The Desert Boot was cut on the men's Guernsey Sandal last and sampled in a neutral beige-grey 2mm chrome bend split suede. The company's Stock Committee reacted badly to the sample and dismissed the idea as it 'would never sell'. It was only in his capacity as Overseas Development Manager that Nathan had any success with the shoe after introducing it to Oskar Schoefler (Fashion Editor, "Esquire Magazine") at the Chicago Shoe Fair in 1949. He gave them substantial editorial credits with colour photographs in "Esquire" in early 1950. Bronson Davies subsequently saw these articles and applied to represent the company in selling them across the US, long before they were available in the UK. The Desert Boot was initially sold in Britain through shops in Regent Street, featuring a Union Jack sewn into the label, targeted at tourists. Lance Clark is widely credited with popularising them in Europe during the 1960s.