Sole of a nation: how Clarks became Jamaica’s favourite footwear

There has long been a unique connection between the Somerset-based shoe-maker and the Caribbean island. It goes way beyond shoes - as a new edition of book Clarks in Jamaica demonstrates

The reggae producer Bunny Lee said: Clarks stand the test of time inna Jamaica. All the other shoes come and bow down at Clarks' foot." DJ Trinity said in the 70s that you couldn't get a girlfriend if you didn't wear Clarks. And the dancehall star Vybz Kartel dedicated no fewer than three hit songs to the shoes. Clarks might be associated with schoolchildren in the UK, but they have also been the shoe of choice for Jamaican men for nearly 70 years.