Christmas Eve...with some of the guys

I raised the topic of men and clogs a couple of weeks back on Every Clog Has Its Day and inspired a lively discussion between a number of clog fans who are male. Thank you again to all the men and women who chimed in. As I mentioned before, I know of at least one clog maker who's been following the discussion and I like to think that others are giving some thought to the overlooked men's clog market.

It was clear from the Comments to that post that many men feel a passion for wearing clogs, but the culture we all inhabit doesn't readily dole out rewards to those act on that passion. I should know. Time was I chose a more conservative path in fashion. And it took me a number of baby steps to break away from that a let my wardrobe choices flow a little more freely. I started out from a place of feeling I needed permission from others to live my life the way I wanted...and ended up discovering that all the boundaries I thought existed were ones that I had put in place myself. 

I think Frédérik Sisa, the blogger at The Fashionoclast, summed it up best. One male reader posed the question of whether a chunky higher heeled clog would work on a man, and Frédérik replied,

something someone once told me about writing applies for fashion, too: everyone gets to vote, but you decide which votes actually count. If the heel calls to you, go for it, experiment, have fun. 

Amen, brother!

And in that same spirit of marching to a different drummer, let me share a few photos that some of my male readers have shared with me. 

T Scott from the suburbs of Chicago sent me some fresh pics of a pair of men's clogs he scored on eBay awhile back. He wrote to say "I got them from a gent in the U. K. who bought them from a 'bloke' at a hippie market in Dublin, Ireland in the 70's." 

 

But that's not all! T Scott also sent along some photos of a pair of shoes that are tailor made for the holiday season:

I love red clogs and got these for a steal on eBay a couple of years ago. They're size 44, so I guess they're men's. They sit in their box in my closet only for me to pull them out every so often and think where the f*#% am I going to wear these? Christmastime may give me the break to wear them in public. 

Sending out my supportive thoughts to you, T!

 

Meanwhile, a little to the north and west of where we Chicagoans sit shivering on the shores of Lake Michigan, Tim, a self described "unrepentant clog nut", writes in from Alaska to show off some Troentorp clogs that he's been enjoying lately. The style is the steel toed Picasso clog. And while it's good and rugged in its all-black version, I think Tim merits a round of applause for the red pair he can occasionally be spotted in as he goes about his daily life. You, sir, rock!

 

 

So what of men and clogs? Clearly, where there's a will, there's a way. And how fitting on Christmas Eve to consider Tim's own reasoning in support of being a clog wearing man: it runs in his family!

I am descended from a Bernese Swiss farming family, whose earliest written documentation, a vineyard lease agreement, dates from the the early 1600's.  I have a late 1800s photograph of my ancestors standing in front of their massive barn with everybody sporting their hand carved poplar, klompen style clogs.  If anyone makes a comment about my modern Swedish counterparts, I inform them my family has been wearing clogs for over 25 generations, and probably much longer.

(Need I point out who wears the clogs in this family?)

 

 

Happy holidays to you! May you also find yourself surrounded by the ones you love with your favorite shoes firmly on your feet!

 

_______________________________

 

[On my feet today:  Can't say! I prepared this post a couple of days ahead of time so I don't know how to fill in this blank right now. I can tell you that my daughter was poking around in my closet this afternoon to see what new clogs I'd purchased while she was away at college. The Canasta lace up oxford clog from Vince Camuto caught her eye. And so did the fur trimmed Claudie clog bootie from Zigi Soho. Thank goodness I wear a size or two larger than her, or I'd find my shoes disappearing rather quickly!]

 

 

 

Comments

[Melissa Krebs]

Lest we forget: King Louie 14 of France ushered in the reign (punny, M! HA!!) of the modern high heel, and royalty there and elsewhere wore RED heels—on otherwise other-colored shoes) so that lesser mortals instantly knew to whom they must show fealty. And the chopines of Venice weren't just for the gals: many a Doge could be seen tottering along between his two human crutches as they took up the whole sidewalk along the smelly canals. Hey! Maybe that was the reason behind the fashion? To "rise above" not just the great unwashed, but also their stench?!

[Lindsey Cochran]

Well said.  I was so surprised to see the wife in that vintage photo was the only one without wooden shoes on.  Clearly clogs were "guys' shoes" in that place and time.  

We often forget that we all contribute to life's rich pageant.  And when some of us hold back from coming to the party, we're all the worse for it.  My salute again to any and every clog fan, man or woman, who is willing to color outside the lines!

[Zoltan]

Hi,
I am also and I've wear clogs for 25 years ago. Currently I buy some closeb back modell from this site: http://www.wooden-clogs.com/index.html. Next time I want buy one clogs-boot. But currently out-of stock! My feet size is 44.

[Lindsey Cochran]

You know, I meant to feature this clog maker months ago, but then I forgot about them.  Your message is a welcome reminder.  

By the way, I did contact them about getting a pair of clog boots made for myself, but I got distracted with other purchases.  If you do get your own pair, let me know how you like them and what you think of their craftsmanship.

Google Translate:

Tudod, én azt jelentette, hogy a szolgáltatás akadozik a készítő hónappal ezelőtt,de aztán el is felejtettem őket. Üzenete szívesen látott emlékeztetőt.

Én kapcsolatot velük kapok egy pár csizma akadozik magamnak,de van elterelte más vásárlások. Ha nem kap a saját párja, hadd tudja, hogyantetszik nekik, és mit gondol a kivitelezés.

[Laressa Mackenzie]

Love the male readers who are rockin' the red clogs! May you continue to be trendsetters. Kudos.

L

[GL]

I have to agree here, I am a guy who wears clogs almost everyday. any chance if Swedish Hasbeens is still going to release guys models?

I have really been looking for a pair of mens clog boots

[Lindsey Cochran]

There's been talk of Swedish Hasbeens styles for guys for a long time now.  I think it was a step in the right direction that they offered their Rainbow boot in support of the LGBT community in sizes up to 45.  That tells me that wooden clog boot soles are being created somehow, somewhere in larger sizes.  But still, I haven't seen them offer any boots in colors most men would be willing to wear in anything larger than a 41. I don't know what the hold up is. Rest assured that I'll do a major post on about men's clogs from Swedish Hasbeens when they finally reach the marketplace.

But...

...there are other directions you can look in to satisfy your clog boot itch in the meantime.  Try some of the links below.  

Mark Casperson and Multnomah Leather Shop made a perfectly fitting pair of lace up clog boots for me.

Custom-Made Clogs and Clog Boots by Multnomah Leather Shop

I also bought a pair of simple (and inexpensive) lace up ankle clog boots from Bjorn.  A good source for an inexpensive clog boot.

Bjorn Clogs, Scarborough, UK - Clog manufacturer and retailer, mail order service is also available

Rabiah Hodges and her Chameleon Clogs team do make clog boots though you won't see them listed on her site.  Contact her for details.  

Chameleon Clogs - changing color for the sole

These next clog makers I only know of through their web pages.  If you do make a purchase from any of them, I'd love to hear about your experiences.

http://www.clogs-usa.com/epages/62404915.sf

Preetzer Holzschuhe

Devich Holzschuherzeugung

I'll be following up with more info on men's clogs as the year unfolds.   Stay tuned.

[john harrison]

How high are the black clogs with the studs in the first few pictures?

[T Scott]

Those are my black beauties. The heel is just over 4" with a 2 1/4" platform at the peak.

[john harrison]

Does anyone currently make anything resembling the black studded clogs shown in the first few pictures?

[Lindsey Cochran]

Sad to say, the Neron clogs were a rare style that came out in the heyday of the '70s (if I recall the current owner' story).  And in the time since, I haven't seen anything comparable on the market in chunky enough soles or heels for most men.  However, my radar has been activated, and if anything comparable surfaces, I will post about it.

[John Hayward]

I'm a guy. I'm not Swiss, nor does anyone in my family wear clogs. But I do. In fact, I wear them every day. I wear them because I like them. Honestly, for good or bad, I couldn't possibly care any less what anyone thinks of my footwear. I only wear what I like! And if I can't find a particular color or finish, I paint 'em myself. I bet you'd never guess the only problem I've had with wearing clogs I've personalized -- it's having guys (and I mean lots and LOTS of them) stop me to ask where I bought my clogs, because they've been searching forever for the very ones I've created. It's truly unbelievable.

[Lindsey Cochran]

John: How cool! Would you be willing to send me some photos of some of the clogs you've customized? I have a Guy Day Friday feature most Fridays, and I'd love to show my readers what you've created.