Brooklyn-based writer and content creator Chinae Alexander may be known for her eclectic personal style—not to mention her brutally funny yet honest advice podcast, “Press Send”—but she’s not one to follow trends. “For me, style is all about finding things that display the confidence you have inside and working within colors, shapes, and styles that you wear versus the opposite: them wearing you,” she explains. “I prefer buying things I’ll be able to wear for years on end and mixing in a few current pieces each season to add some freshness.”
So when we tapped her to track the top must-know shoe trends for fall, we weren’t surprised by her one-stop source: Clarks. For one, the heritage brand’s boots and sneakers hold up to the high mileage NYC fashion people tend to put on them—and there’s also the company’s values. “Clarks’s mission to encourage people to take small steps toward impacting the future resonates with me and my personal message of making mental health a priority in our lives and conversations online,” explains Alexander, who often uses her platform to talk about her own experiences in a frank and deeply relatable way. Read on to see and shop her top picks for the season ahead.
“When I started to think about styling these boots, I initially went in a more rugged direction, but eventually, I leaned the opposite way,” Alexander says of this playful (and colorful!) layered look featuring Clarks’s hero Orinoco 2 boots. “Pairing these more outdoorsy boots with a faux-leather skirt, a sheer top, and the dramatic long cardigan made for a surprising combo that I loved. This would be a perfect look for brunch with girlfriends or a trip to the farmers market,” she says.
Speaking of killer fall boot looks, Alexander’s second ensemble is practically the definition of style-meets-comfort. “Maybe I’m lazy, but there’s something about being able to just pull a shoe on and get out the door that appeals to me, especially when I’m all layered up in the fall and winter,” she explains. “I appreciate that these feel like a real, substantial shoe. Pull-on boots and a simple denim jumpsuit are maybe the easiest look I’ve ever put together!”
Last but certainly not least, no NYC fashion person’s wardrobe would be complete without a stylish yet functional pair of sneakers. “I’m loving a take on an athletic shoe done in colorful suede,” Alexander says of Clarks’s Craft Run Tor style. “It’s an elevated look that can take me from yoga to a meeting with clients (without getting blisters from walking everywhere). They might be the perfect transitional shoe this fall. (Trust me—they are).”
