It was 1949, we're told, when Nathan Clark of the West African Brigade assembled the first desert boot by stitching some simple ankle-high swaths of suede onto a crepe sole and punching a minimal number of eyelets in (presumably shoe laces were shorter in those days). To this day the iconic desert boot remains a surprisingly comfortable and versatile piece that can be worn year-round with shorts, chinos, or jeans, socks strictly optional. Clarks makes them in over a dozen variants, and there are plenty of imitators, but the classic style is the sand suede shown here.