Clarks Commandos

[Victoria O'Keefe]

For your consideration…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhqpX6enBL0

[Heather74]

[George 1978]

Re: Clarks Commandos

Very much of the "Back to School" variety was Clarks - I am sure that I got blisters for the first couple of weeks of the autumn term when wearing them (school uniform of course).

Reminded me of Birthday Shoes - are those still being made and sold? I know that my own birthday was close to the end of the summer holidays but I assumed that it was just a coincidence at the time. Mind you, a pair of shoes that I have at the moment has gone full circle as they are like that now, and I have had them for a few years.

[tex]

Re: Clarks Commandos

Here is the latest version of pathfinder shoes....dont laugh
https://www.walkwithpath.com/path-fi...SAAEgJcK_D_BwE

[stevie]

Re: Clarks Commandos

I had a pair of Tuf shoes in the early 80's. Prefered Clarkes though.

I missed out on Tuf Wayfarers, the shoes with animal track soles and a compass in the heal, and was a little too old for Clark's Commandos. However, for most of the time at school and college I had Tuf shoes. I was bought a pair at about thirteen. They were the typical "mudguard" Tuf style school shoes with a six month guarnatee against fair wear and tear. They greatly exceeded the guarantee period, try as I might, so when they eventually wore out I was bought another pair and then another. Actually they were a great shoe. They were a bit stiff to start with but became very flexible and comfortable with a little bit of use. They were easy to polish up and, if you didn't bother, turned a quite distinctive grey colour. The only problem with them was that everyone knew you were wearing Tuf shoes which did nothing for my street cred. Like wearing NHS glasses. I had those too!

[wherewasI]

Re: Clarks Commandos

I think this thread and many otehrs I've googled are grouping several shoes together in error. maybe?? Clarks Commando's. Pathfinders, Wayfinders (by Tuf?) and Trackers. Commandos, it seems from the ads of the time did not have a compass in them. Wayfinders did. but someone will correct me I'm sure. (as I said, I'm mystified how that immaculate Wayfinder in the pic has ever survived.)

[willpurry]

Re: Clarks Commandos

I definitely remember that black and orange 'C' badge.

[wherewasI]

Re: Clarks Commandos

Doing more work on research here. Were Wayfinders made by Tuf?

[wherewasI]

Re: Clarks Commandos

I reckon I have it wrong. It annoys me , I just can't rember anymore.

I must have been wearing Wayfinders as the pic. Sole was sxactly liek the pic. i rember teh compass glass broke with my weight on it inside a week.

How did that pair of shoes survive!

[wherewasI]

Re: Clarks Commandos

I had a pair of black school shoes with a compass in the heel and animal tracks on the sole. With a scout connection thrown in somewhere. This I know for definite. I vaguley remember a TV ad for them too. But I may be wrong. After that my memory fails....

I was born 1961 and had these in primary school, so pre-1972. In going down memory lane I have googeld this repeatedly. I'm completely confused..... what was I wearing? It seems there where Clark's Commandos (advertised with a cartoon strip Kit Carter) and theres' mention of pathfinders too. Also Wayfinders. But are Wayfinders Clark's? I don't think so. They took on a Space theme later with a magnet ratehr than a compass. The pix of the brown shoes dosn't quite click with me. Is it me? Are thsie shoes brown, versions of what what I was wearing, Mum usually bought Staertrite or Birthday shoes for me. I would swear in htis case, mine were clarks .

[marilynd04]

Re: Clarks Commandos

My son was a pain when it came to needing new shoes - the assistants got to know him and avoided him - except for when he had a pair of commando shoes - he thought he was the bees knees till his elder brother took the mick. Still hates shoe shops now.

Re: Clarks Commandos

I didn't even ASK Mum for these...she bought them for me for School...I did like the chunky heel and grip on the brown pair I had but all the malarkey about them having super grip was naff as I slipped a few times on icey roads and snow....I have about 2 or 3 pairs brought for me in the 1980s and my two abiding memories of Commandos were the 'C' logo on the heel and the time the bus I was being taken back home on after school by Mum with my Sister began to stink of dog poo and we all thought it was some old woman who'd got on the bus or a little girl who'd shat herself....then it dawned on us...When we got off the bus and began walking home (to watch Dogtanian) the pong was still around......ME!!!!! I looked at my sole and lo and behold I'd only gone and trod in dog muck hadn't I so it was me stinking out the bus...Oh yes, Clarks Commandos I salute you for the mega-gripping power to hold onto dog poo...and I had to clean it off my shoe sole and heel and missed most of Dogtanian that day...!

[Richard1978]

Re: Clarks Commandos

That rings a bell, I remember shoes with green or red triangles on the sole.

[Sculpher]

Re: Clarks Commandos

What were the shoes with the coloured wedge (looked like a Dairylee) beween the sole and the heel? The colour denoted your shoe width I think...

[moonvisage]

Re: Clarks Commandos

After seeing a picture of a box above and examining the thread on the sole of the shoe, from one of the advert drawings,i do recall getting a pair around the first form in secondary school.They were hard and nasty on my feet as i recall.I wanted a pair for ages,but by the time i got them,Punk was in the schools,and everyone wanted DM'S or Monkey Boots.A guy i knew spent months examining a picture of J.J Burnel of the Stranglers,and trying to figure out which boots he was wearing.He concluded they were Monkey Boots,and got a pair.Looking back,i cannot imagine J.J Burnel buying a pair of made for children Monkey Boots from england,when he probably bought a pair of made for adult boots from France,or somewhere else in Europe.