Every Clog Has Its Day

Sunday Odds and Ends

If these posts had a place to put a subtitle, the one for today would be: An assortment of stuff that didn't really fit in anywhere else this week. You, gentle reader, come here to take a peek into the world of clogs. But I suspect you also have an interest in shoes in general. So I'm thinking this might be a good way to cover some interesting tidbits about a wide range of footwear related topics without leaving you feeling like you invested a perfectly good mouse click to get here and all I've posted for the day is picture of a clog made out of soap. These occasional Odds and Ends posts will venture afield, I imagine, but I will make it my mission to include some sort of wood soled shoe content with each outing. It is the fair thing to do.

What inspired me to give this series a try were the fun facts to know and tell I uncovered while rooting around the internet for details about those Alexander McQueen armadillo boots a week ago. Clearly not clog related, but of interest nonetheless. So when I found myself foundering this past week in shoe trivia I didn't know what to do with, the solution seemed obvious. Bear with me as I chart a course into these unexplored waters every other Sunday or so. I think it will be fun.

If you recall those Alexander McQueen boots, they were notable for the uniqueness of their design and construction. Clearly the intention was to make an impact. And that's exactly what they did as fashion pages and fashionista blogs were flooded with commentary and comments both pro and con concerning this groundbreaking style. But as much as I love the shoes and admire the late designer who brought them into being, this past week I found myself more than once wondering "Why those shoes, and not these?" 

For example, these platform pumps from Dutch fashion designer Jan Taminiau certainly raise the bar for heelless construction. Mr. Taminiau debuted this style when he opened Fashion Week in Amsterdam this year. The theme of his show: Duality. Which he explained "praises the powerful woman that, in all her beauteousness, is not afraid of seduction and conquest." The outfits are bold and fanciful. Naturally, the shoes worn with them had to be equally up to the task. Photos courtesy of FashionWindows.net. Definitely worth the jump to view more of this inventive designer's work.

 

Obviously, the question everyone wants to ask is "Can you walk in them?" The answer is yes. And from what I can tell from this video of Mr. Taminiau's Spring 2010 show, the models are not having any trouble in them at all.

Elsewhere on the planet, a young fashion designer named Chau Har Lee has just let her voice be heard with an intriguing collection of footwear fabricated out of such unexpected materials as steel and perspex. Her own web site announces that she only just graduated last year from London's Royal College of Art with a degree in Women's Fashionwear Footwear, but clearly she's only just getting started! 

For a different perspective on Chau Har Lee's designs (and to see a few not posted on her own site), take a spin by the Style Bubble fashion blog. The translucent orange sandal really catches my eye.

Meanwhile, a fashion student named Madeline Vintback just sent a rather incredible pair of wooden platform shoes down the runway at her recent show at Stockholm's Beckmans College of Design. An admirer named Sonny documented many of the thought provoking designs the students had dreamt up on his blog. And though I had plenty of enjoyment just ogling the pretty pictures, Ms. Vintback's creations moved me to share them with you.

 

There. Not a bad collection of odds and ends, wouldn't you say? If it felt a little low in clog content, please stay tuned. I'll be posting about this particular pair of high heeled klompen I just discovered some Sunday soon.

 

 
 

Saturday Flea Market: Making the Rounds, February 2010

Here we go with another batch of clogs that you and I might have missed the first time around. God bless eBay for giving us another crack at them. And today we almost have a wedding theme happening. Because there's a style that's old and a style that's new and a style that was borrowed (from some other designer) and a style that's blue (or so the listing says). Okay, maybe I'm stretching things a bit. But there definitely are some unexpected shoes here to have and to hold and to cherish until something better comes along.

Something old...

 

...would have to be this well worn pair of unnamed clogs from eBay seller catsofscarlet, a pair that was lovingly documented with 14 individual photos in the original listing! Clearly a conscientious attempt to make sure any potential buyer knew exactly where the wear and tear was to be found on these vintage shoes. I'm sharing the best of the batch with you here. Though if you're a fan of close ups of tarnished nail heads and frayed leather, let me know. I'll be glad to send them your way.

Something new...

...or at least "new-ish" would be these metallic floral pattern high heeled clogs from Cindy Says. This pair found its way onto eBay courtesy of seller mrhaney4. There are quite a few fancifully patterned clogs turning up on the market these days which is quite gratifying for us fans. It's nice to know the shoe makers are interested in our business. Though I've never been someone who could pull off contrasting patterns the way some adventurous fashionistas are able to. (It sounds frightening in print, but I think Audi at Fashion For Nerds is able to make her combo of caped jacket over long sleeved T-shirt over dress over skirt work just fine. Your mileage, of course, may vary.) That's why vividly patterned shoes tend to give me pause. I look at a pair like these and all I can envision is putting on something in all black with maybe a touch of gold jewelry. Which is the reason I pass them by so that more adventurous souls may give them the attention and public outings that they deserve.

Something borrowed...

...would clearly be this Victoria's Secret tribute to the most excellent Miu Miu mule of a few years back. Colin Stuart is the Vicky Seeks house brand if you're not familiar with it. Their release of these shoes was indeed something of a public service as sighs of longing were heard nationwide after pop icon Jessica Simpson was spotted publicly wearing the Miu Miu version. Evidence presented below...along with publicity shots of the actual Miu Miu design (which was documented previously on Every Clog Has Its Day here).

And as for something blue, well,...

...we'll just have to take the word of eBay seller tirmaisumoo who runs the store Appleheart Vintage from California. These GlufSKO Horsens clogs are apparently a dark, dark, dark blue that doesn't even respond to a little tweaking from photo enhancing software. They were listed as blue, and I'm willing to take the seller at her word and not attribute it to a trick of the light. A fine specimen all the same from this Danish clog maker.

And while I'm riffing on a wedding theme,...

...keep in mind that the same rules apply to footwear and future spouses. The fit should be a good one. Comfort is important. Will they wear well with use? And as much as we all do love a good time, it's worth asking yourself how you'll feel about your decision down the road. 

Take this final pair as a cautionary tale to think through your choices clearly and not just grab the first shiny object that happens to catch your eye.... 

 

 

 

(Photo courtesy of eBay seller fishnbuddy...who was mercifully able to find a buyer.)

  

Chicago Loves Clogs

Who'd have thought after so many years in the fashion wasteland that clogs would ever be popular again? I guess I should have known. Once upon a time I had a beautiful pair of black knee-high platform boots. They were an expensive pair that I bought back when I was in college and wore to death. But even though they had become hopelessly out of fashion, they were so well made that I couldn't bear to part with them. Finally, I realized Ithat neither the era of punk nor the era of grunge were likely to give me much opportunity to wear them, so I took them to Goodwill and bid them goodbye. Only to find them coming back in fashion a couple years later.

D'oh!

Clogs on the other hand, have never disappeared from the marketplace even if they haven't been at the top of the style lists for ages. In the part of the world I inhabit, there has always been a Swedish gift shop somewhere selling clogs if one was truly in need of a pair. But as with platform boots (and so many other bygone fads), what's old is new. And thanks in large part to the prominent role our favorite footwear played in the Chanel Spring/Summer fashion show last fall, they're back with a vengeance.

Here are just a couple of pieces on clogs that have turned up in my own neck of the woods.

This past Sunday, the Chicago Tribune re-ran a Los Angeles Times article entitled "Clogs stand tall for spring." It was basically a cursory overview of the resurgent popularity of clogs. And any faithful reader of Every Clog Has Its Day would be dismayed by some of the articles glaring omissions. (If you're going to talk about the impact of Chanel clogs this season, then you can't overlook the clogs that emulate that distinctive chunky heel look at a fraction of the price. And I don't know what the print version of this piece looked like, but the online article had only one photo. One photo! To represent the incredible variety of options out there.) We took a look at the Stuart Weitzman stud clog in a previous What's New? Happily the article gives us a glimpse of a denim version of that same shoe. 

It also mentions (but doesn't depict) a couple of other intriguing sounding styles: the Rosita clog from Banana Republic and the Daynty from Steve Madden. Which, if you were curious, are shown below.

Steve Madden Daynty in taupe

Banana Republic Rosita
 
 

Chicago magazine, on the other hand, gets it. The idea that if you're going to talk about clogs, you can't expect us to fill in the visual details for ourselves. Their March issue has a spread on spring fashion including one glorious full page of clogs, clogs, and more clogs. It's almost enough to make me pony up the online subscription price and revel in the image full size. Just flip to page 40 and have a look for yourself. There's that Stuart Weitzman pair again. Plus a couple of other favorites covered previously on Every Clog Has Its Day. Clogs aren't just having their day. This is turning out to be their year!

 

A big thank you to Every Clog Has Its Day readers Wendy and Cate for tipping me off on these articles. And if you yourself run across any blog worthy articles about clogs in your part of the world, let me know! I'd love to give them a mention.

Gucci-licious!

You could almost hear clog fans around the world sighing in desire in unison when Gucci introduced their Janis clog last year. Sumptuosly designed and gorgeously executed, it was everything you'd want a high-end fashion clog to be. And I know of at least one reader of Every Clog Has Its Day who owns a pair and love, love, loves them.

I first posted about this exceptional style last September, but just last week I discovered that Gucci had created the shoe in another look as well. And if possible, I think it's even more stunning than the original.

These shoes were offered through the eBay auctions of ChicLittleDevil.com, a company that bills itself as eBay's largest couture store. And if you just lost yourself among their pages and pages of listings, you'd be inclined to agree. But then you'd never realize that ChicLittleDevil.com is also one of Los Angeles' premiere style houses. Costume designers and wardrobe stylists regularly frequent their stock of over 50,000 designer garments, shoes, and accessories. Plus they offer personal shopping consulting services. And their stunning showroom space is available for photo shoots and video projects. And...well, you can do a little digging on the ChicLittleDevil.com website yourself. 

I should mention, too, that it's truly worth a visit to their eBay store...considering that the Gucci pair they lovingly documented below finally sold for less than half of its original retail price of $849.00. In this day and age, saving money is most definitely in fashion.