Matt Varga Ever since Ghostface Killah gave the brand one of his on-mic co-signs, Clarks has been integral to hip-hop and streetwear culture at large. In 2026, we can’t help but notice how the brand has begun to spread its wings in terms of collaborators, notably reaching out to Aleali May this summer for a patchwork two-pack that bolsters its sturdy connective ties to Ronnie Fieg, playing out in a continuous string of seasonal KITH collabs. In another first-time link-up, the Clarks Wallabee heads to Brooklyn, as Set Free Richardson and his Compound bring traditional fabrics to the formal icon.
The man behind the AND1 mixtape has of late dedicated his energy toward the cross-category space, frequented by the likes of Jadakiss and Mos Def. In the imprint’s first footwear collaboration, Richardson remembers a trip to Ghana, during which he met Joel Ugo Enyinnaya, the designer behind African fashion label Jant’s Collection. In collaboration with Enyinnaya, the Compound sourced Bogolanfini (aka “mud cloth”), a traditional Malian textile, to inform this Wallabee effort.
The result is a colorway for the Clarks staple that balances a black foundation offset by geometric pops of tan and brown. Aiming to turn this collab into a full-blown moment for the Compound, Richardson is adding to the “Mud Cloth” concept with a showcase of the musical talent he’s surrounded by. He joins Raekwon, Conway the Machine, and Styles P on an upcoming single with the same name, nodding to the ideas of “get[ting] it from the mud” and being “cut from a [certain] cloth.”
The Compound x Clarks Wallabee “Mud Cloth” releases on November 2nd exclusively via compound7.shop. The single will be available the same day.
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