Every Clog Has Its Day

Featured Designers: Rabiah Hodges and her Chameleon Clogs

I love the internet. Every day another adventure. Every day something new to discover. It's almost as much fun as shopping the shoe aisles at Nordstrom Rack!

I was rooting around on Etsy.com a couple weeks back when I was astounded by a dazzling variety of creatively decorated clogs. And these were not just your common or garden variety Swedish shoes with some brightly colored leather slapped on 'em. These were clogs with lavishly woven uppers and clogs with colorfully painted bases and clogs with silk ribbon accents. Sometimes all on the same shoe. And what amazed me most is that they were all the product of one incredibly fertile imagination. Designing shoes is only the tip of this particular creative iceberg. I hesitate to tell you all the things she's been up to for fear that you'll experience the same moment of underachiever anxiety that I did. The artist's name is Rabiah Hodges. And to describe her as merely a shoe designer is to overlook the reams of other intriguing projects she's been a part of. 

  

For the purposes of Every Clog Has Its Day, I'll simply introduce her as the owner of Chameleon Clogs, a line of wooden soled shoes that feature her custom woven uppers. But if you look around on her Etsy pages or visit her MySpace gallery, you'll see she has accomplished a lot in her tireless life. I'll let her tell her tale herself, and you can click through on one of the many links provided to do a little more digging about this artistic entrepreneur on your own. 

Zsa Zsa clog from Chameleon Clogs

ECHID:  This blog is unashamedly about clogs, clogs, and more clogs.  But I know your own artistic endeavors cover a lot of other turf.  Tell me how your got started as an artist and how you've scratched that creative itch over the years.

RABIAH:  I have studied art all my life and began working towards my BFA focusing on wearable textiles in college. My mother made purses from damaged oriental rugs, and I began weaving textiles to coordinate and to be the focal point on many of her bags. Working with her was my first experience as an artist creating a body of wearable art for sale. I knew I would always want to be in the world of fashion, design and textiles... 

Tropical Sunset clog from Chameleon Clogs

 

ECHID:  How did you first get the idea to meld your weaving with footwear?

RABIAH:  In 1999 I started a non profit weaving project with my local crisis center and women's shelter. I was given all the discarded clothing and accessory overflow to use to rag weave or remake into new saleable goods. [Here's the web site:  www.ragweavers.com.] I did this for 8 years, and during this time I had the fortune to have two ladies come into my store and offer an incredible partnership. These ladies were the originators of Chameleon Clogs. They were looking for new, exciting surfaces for their collection of customizable clogs and my wovens were Perfect!!!  I spent almost 2 years developing the fabric and its applications, and the rest is history!  

The Matador clog from Chameleon Clogs 

ECHID:  Do you make the clogs yourself?  Or hire a cobbler to do the assembly? 

RABIAH:  I have the great fortune to work with a wonderful cobbler that alows for all kinds of creativity and helps me to get a perfect fit with custom work. 

Purple Haze clog from Chameleon Clogs

ECHID:  Why clogs?  As opposed to creating intriguing woven sneakers?  Or oxfords?  Or sandals?  What was the appeal of working with clogs?

RABIAH:  Well, firstly, my clogs are the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn.  I wear them all year round even to work in. I would love to branch out to leather bottomed sandals, too...I am always looking for a new look.  I recently added a higher heel to my collection and I am thrilled with the new height option. Secondly, I can paint on a wooden base and I love the combination!

 

Red N Zebra clog from Etsy.com

ECHID:  Any surprises as you started designing your own shoes?  Obstacles in the creative process to overcome?  New ways of doing things you had to dream up?

RABIAH:  Yes!  As I said before it took almost 2 years to get them just right. Fine tuning the woven textile so it would stretch and not fray or fall apart was the biggest obstacle. 

Chocolate Kiss clog with Giraffe bottom from Etsy.com

 

ECHID:  How do you construct the uppers on your clogs so that they remain firm on the foot and prevent the fabric from unraveling?

RABIAH:  I glue the textile to a leather hide first. Then the shoe shapes are cut out and sewn around all sides to secure the warp threads. This gives the clog a leather interior and structure. After construction and sizing I finalize the textiles with a overall coating of Scotchguard and fabric glue on the toe. This prevents future abrasions or scuffing from damaging the toes of your fabric clogs. 

City Denim clog with closed heel from Etsy.com

 

ECHID:  You've had a lot of fun naming your clogs.  Any particular way you went about deciding what to call the different styles?

RABIAH:  I love naming things. I would truly enjoy the job of naming lipstick and nail polish, too :) By giving the shoe a title, I can identify the colorway/design very easily. And I love to associate the palettes with favorite desserts and beverages: Chocolate Kiss (all browns) and Limeade (lime green and light denims) are two great examples. It brings to your mind yummy thoughts and feelings. Can't go wrong with that!

[N. B.  Okay, the word "colorway" was my new thing to learn today. It's a term from the world of fabrics that refers to an arrangement of colors.]

Key Lime clog from Chameleon Clogs

ECHID:  When did you first discover you liked wearing clogs?  And do you have any stories of a favorite pair?

RABIAH:  I am 5' so I have always been a fan of platforms or higher heeled shoes. In college I came across a vintage pair of wooden Candies clogs with a fur collar and wore them to death even though they were just a tad too small! My friends always joke with me because they know when I am coming due to the "clip clop" of my clogs. I currently am the proud owner of 12 pair of my clogs and one treasured pair of boots.  :) 

Woven boots with nubuck leather bottoms from Uncommon Threads MySpace page

ECHID:  You've stepped outside the box already with the kind of clogs you create. What kind of responses are you getting from the marketplace?  What feedback have you gotten that has given you the most pleasure?

RABIAH:  I have been making these clogs for 6 years and I love to see that my collections are timeless and trendy! You can create something really now and hip or go with a timeless classic.... They may even be one and the same! I have a pair I've been wearing for 4 years now and they are Hipper now than they were then!!!

 Another colorful pair of shoes in the process of being woven

ECHID:  What are you proudest about when it comes to your line of Chameleon Clogs?

RABIAH:  As a weaver and textile designer, I have been looking for a niche for many years to showcase my craft and not have to spend days and weeks finishing one scarf!! (that I would be then told was too expensive). I have found that the clog collection does just that!!!

The artist pictured with her first collection of woven handbags
 

ECHID:  What are you proudest about in your artistic career in general?

RABIAH:  That I am still a practicing artist and have been doing so for almost 20 years. And my development of Endless Possibilities. It is my crowning artist achievement. I hope to help more communities in the future to have one for their own! We raised over $120,000 in 2006 for the Outer Banks Hotline Crisis Intervention and Prevention Center! 

Sensible Shoes Sunday: Roll With It

Obviously there are some liberties being taken with the definition of "sensible" today. I have women friends who roll their eyes and shake their heads over some of the shoes that show up in my closet. 

"You wear those?

"Can you walk in them?" 

"Don't they make your feet hurt?"

To be clear: yes, yes, and no. Or at least not often. I rarely purchase and wear a pair of clogs that I know I can't make it through the day in. Too much chafing, an unexpected blister, a pinching toebox, and the shoes are banished to find a more welcoming home via eBay. But for those that remain, most of them with heels 3" and higher, I revel in the pleasure of taking them for a spin on a regular basis. Clearly "sensible" is a relative term. 

My own inclination toward higher heels notwithstanding, I recognize that sometimes discretion and practicality should be celebrated. Hence this series of Sensible Shoes Sunday posts. The only problem is: once you've covered the basics in the world of practical wood soled footwear, there're not a lot of new things to say. So bear with me if once in awhile I stretch the boundaries of what might be properly covered here. I'll keep the shoes snsible, though I may do so with my tongue firmly planted in my cheek.

Take this pair of vintage shoes that appeared on web pages of Swell Vintage Shop. Those who complain about their footwear usually complain because of the pain and discomfort that a particular pair may cause. But what could be more sensible than a pair of shoes you don't have to actually walk in? No leather to rub your feet the wrong way or tight spaces that pinch tighter with each step. No, all you have to do is engage the recessed rollers on this Pop Wheels pair (by means of that mechanical button you can see on the side), and glide along from destination to destination. Your knees and elbows may take a beating if you're given to falling much, but your feet will thank you for taking such good care of them. Rebecca, the Etsy.com seller known as forestofice, granted me permission to share these images, but before I could post them properly, she wrote back to say the shoes had been purchased. Good to know someone out there made the sensible choice for their feet!

 
 
 
 

 

Saturday Night Sandals: Celebrate your Black Friday purchases

I can't recall ever shopping on a Black Friday. I've just been exposed to too many news reports about the madness surrounding the rush to snap up day after Thanksgiving deals. Stories of brawling customers and bystanders being trampled by stampeding shoppers are truly beyond belief. You'd think that instead of living in a capitalist country this was Soviet era Russia and our comrades were fighting each other to get in line for bread. Fortunately there is the internet. And businesses are just as happy to take your money electronically as they are in person. That's certainly how I like to shop. But not everyone enjoys the armchair pursuit of a bargain. So if you spent your entire Friday on your feet braving the shopping malls and department stores, you probably need to give your soles a rest. And I can't think of a more comfortable way to wear some fashionable wood than these Robert Clergerie sandals. 

Oo-la-la!

Clergerie distinguished himself years ago for his fashionable styles that kept practicality in mind. Shoes, remember, are intended (most of the time) for walking. And Robert Clergerie designs them to make that possible with panache. According to fashionencyclopedia.com, 

He has said that the stronger the idea, the simpler the design, and therefore, the less need for ornamentation. Clergerie's designs are not complicated with adornments, but are simple and chic. 

You can easily appreciate the elegance and efficiency in this pair of wedge sandals. The sensuous sculpting of the footbed. The ample leather straps to comfortably keep the foot secure. The thoughtful addition of a heel guard. If you live in the more temperate parts of the U. S., these shoes could be just the thing to pamper your feet in the aftermath of Black Friday. Have dinner out on Saturday and reward yourself for your wise purchases while you let your footwear fashion flag fly!

Photos courtesy of eBay seller juliocesar4003.

 
 
 

It's not just any weekday! It's Frye-day!

God help me. That's a terrible pun. But it does effectively set the stage for a quick, middle-of-a-four-day-weekend post. These kiltie clogs from the renowned American shoe maker were listed on eBay in both black and brown by seller the*huntress. The company certainly knew they were onto a good thing with this style since the basic wooden sole was put to use in at least two of their other clog styles and in their much sought after shearling clog boots (all of which will no doubt be the subject of future posts). I'm always pleased to see a pair of clogs that departs from the traditional shape while retaining so much versatility. And even with the extra height, they're still comfortable. Talk about win/win.