Clarks Revives Its Lightest Wallabee Shoe Without Compromising Its Signature Style

The nearly 60-year-old silhouette finally sees its best reinterpretation brought back and improved for the modern day.

Beige suede Wallabee shoe with white sole and patterned laces worn with light-colored pants.

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Published 23 hours ago

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The Clarks Wallabee, alongside the brand’s Desert Boot, is among the most iconic footwear silhouettes ever made, period. It’s also a brand best-seller, and has been for nearly 60 years.

Well, the brand has just revived and revised what is arguably the most wearable version of this legendary shoe ever: the Clarks Wallabee Lite. And if that’s not enough, it’s also pretty damn affordable.

Pair of beige suede Clarks Wallabee shoes with crepe soles and moccasin-style stitching. — At a glance, you wouldn’t even guess that this version of the Wallabee is any different from the original.

Modern ’80s revival

The original Wallabee came out way back in 1968 (while some sources claim ’67, the brand’s own site contradicts this) when Lance Clark found inspiration in a moccasin called the “Grasshopper” made by a German company. In the UK, it was considered too radical, but it caught on in the USA in a big way.

The rest, as they say, is history … sort of. In the 1980s, Clarks took a swing at renovating its most iconic shoe with the Wallabee Lite, a lighterweight, more utilitarian take with an EVA foam outsole instead of the classic shoe’s crepe outsole. Over time, the Lite slowly faded from the catalog and was then discontinued.

Gray suede moccasin-style shoes with black and white laces worn with white ribbed socks on a blue surface. — The moccasin-style upper remains entirely intact, a boon for the longtime fan-favorite.

Now, the brand has brought it back for 2026 and onward. And while it was already an alteration to the original, this revival changes it even further.

Instead of a standard lightweight EVA foam outsole, the 2026 edition gets a high-density one that the brand says is “newly-engineered” and “lighter and more durable than the original.” That makes the new Clarks Wallabee Lite arguably the comfiest version of the shoe ever.

Gray suede moccasin-style shoes with black and white laces worn with white socks on a blue surface. — The Wallabee Lite is available in five distinct colorways, including a few classics.

New sole, same soul

Crucially, the swap from a crepe sole to an EVA foam one doesn’t compromise the spirit of the Wallabee. In fact, it’s really the only change at all, which is very good for fans of the iconic silhouette.

Like the original, the upper still has the same moccasin-style design, complete with a two-eyelet lacing system. (It comes with two sets of laces, as well: tonal flat and tonal-and-white flecked.) The upper is also made from classic, premium suede, granting it softness and texture.

The original crepe sole has been swapped for a lighter, comfier EVA foam option.

Clarks

The shoe also retains its classic embossed logo on the outer heel (and the lace fob), and it comes with a removable foam footbed. Put plainly: everything there was to love about the Wallabee remains, at least stylistically, while the shoe is more wearable and lightweight than ever.

But here’s the real kicker: it’s also quite affordable. Pricing is set at just $100, which is a good deal cheaper than many of the brand’s offerings. (Most other Wallabees start at about $140.)

Beige suede Wallabee shoes with crepe soles worn with light-colored pants against a blue textured background. — This might be the comfiest version of the iconic Clarks Wallabee ever made.

Availability and pricing

The Clarks Wallabee Lite is now available on the brand’s official site for $100 across five distinct colorways.

Beige suede Wallabee shoe with moccasin stitching and a matching beige sole.

Clarks Wallabee Lite

$100 at Clarks

About the Author: Sean Tirman is an associate editor at Gear Patrol who specializes in EDC, cannabis and outdoor gear.

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