Every Clog Has Its Day

Totally gratuitous display of enthusiasm

I like clogs. Have we established that sufficiently? And as much as I like finding cool looking styles to view and purchase, I also take a lot of pleasure from wearing them. I'm sure you can relate. When you've got an outfit that comes together, you just feel good. Instant psychotherapy. Plus there's the additional enjoyment of physically feeling yourself wearing what you're wearing. And with clogs that sensation is intensified due to the construction of the shoes. The feeling of your feet rocking across the pavement in a curved wood sole as you run your errands and take care of your responsibilities. There's a rhythm and a motion to a wonderful pair of clogs. And when I find a new pair that takes me there, I'm afraid you'll have to put up with a spontaneous burst of enthusiasm such as this one. It's as close to an ecstatic utterance as I'll ever come. I've talked about these new Matisse clogs more than once before. But after slipping into them again this afternoon and running to Barnes and Noble and a doctor's appointment, I have to say they were definitely money well spent. They look great. They've got a unique silhouette. And they make both my feet and my mind very happy. And that's a good combination.

Instant Kharma

Not long ago I posted a profile on Sanita clogs on this blog, and I mentioned later that they had sent me a complimentary pair of their wood soled shoes to test drive. I have to say that in my case, their strategy worked. I'd been avoiding standard low heeled clogs as being too...well, standard. But once I got that fish skin pair on my feet and knocked around the city for a couple days, I found myself back online picking out some other Sanita styles that had caught my eye (though they hadn't won my heart) before. I thought to myself, "The light brown pair was a nice match with a couple outfits in my fashion arsenal. What if I accessorized some other outfits with a different colored pair?" Which is how I found myself clicking Send on an order for this Sanita Kharma clog, a shoe they bill as a vegan style constructed of felt, twine, and wood. I thought I'd miss the feel of leather on my feet, but that seemed a small sacrifice for such a unique style. (Not to be confused with the Sanita Dharma clog boot: same look in a calf high clog boot style.) When I saw that ShoePeddlers.com had it at quite a discount, I snapped up a pair and have been sporting it proudly ever since. Well, on those days I'm not wearing the other Sanita pair. Of course, they'll both get a reduced wardrobe rotation once my third Sanita pair arrives. But that's for another post.

In like a lion...

Don't know about your part of the world, but mine had no summer to speak of. It seemed like a week and a half, maybe two we had the sort of 80° days one normally thinks of when backyard pools and Weber grills and afternoons spent lounging in a hammock come to mind. This year, if you blinked, you missed those days entirely. (Lesson No. 1...and it is such a hard lesson to learn, isn't it: Seize the day. Or alternatively: He who hesitates is lost. When you find yourself staring out the window at warm and wonderful weather where I live, you'd best go out and enjoy right then and there. Because if you don't, that same weather might not be back tomorrow. Or even stick around the rest of the day. But as you'll read, I'm starting to get this lesson down.) Then this past weekend, any thought that maybe we just might have a late September relapse into sunnier, warmer weather disappeared when a major line of thunderstorms swept through the are bringing with it at least one tornado warning that I know of. So much for all the summery outfits with clogs and sandals to match I had hoped to wear. Time to dust off the fall wardrobe and break out my stock of clog boots. Oh, and maybe start wearing socks again, my most reluctant wardrobe concession to the change in the weather. 

Fortunately clog makers have come up with their own solution to falling temperatures: fleece-lined clogs. I can think of a dozen or more different styles that feature a nice, toasty upper tacked to a solid wood base. But the first that popped up online and made me say "Gotta have it!" was this pair from my second favorite clog maker, Mia. Something about that solid chunk of platform under the foot just feels so good when kicking through the fallen leaves on a crisp, cold day. And I'm always a sucker for leather that distresses so beautifully.

(On the up side: last night's storm cell featured a leading edge of near constant lightning. This coupled with the equally near constant growling of thunder in the distance made for a truly awesome light show. I saw it coming in the distance while watching the new Ken Burns series on PBS, then found myself cleaning up in the kitchen as it began to sweep through. As recently as a year ago I would have wrapped up what I was doing before going to sit out on the balcony to watch the display. But I've been burnt by waiting too many times. I simply stopped mid-chore and went to enjoy. And a good thing, too. That dazzling blend of dramatic lightning and foreboding thunder lasted only a few minutes before the rain began to fall and the weather turned to just your common or garden variety storm. If I'd waited to finish whatever seemed so important before, I would have missed it all entirely. Which I guess leads to another alternate version of our lesson for the day: Sometimes you've just got to stop and smell the ozone.)

Shopping update: Matisse Savannah clogs redux

I made a big deal about these Matisse clogs because I thought they were so cool. That and the fact that I was able to score a pair for myself. Then lo and behold, while researching a completely different pair I discovered that all three Matisse Savannah colors are currently available at Amazon. I'd order another pair if I didn't already have my money earmarked for another purchase. Where is that Lotto win when you need it?