Inside Gary Champion's plan to keep Clarks comfortable and relevant

"You shouldn't have to choose between looking good and feeling comfortable," Gary Champion, president of Clarks America, told FashionUnited. The idea seems fitting for a company that spent over two centuries selling comfort footwear, without compromising on style.

Founded in 1825 by Quaker brothers Cyrus and James Clark in England, Clarks has made comfort shoes its priority way before the category turned into a billion dollar industry. According to a report from Grand View Research, the global footwear market size is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 4.3 percent from 2025 to 2030, expected to reach 588.22 billion dollars in 2030. The demand for durable and comfortable footwear products is pointed out as one of the main drivers behind that growth.

“Comfort isn't a new space for Clarks. It's been part of our DNA for over 200 years,” Champion said. “Clarks is a strong, established, global brand where consumers both trust and understand the seriousness of the brand to consistently deliver high-quality comfort footwear to the market. For me, it's about being true to that commitment while continuing to find ways of inviting new consumers to our proposition. We attract the consumer with our designs and then go beyond their expectations with comfort that delivers. This is what feeds our growth and success.”

During the Atlanta Shoe Market in August, the brand unveiled two new additions to its US portfolio as it continues to invest in comfort-led innovation. Clarks launched Code, a new collection featuring its proprietary C360 Foam technology, which Champion describes as the brand’s “most advanced dual-layer comfort technology, designed to absorb impact and return energy with every step, reducing the stress on your feet, ankles, legs, and hips.” The C360 Foam was first introduced in 2025 for performance walking and is now being expanded into more everyday lifestyle silhouettes. The plan is to continue building on the technology through 2027.

“The opportunity is to take styles consumers already understand and want to wear and then build our Clarks comfort technology into them. That's where I think we have a real point of difference. We make great shoes, we know comfort, and we continue innovating to deliver those two qualities to our consumers,” Champion said.

During the trade show, Clarks also previewed Bubblo, a new female-focused sandal and flip-flop collection launching under Cloudsteppers by Clarks for spring 2027.

“There is really no age associated with comfort nowadays.”

During the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the US industry saw dress footwear sales collapsing, while comfy cozy shoes, a style traditionally associated with an older consumer, became the new must-have. The shift continued throughout 2021, 2022, 2023, and, eventually, comfort turned into the baseline expectation for footwear buyers, no matter their age.

“We have generations of consumers growing up wearing athletic shoes. They expect comfort regardless of age,” Champion said.

Per Circana's H1 2026 report, comfort remains the leading purchase driver for future footwear purchases. Style, however, is still an important part of Gen-Z’s purchasing experience. For a 200-year-old brand, Clarks seems to do just fine with the younger crowd.

“We attract streetwear consumers with our Clarks Originals. Iconic footwear like Wallabees, Desert Trek and Desert Boots can be found in high-end retailers across the country. With our history of shoemaking, the most important thing is to stay in step with our consumer, offering them relevant footwear for every occasion, that delivers 360 degree comfort. That's our focus,” Champion said, adding that Clarks is constantly looking at how it can reinterpret their classic styles for today's consumer.

This August, the company announced Clarks Originals is expanding beyond footwear for the first time, releasing a debut apparel and accessories collection that draws inspiration from the brand’s history. The collection is described as a natural extension of the Clarks Originals legacy rather, taking its icons beyond footwear and into a wider lifestyle offering.

“I returned to a brand I love”

Champion has spent almost his entire career inside Clarks. He left it once, and came back changed by the departure. "How important culture and people are to a business" is what he said those years away — he served as Geox’s COO from 2008 to 2009, then as president of Earth Footwear from 2010 to 2016 — taught him.

“Both experiences refined my awareness of how important communicating and including the organization in the vision and direction you wish to take the business is. No matter what level you might be in the organization, when you were speaking about our brand the message should be consistent,” he said, while acknowledging how difficult communication can be at an organization as large as Clarks. “Sounds much easier than it is! But once you achieve this goal, it builds into collaboration across departments, understanding of the role each individual plays to deliver on that vision, and the business moves forward. I've always believed 80 percent of your success is in the people and teams you build - they'll make everything else work!”

During Champion’s absence, Clarks also learned a few lessons. The company went through a few executive changes, expanded to new markers, launched its first e-commerce website and moved product development to England. Despite the changes, Champion said there wasn’t much to rebuild when he came back.

“I returned to a brand I love, which is steeped in history, and one of the most recognizable footwear brands in the world,” he said. “Clarks is represented in more than 100 markets around the globe. Tapping into those strengths and sharing in the efficiencies that can offer was both a challenge and a major opportunity. We started by identifying and understanding the vision and direction we wanted to take the brand in the Americas. The extra layer for me was that Clarks had become a truly global brand from what it was when I left, meaning there were departments that answered globally, not regionally.”

The leader once again recognized the importance of a strong culture, that communicates openly and honestly, in order to move up and forward. “The team has done an excellent job of getting our organization to a really good spot. We are still learning and adapting, refining and strengthening, to ensure we deliver to our consumers' expectations, continue to innovate and adapt in the most efficient way possible. I imagine we'll always be on that journey!”