Damson Steps Out

There is a particular type of brand that seems to find its way into every woman’s basket. Right now, Damson Madder is firmly in that category. You might not be dressing head-to-toe in bows, checks and oversized collars, but chances are there’s room for at least one of them. The London label has built its following on pieces that provide a welcome injection of fun into the everyday wardrobe – and now, for the first time, it’s coming for our shoe racks too.

For its first-ever foray into footwear, Damson Madder has teamed up with Clarks Originals, taking two of the shoemaker’s familiar silhouettes and giving them the full Damson treatment. First up is the Wallabee, rendered in pillar-box red with hiking-inspired laces and a tiny ‘Damson Girl’ on the heel, riffing on Clarks’ original 1970s Trekman motif. Then there’s the Nomad Damson: an open-back Mary Jane mule in chocolate plum, complete with double straps, silver D and M buckles and, naturally, a polka-dot footbed.

It’s also a collaboration that makes rather more sense than some of the strange bedfellows fashion has introduced us to of late. Damson Madder was already styling its collections with Wallabees, while Clarks’ sensible-ish shoe shapes provide a good foil to the brand’s more-is-more tendencies.

Consider it another way to Damson-ify an outfit without committing to the whole look. A red Wallabee poking out beneath an otherwise sensible trouser? Basket, unfortunately.