Guy Day Friday: Photos from the Mailbag

e clog fans are proud of our shoes, and rightly so. I find a great pair of wood-soled footwear to be a thing of wonder whether they're on my feet or someone else's. But when you factor in the effort often required to track down and make those shoes our own, it's understandable how much pride we have in our collections. I've given you a peek at some of the clogs and other styles that brighten my day, and so have various other readers of this blog. Today, though, I wanted to share a few new photos from our fellow enlightened shoe connoisseurs. Thanks, guys, for sending your pictures my way!

 

 

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Regular reader Les (aka ie1ljs) wrote to say, 

Not too long ago I sent you a pic of some of my clogs, which included a pair of my own design (Leslie Sandal) built by Mark at Multnomah Leather Shop. Well, I had him do another pair in black with some slight changes. I’m including a photo of them. I’m kind of smitten with this pair. I had Mark use a different type of Vibram sole, roller buckles and the sole done in black. The Vibrams I selected aren’t quite as thick as the Vibram Lugs and as a result, these have the rocker-bottom effect (which Mark designs in, but with the thick lugs it changes the angle – no rock). You did feature my previous pair on a Guy Day Friday blog – Mark commented to me about seeing my old pair there. J

Anyway, here is another, and now favorite, pair of “Leslie Sandals”.

 

 

Then regular reader John from Charlotte, North Carolina, sent along the photo below accompanied by this note:

This is nowhere near as impressive as Phillip's collection, but here's mine. I've gotten rid of a couple of pairs that I outgrew as a teenager, and a few that I wore in college long enough for them to completely fall apart (cracked wood, split or worn-through leather). Here's what I have remaining, aside from one pair I can't find. I have a few pairs in a larger than usual size, for wearing with winter socks. The black ones are my "formal" clogs. The klompen are way too big for me - I bought them from the Netherlands on eBay, and either the seller or I misunderstood the size conversion, so they won't stay on my feet but they're still fun to have around. I also have five or six pairs of Birkenstock Bostons, but I don't really think of them as "clogs" because they don't have wooden soles. I'm partial to brown leather with studs. They remind me of the pair my best friend was wearing when he came home from a high school semester in Germany, which got me interested in wearing clogs in the first place.

Naturally, seeing all these clogs, I had to write back to ask which pair is his favorite...and why.

I've had the pair of Eskil's, second from the right in the top row, for 30 years. I bought them in college and they're so beaten-up that they're unwearable, but I have a sentimental attachment to them and haven't been able to throw them out. So I guess they win the "favorite pair" contest.

 

 

Then regular reader Tracy sent along individual shots of his prized possessions. I'm envious that he's able to wear the London Underground styles (the shoes in the bottom six photos). I love their over-the-top designs, but I've been so disappointed that they never saw fit to make any of their shoes in sizes larger than 10.

In his e-mail e-mail message he writes,

Here are some shots of a part of my collection. It’s hard to say which ones are my favorites, but probably the woven top MIAs are my all around favorites. They fit perfectly, and have a sharp look to them. I wear those most evenings around the house and find them very supportive especially when working around in the kitchen, etc.

 

 

There are some truly awesome clogs and wood-soled shoes being enjoyed out there. Thank you for sending along your photos for our collective appreciation. Wear 'em proudly! 'Cause the rest of us would love seeing you let your footwear fanatic flag fly!

 

 

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[On my feet as I blog: my Cosima Tall clog boots from UGG Australia kept me company from morning 'til night. Definitely a new addition to my Top 10 list (which now is 16 items long).]

 

 

Comments

[Debby]

I loved seeing other collections. Makes my collection look pitiful... Those London Undergrounds are awesome!

Thank you, Lindsay and everyone for sharing.

[Melissa]

Thanks to the guys for sharing images—way cool to hear from the male readers!

[Judy]

I liked them all, especially Tracy's. I am wondering who is the clog maker of the fourth one down (of Tracy's collection, that is)? Lurve!

[Tracy]

The maker of the fourth one down is Hokus Pokus, the style is called "sweet".

[GL]

Love those black Steve Madden's of Tracy's, I used to have a pair but found that the 10 was just a bit too snug. Inspired me to put some heels on today!