WHERE ARE CLOGS FROM?

More often associated with the Dutch, clogs are traditional wooden shoes worn for centuries by workers throughout Europe and Asia. Although the design of the clog may vary by country and culture, within each culture the standard form of the clog has often remained unchanged for centuries.

In Japan, traditional footwear that resemble both clogs and flip-flops are still worn to this day. They are a kind of sandal with an elevated wooden base held onto the foot with a fabric thong to keep the foot well above the ground. They are worn with traditional Japanese clothing such as kimono or yukata, but  also with Western clothing during the summer months. Known as 'geta' they are worn in rain or snow to keep the feet dry, due to their extra height and impermeability compared to other footwear such as zōri.

They make a similar noise to Flip-flops slapping against the heel whilst walking, but the disadvantage of flip-flops when worn on wet or dirt is that they will flip the dirt or water up the back of the legs. This does not tend to happen with the heavier Japanese Geta.

The origin of wooden footwear in Europe is not precisely known.There are references to high, thick-soled boots of the Greek tragedy actors in Antiquity - known as buskin and to the shoes worn by Roman soldiers known as caligae.

However, there is a possibility that the Celtic and Germanic peoples from Southern and Northern Europe were also familiar with some kind of wooden shoe. Unfortunately, archaeological evidence for this does not exist as wooden footwear often ended up as firewood and, because of its nature, wood will rot away in time.

The oldest surviving wooden footwear in Europe is found in Amsterdam and Rotterdam, in the Netherlands, and date from between 1230 and 1280. These examples look very similar to those still worn in The Netherlands.

What are clogs?

The Dutch have been wearing wooden shoes - known as clogs, or "Klompen" since medieval times. Originally, they were made with a wooden sole and a leather top or strap tacked to the wood. Eventually, the shoes began to be made entirely from wood to protect the whole foot.

Dutch peasants relied on clogs to keep their feet dry and warm in muddy farm fields. During the 19th century, factory workers who spent long hours on their feet wore clogs for comfort and protection against sharp tools and heavy objects. World War I soldiers wore clogs as part of their gear in the trenches.

The first guild of clog makers dates back to around 1570 in Holland.

 Industrial Footwear In Holland, wooden shoes are worn by farmers, fishermen, factory workers, artisans and others to protect their feet. Nails, fishing hooks and sharp implements that might pierce a regular boot will not go through a wooden shoe. On boats and docks and in muddy fields, wooden shoes also keep feet dry.

Clogs are still used as work shoes by professionals such as nurses, who spend long hours standing and walking. However, clogs have evolved beyond practical footwear and have become an established shoe style.

Today, wooden shoes are mostly made by machine. There are not many wooden shoe makers left, but they can be found in some of Holland's tourist areas. These artisans demonstrate the many tools they use and how they select a tree trunk or log according to the size shoe they are going to make.

Both shoes of a pair must be made from the same kind of wood, even the same side of a tree, so that the wood will shrink at the same rate. Usually, sycamore, alder, willow and poplar woods are used for handmade clogs, while birch is normally used for machine-made.

Clogs are made in Holland under strict controls and must pass certain tests that measure how they endure extreme temperatures and heavy weight.

And yes, that is me in the main photo.

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Based on an article from http://www.ehow.com/info_8273186_clogs.html
Images care of http://europeish.blogspot.co.uk/2009_05_01_archive.html and http://chestofbooks.com/travel/holland/John-Stoddard-Lectures/Holland-Part-4.html#.UO3wcW-vGSo andhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geta_(footwear)