Sven Clogs: Roll Your Own

 

ow!", I said to my friend at Sven after she sent me their shearling boots to try out. "These are so great! I'm kicking myself for not getting a pair sooner." 

"I'm glad you like 'em," she replied. "They'll keep you comfy and cozy all winter. But what about a pair of clogs for summer?"

"Summer?", I spluttered, not quite comprehending. "You mean a pair of clogs to wear when the weather gets warmer? You want me to pick out another style?"

"Sure!", she wrote back. "If you're promoting our clogs, you have to have a pair!"

I was still reeling from the good fortune of having a sumptuous new pair of clog boots to tromp around a Chicago winter in, and now here I was having to choose another style from the vast Sven assortment. Somebody pinch me. I must be dreaming. Seriously, trying to choose just one clog design you like most can be quite an undertaking on the Sven website. Just pick a heel height (Low Heel, Medium Heel, or High Heel) and select All from the Show Per Page menu, and you'll see what I mean. Traditional clogs, sandals, Mary Janes, T-straps, open toed clogs, and more. How do you choose?

Never fear. I somehow rose to the occasion. As I browsed through the variety of possibilities, it dawned on me that Sven offers the opportunity to make a pair of clogs uniquely yours. Every shoe style listed offers a pull down menu to select a base color and color for the upper. I know it's right there on my computer display in RGB and white, but I still had to ask my Sven rep, "Can I order any pair of shoes in any color?"

"Yep," she replied and sent me an assortment of the Sven leather and suede color swatches.

Now my creativity was on the boil. Why just get a simple pair of clogs when I could have some fun and really dream up something different? I started scouting for styles that were made out of more than one piece of leather. That way I could mix and match leather and suede or different shades of nubuck. There were even choices in patent leather and printed leather. I fired up Photoshop and started varying the tints on various shoes to see what struck my fancy. And what I was intrigued by most was the possibility offered by the simple lace up shoe design: a toe covering upper with side panels that fastened over the instep. 

 

 

Astute shoe fans will notice that this shoe may share some similarities with a basic oxford at first glance. But you don't have to browse far on svenclogs.com to see that this style lends itself readily to interpretation as a saddle shoe.

 

 

And I took a good hard look at all the colors Sven had to offer and dreamt up the idea below:

 

 

It's the traditional saddle shoe look...rendered in an unexpected palette. I sent my idea off to Sven for them to take a look. When I received a reply, it said, "OMG OMG!! These will look great." So I left the rest in the capable hands of the Sven crew. But content hungry blogger that I am, I also asked my friend at Sven if she'd mind giving us all a look at the process of turning an idea in pixels into something on my feet. And was she happy to oblige! Scroll through and watch as clog bases and leather go from storage shelves to diecutter to toe stiffening to stitching to stapling to steaming to lasting to drying in the drying room to getting boxed for shipment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Needless to say, you'll be reading a lot of OMGs in the weeks ahead. These shoes look gorgeous onscreen, but in person, they're dazzling. May I just say that the people at Sven truly rock!

 

 

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[On my feet as I blog: I started the day with my Tunacha booties from N. Y. L. A. on my feet (showcased above alongside a surprisingly attractive style for a non-wood-soled shoe), but then when I got a message from my friend at Sven that said "Have you checked your mail today?", I soon found myself with something new to wear! OMG!!!]

 

 

Comments

[Glenn]

Very cool! I'm glad you jumped on the Sven's bandwagon. It's been my clog of choice for years. They fit great, they have loads of choices and options, and great customer service. I am eagerly awaiting my own custom pair to arrive tomorrow. I can't wait.

[Lindsey Cochran]

Glenn: Photos will be expected!

[Frederik Sisa]

Wonderful saddle shoe design, Lindsey. Nothing beats handmade and custom. Nothing, I tell you! It's good to know where a product comes from and how it's made.

Since Sven is behind clogmasters, you'll appreciate that my wife and I went for our first fitting with Cecilia this past weekend. The dizzying array of options resulted in my wife ordering TWO pairs. I stuck with the one I had envisioned going in. Now, the hard part is waiting...waiting...are they here yet?...waiting...

[Lindsey Cochran]

Frederik: Do send photos! I'm always eager to see what you're wearing.

[Tea]

Wow! That is so awesome that they did that for you! Good looking creation, too. I especially love the action photos of them making the shoes. That is incredible.

And, I have to agree, those non-clog plaid boots are quite fetching.

[Lindsey Cochran]

Tea: I'll have to take better pictures of those plaid boots next time Melissa puts them on. She's got some pretty amazing non-clog shoes!

[Melissa Krebs]

How incredibly cool to see your new clogs being made---one of my favorite things about ECHID is that it is so much more than a fan site---sure we can squeeee over our new acquisitions, but, you, Lindsey: you teach us so much about process and engineering and economics and The Mighty God Fashion. Thank you.

And it is heartening and nothing short of amazing that Sven made for you your unique and bold design. I am far too impressed to be envious.

[Evan]

Once again you have scored a gratis pair of clogs. You put in a lot of work so it is well deserved. Clogs are great but, free clogs are better.