A Visual History of Clogs
From folkloric fashion to today's runways, take a look at how clogs have evolved from their 13th century origins.
Clogs, the shoes that seem to continuously circle back in fashion cycles, are often met with confusion—you either love them or you hate them. But the shoes actually have a centuries-long history, which includes everything from agriculture, rockstars, and today’s runways.
Invented in the Netherlands in the 13th century, clogs were originally not the fashionable item that Cher Horowitz gladly bragged that she broke-in during her school day in the cult classic “Clueless,” but were pragmatically invented to use a protective footwear in agriculture, factories, mines, and other trade jobs in cities such as Amsterdam and Rotterdam. The ever-controversial shoe, was initially negatively associated with cheap folkloric footwear of the working class, and deemed ugly due to its clunky wooden shape So how did a shoe of the working class become a recurring fashion trend appearing again and again on our runways, on our favorite celebrities, and even in our closets?
The introduction of clogs was rooted in their unique ability to not flex under the ball of the foot in comparison to other materials used, allowing the front of the foot to fall forwards due to the shoe’s curved bottom.
In 1889, Vincent Van Gogh painted wooden-soled leather clogs in the southern French town of Saint-Rémy. During this time, Van Gogh was being treated for his psychiatric problems and was reluctant to go outside. The clog, therefore, acted as a sort of muse for the suffering artist, and the painting came to illustrate society’s continual enthrallment with the perplexing popularity of the clog.
Clogs, with their wooden heels, started to rise beyond their working class folkloric associations as they underwent an informal rebranding as a dancing shoe for everyone. The loud clack-clack the shoe made was incorporated into traditional dance of many Scandinavian cultures as it made its way north-ward to countries such as Sweden and Denmark. A predecessor of tap, this would eventually extend from Germanic Scandinavian cultures into American and English cultures in the late 19th century as a pleasurable past-time.
Most prominently, clogs made a massive wave in fashion in the ‘70s with virtually every style icon, model, or actress donning a pair at some point. Making their way into American fashion in the early 1970s, the slip-on, open-heeled shoes were often paired with bell-bottom jeans to create the hippie-esque silhouette of the decade or worn as a statement shoe with dresses and skirts. Brands such as the Connie Clogs, the Mia Clogs, and the Sven Clogs rose in popularity and were often highlighted in fashion magazines as the hot new fashion item to have.
True style icon Freddy Mercury has worn anything and everything fashionable. From catsuits to yellow leather jackets, the lead vocalist of Queen was praised not only for his amazing command over his voice, but also his daring exploration of fashion, so it is no shock that Mercury was seen wearing a pair of clogs. A pinnacle of ‘70s fashion, and one that seems to crop up every now and again in the decades since, the shoes were also notably worn frequently by fellow Queen member Brian May, and were deemed so important they were included in the 2018 bio-pic, “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, every fashion fan flocked to one of the most popular shows on television, “Sex and the City,” for style inspiration from Carrie Bradshaw. The shoe-loving character, played by Sarah Jessica Parker, stated that “the fact is, sometimes, it’s hard to walk in a single woman’s shoes. That’s why we need really special ones now and then to make the walk a little more fun.” So, it’s no surprise that like her TV counterpart, SJP jumped on the clog train, wearing the shoe in 1993.
In Japan, street style in Tokyo has recently become enthralled by the traditional geta (下駄), a wooden shoe which like the clog elevates the foot, but has a flip-flop-like appearance and“teeth” underneath the soles.
In Balenciaga’s Spring/Summer 2018 collection, the luxury house unveiled a trend that instantly became a virtual meme: the platform Croc. The foam shoes are making a comeback, acting as yet another instance of the ever-returning lifelong of the clog. Lyndon “Duke” Hanson and George Boedecker Jr. founded Crocs in 2002, marketing the shoe as the foam clog, with its open heel and variety of colors. Like traditional clogs, Crocs are either adored or hated by fans, but for now, it seems that a number of celebrities are on-board for the trend.
For Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2021, Nicolas Ghesquière showcased a collection proposing the modern-day clog. Half-pump, half-clog, it seems that the reincarnation of the wooden, albeit more comfortable, shoe is here to stay. Possibly cropping up in reaction to the popularity of the escapist Internet fashion aesthetic of cottagecore, the shoe is appearing more and more frequently on the runways of brands such as Hermès, Gucci, and Celine. So it seems clogs are once again officially fashionable, where will you get yours?
