After rolling out its first standalone Cloudsteppers stores internationally last month, the first U.S. location of Clarks’ latest concept shop has landed in Texas.
Located inside the La Palmera Mall in Corpus Christi, Texas, the 1,255-square-foot store follows other openings of Clarks’ newest retail concept in the cities of Shah Alam and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia in November.
For Peter Quirke, Clarks vice president of retail in the Americas who just returned to the States after visiting the new stores in Malaysia, Cloudsteppers’ U.S. debut is all about “giving the people what they want,” adding that the company sells “millions of Cloudsteppers’ flip-flops every year.”
“Obviously, we have a ton of heritage in our brown and black shoe business and all of the things that Clarks is well-known for,” Quirke told FN in an interview. “But this retail concept gives us the ability to create a unique way for us to express ourselves, rather than trying to shoehorn the product line into Clarks’ stores. And while Cloudsteppers are obviously part of the bigger Clarks’ family, pulling the line out and highlighting it offers us a bigger opportunity to focus on its growth.”
The executive noted that along with Cloudsteppers comfort shoe range, 50 percent of the new store’s merchandise mix is non-footwear, and includes an offering of soft-touch T-shirts, hoodies, caps, bags and water bottles.
Clarks’ Cloudsteppers store in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Courtesy of Clarks
“I don’t think of this concept as a footwear store,” he noted. “This store is really all about the comfort lifestyle of Cloudsteppers.”
And it seems to be working. According to Quirke, the company is “seeing a good mix” of non-footwear sales at the two Malaysian locations that have already opened, with one more set to open in the country later this month. “This leads us to believe that we’re on the right path,” the executive said. “And so far, the response has been good to the to the overall assortment.”
As for the unexpected location of Cloudsteppers’ U.S. debut, Quirke noted that the climate of Corpus Christi is ideal for the product range.
“Given that flip-flops are the bread-and-butter product of Cloudsteppers, and that La Palmera offers a premium shopping experience in close proximity to the beach, makes for a great location for this store,” he said.
Inside Clarks’ Cloudsteppers store in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Courtesy of Clarks
As for what’s next, Quirke isn’t letting his foot off the gas. The executive told FN that Clarks has already signed three leases for new Cloudsteppers stores to open in the first quarter of 2026 in the U.S.
“We have the utmost confidence that what we’re doing is going to work,” Quirke maintained. “So, we’re aiming to open another five in the back half of 2026, and we want to end ‘26 with a dozen locations. Still, we’re being selective in where we’re going to open, but we firmly believe in the success of this concept.”
Next year will also bring an expanded product assortment. Previously focused on women’s styles, Clarks said that Cloudsteppers is growing its offering into menswear. In the new year, Cloudsteppers will stock a full men’s range – from sandals and sneakers to T-shirts, hoodies and more.
Inside Clarks’ Cloudsteppers store in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Courtesy of Clarks
Clarks’ Cloudsteppers expansion “reflects strong business momentum for Clarks globally,” following significant retail and digital expansion across the U.S., Asia, Europe and the U.K. this year. This includes new store openings and new marketplace partnerships such as Shein, Target, Walmart and TikTok Shop.
The U.K.-based footwear company also recently unveiled its “Canvas” concept store for its mainline collection on London’s Tottenham Court Road last month. It’s most contemporary retail identity yet, the two-level store offers Clarks’ full range of women’s, men’s and kids’ footwear.
“We’re aiming to explore more ways for consumers to have more fun with Clarks while they’re in our shops,” Quirke added. “While most dedicated Clarks’ stores are not going to look like the bright and colorful Cloudsteppers stores, you will start to see some cross pollination as we take some of the learnings from this new concept and implement across the portfolio.”
Inside Clarks’ Cloudsteppers store in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Courtesy of Clarks