and satisfied is some 3-month-lasting ugly shoes, just get him the shoes. You can't put a price on the lack of a man wallowing in self-pity; it's priceless. Get a second job if you must, but order these Wallabees every three months, and witness a changed man.

comfort

I did quite a bit of looking around for a new comfortable pair of shoes and finally settled on the Clarks Original Wallabees. Here are a few things to note:- They do run small. I normally wear a mens 10.5 or 11, but I took the advice of others and ordered a size 10...fits perfectly.- The heal is high, and narrow, so you'll want to keep that in mind while first wearing them so as not to turn your ankle. But the upside is another half inch or so in height compared to other shoes...great for average sized men like me!- The Beeswax leather looks much better in real life than in the Amazon picture. Less shiny, and more earth toned.- The Beeswax leather will get a distressed look as you wear it - See the Beeswax Clarks Original Desert Oxford pic for an example. I think it looks very nice.- The soles do get dirty and won't stay that perfect white or cream color in the pictures, so if that is a problem for you keep that in mind. I personally love the way mine are starting to look after wearing them for a couple of weeks.- Amazon's prices are, by far, the best out there. I paid $100 on Amazon, compared to $140 at other online and brick and mortar shops.

Fits great and are very comfortable.

Shoes are better now then when I bought them in the 80s. I wear 9.5 I ordered 10. Fit perfect. I even put in a arch support. Best Shoes I ever owned. All original Clark's in box and insole. Must buy.

it's hard to say anything bad about the shoe its self. i ordered a black pair size 10us and got 11us also some small scratches on the left shoe and some kind of small mar or soilage on the right shoe,easy to see because of the black, i ordered these for an event i was going to and couldn't return them because of the urgency to atttend, anyhow i suggest to clark that you take a little better care when packing in the box

They was very comfortable

First thing, I haven't worn Wallabees since I was a child and I had been wanting some for a while. After Breaking Bad, I wanted some even more. The fit is a bit loose and they do require actual socks. Since I wear dress shoes on the weekdays I tried wearing them with my dress sock and stockings but my feet where swimming in them. So I bought some black sweat socks and they fit a lot better.They are wide so they do feel like your'e wearing Uggs with dress slacks, but they look good.I have major back issues and my doctor always wants me to stick to special orthopedic shoes, but orthopedic shoes are horrid. These boots a bit on the heavy side, but once laced up you can't tell. I haven't have any issue with my back while wearing them, therefore, they seem to offer great support, via the soft rubber sole.Overall, I love the boots and I am very satisfies with this purchase.