England and Chelsea footballer Raheem Sterling has unveiled his eagerly-anticipated footwear collection with British shoemaker Clarks.
The collaboration—which follows Sterling’s newly appointed role as global ambassador—reimagines the label’s signature Wallabee Boot and Desert Trek in a way which pays homage to the player’s upbringing.
With his style revered both on and off the pitch, the collaboration cements the longstanding relationship between Clarks and Sterling while also affirming his position in the streetwear sphere. Moving from Jamaica to Wembley as a child, Sterling saved up enough money to buy his first pair of Wallabees for school and still talks about the dip and power they gave on the playgrounds.
Serving as a tribute to Sterling’s birthplace, the collection arrives in a clean, utilitarian-inspired aesthetic akin to the player’s streetwear ‘fits. Showcased in a campaign starring Top Boy’s Kadeem Ramsay, and DJ Becca Dudley, an embossed 1692 motif references the 27-year-olds hometown, while Jamaica’s national motto Out of Many – One People features inside the shoe.
Doused in neutral tones of navy blues, clean whites and ecrus, each silhouette also features darker shades of grey, black and khaki inspired by the industrious land of wood and water surrounding Kingston.
Speaking of the launch and design process, the Chelsea forward said: “In school I wanted to keep up with the kids wearing fresh kicks so I was selling frozen slush after class to make money to buy my first pair of Wallabees.
Fast forward and now to be the first Jamaican with my own Clarks collection is an honour. When I heard I could build this line I was buzzing, it’s a brand I’ve loved from a young age so to have this opportunity is really special.
As a nod to the special connection between Clarks and Jamaica I wanted to do something that was for the island, for Jamaica itself. On the heel you see my brand 1692 which is the year Kingston was founded and hidden inside the shoe is the motto of Jamaica, ‘out of many one people’.”
The collection is available to cop now purchase at JD stores and online in the UK and EU for just 6 months. In addition, a limited-edition light blue colourway is available to buy exclusively through clarks.co.uk.
Source: complex.com
