BEAMS and Clarks rework the Wallabee into weather-ready WallaBeams loafer

BEAMS and Clarks Originals have stripped the Wallabee down to its most useful elements and rebuilt it for bad weather. The WallaBeams Loafer GTX arrives in smooth black leather, not the usual suede, and the shift matters: this is the difference between a shoe you baby and one you can actually wear through a wet Tokyo morning, a late train, or a full day on the move.

The model lands on May 2 at ¥34,100 including tax, in Black only, with sizing from UK5 to UK10. BEAMS will sell it through BEAMS label stores nationwide in Japan, excluding some locations, and on its online shop, which makes this feel less like a global drop and more like a carefully controlled domestic release. That friction is part of the appeal, and part of the problem. For anyone outside Japan, this is the kind of pair that turns into an import chase before it ever becomes a normal wardrobe option.

What makes the shoe distinctive is not just the colorway or the waterproofing, but the way BEAMS has translated a familiar shape into something cleaner and more urban. Clarks’ Wallabee is one of the brand’s best-known Originals, a moccasin-inspired icon that has moved through Hollywood, hip-hop, and Britpop culture for decades. BEAMS says the WallaBeams Loafer GTX keeps the Wallabee’s organic outline and comfort, then pushes it toward a minimalist loafer silhouette with GORE-TEX for waterproofing and breathability. In practice, that means the same relaxed foot shape, but with far more tolerance for daily wear than the classic suede version.

This is the right kind of collab for readers who live in wide trousers, cargo pants, or office-casual tailoring that needs a little less polish than a derby shoe. The black leather reads sharper than beige Wallabees or sand-colored suedes, so it can sit under pleated wool trousers, washed denim, or loose nylon cargos without fighting the rest of the outfit. It also solves the most obvious problem with the original: suede and weather do not love each other.

The collaboration also fits neatly into BEAMS’ 50th anniversary program, which began with a 6.5-tsubo shop in Harajuku in 1976 and now stretches to more than 250 special-order and limited items in 2026. Clarks, for its part, is leaning into its own heritage, tracing back to 1825 in Street, Somerset, and marking Wallabee Day on April 26 by spotlighting the people who wear the shoe. This pair sits exactly at that intersection of legacy and utility, and that is why it feels smarter than a novelty collab.