My constant desire to wear high-top sneakers has suddenly taken a jump for the wild. I now find myself wanting all my shoes to come up above my ankle.  Its not that I feel some sort of superior ankle support from the footwear, but more that I like the way my trousers and jeans fall on top of the arch.  The way the hem of my jeans sits around my high-tops and how it gives a stacked looked to both my denim or my trousers.  I have never been a boots wearing guy, nor have I ever had that many to speak of.  I have my various pairs of Red Wing boots, and my Fiorentini and Baker lace-ups. I have had Chelsea boots in the past and of course the riding and wellington variety.  Now however, my focus rests on one sole style of footwear. The Desert Boot.  I like how they can be worn with jeans in a casual fashion or they can be worn with a rolled up trousers and all of sudden seem much more fashion forward.  You can wear them with a suit for a gallery opening and look like a great collector of fine art or you can wear them with shorts and look like a true explorer. They are available in different shades of camel and brown and in my opinion translate from season to season.  Many problems will be solved, and all of a sudden you have a piece which will contribute to your growing wardrobe and not be so seasonal that you will ever tire of them.  The key, afterall, is building a wardrobe which allows you versatility.  It could be on a trip abroad where you only have room for two shoes, or, it could be around the city in which you live either way these shoes will serve you well.
 
Originally from Clark’s, I have toyed with the idea of purchasing a pair.  Released in 1950, this shoe has become an international classic.  Thanks mainly to the crepe sole which the boot has always had and a distinguishable design there is a timeless quality to the boots which means long lasting wear.  At £69.00 they are quite a bargain in the fashion game and therfore quite an easy purchase for my conscience to take, however, I cannot quite decide if I am a Clark’s shoe wearing type.  I certainly wouldn’t purchase any other shoes they have in stock.  The majority of the Clark's stock is a bit earthen, and lacks any sex. Even a men's shoe can have a sex element but the shoes I see in a Clark's shop truly do not. Oblique toes, lots of brown but more mud than chocolate.  Really what I see in Clark's makes me think of men with no taste or style.  So why the desert boot? I feel it just translates better into the wardrobe which I have been building than other clark's shoes. Before I go and make that purchase I have been on the hunt for months now trying to see what other options I have.
 
Many fashionistos say they prefer the Pierre Hardy style.  They are very classic indeed, with a modern twist, and some men are just fans of Pierre Hardy and can find no fault. While I am certainly a fan of the leather trainers both low and high which he does, the desert boots in their many guises simply don’t it for me.  They don't seem to have the same quality of finish as the leather trainers and leather soled shoes he makes.  There are little inconsistencies in the welt joining the crepe sole to the leather upper.  The toe box usually looks collapsed and they are just too narrow for the classic Desert Boot look.  Who needs a black patent desert boot with red contrast stitching anyway?  That is one chic desert you would wear those in. I, on the other hand simply want them for city-based wearing for the most part and the occasional session on my travels.  So I have continued the search and so far no luck really.  Clark’s do come in several fabric choices and a rainbow of colors as well.  Why can’t I just be satisfied with the 30+ varieties available. Well I just am not. So I came upon Givenchy. Actually my favourite so far.  However when I foolishly asked a few friends their opinion they all said a resounding no.
 
The pair I favored the most had a thicker crepe sole than most and a rounded toe. I thought they looked great and also gave a nod to the thick soled shoes from Jill Sander and Yves Saint Laurent of this past winter which I also liked.  Now I will admit these were not exactly a desert boot , but they were a boot that cold be worn in the desert and a snip at £155.00, I didn’t feel too bad for keeping my feet in the lap of luxury. 

I kept looking though, and soon I found that Givenchy actually did a real desert boot which was also great! It was a classic sand color almost cement, with the crepe sole and laced up the front.  All of a sudden my eyes were opened.  Opening Ceremony, Aquascutum, Marc Jacobs, n.d.c. all had options galore for me to chose from.  The only problem was that none were really quite right. They were too stylised and too fashiony.  I am by my own admissions a serious shoe-shopper with probably over 50 pairs of shoes in London and more than 100 in storage in southern California, yet, I was still not convinced. My decision to purchase the Clark’s originals was made, at least as a jumping off point.  Perhaps I will have to get those Givenchy one’s as well, just to broaden my horizons and keep my feet happy.