Clarks Originals Trigenic Flex: Deconstructing a Modern Icon

If you think about the creation of some of footwear’s most iconic silhouettes, they largely came about thanks to a spark of creative innovation—often addressing a sporting need.

While the Converse Chuck Taylor All Star, Vans Old Skool and Saucony Jazz Original may be staple sneakers in today’s industry, all three silhouettes—and many more—were brought about to meet the sporting requirements of basketballers, skateboarders and runners respectively. Their shapes may be instantly recognisable today, but these shoes have their innovative designs to thank for their longevity.

The birth of an iconic starts with great design. In some cases, the design and its features are completely novel and can even contribute towards evolving or revolutionising a particular style of shoe. In most cases, however, great design is a product of reinvention. The Converse Chuck Taylor was a product of reinvention and its silhouette is being reinvented every season until this day. The vulcanisation process had been around for decades until Vans decided to use it to create some of the most robust skating shoes the industry had seen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APGb90ODGhw

The recent launch of the Clarks Originals Trigenic Flex treads this same path of reinvention and the shoe is showing all the signs of being a true modern icon. Drawing on the brand’s longstanding shoemaking heritage, the Trigenic Flex is a unique and distinctive addition to the Clarks Originals archive, showing the balance of practical features and a timeless aesthetic that typically sees a shoe become a mainstay in a brand’s offering. Here, we deconstruct the Trigenic Flex to delve into its DNA, features and why for us it is a shoe that is here for the long run.

The Last

The Clarks Originals Trigenic Flex uses a brand new, asymmetric last that is hand-carved from hornbeam. Its asymmetric shape perfectly matches the shape of each foot, ensuring a close, comfortable fit.

Genuine Moccasin Construction

While it may be one of the oldest of all types of shoe construction, the moccasin shoe construction remains one of the best until this day. The genuine moccasin is made with a wraparound construction that will mould to the exact shape of the foot to deliver not only optimal comfort and flexibility but also a satisfyingly personalised feel.

What’s more, the genuine moccasin construction of the Clarks Originals Trigenic Flex makes it a descendent of one of the brand’s most iconic silhouettes: the Wallabee. It is thanks to its construction that the Wallabee is able to offer the incredible comfort it does, and the Trigenic Flex is in many ways the modern reinterpretation of the Wallabee.

Decoupled Vibram® Outsole

Known for engineering soles built for climbing on the toughest terrains, it’s fair to say that Vibram® know how to construct a great outsole. This one, built especially for the Trigenic Flex, uses a unique, decoupled three-part outsole that allows the shoe to flex with the natural motions of the foot. The highly developed design of the outsole delivers exceptional stability, comfort, and traction—as well as Vibram’s signature durability.