Every Clog Has Its Day

Saturday Flea Market for March 24, 2012

ou've probably already surmised that my weekend visitor is another shoe addict like myself. There's a lot of enabling going on during her stay. Lots of showing off this new shoe or that. Lots of spontaneous cries of "Those are so amazing!" And then there are the outings to take our fabulous footwear on the road. To the Apple Store to look at laptops. To the grocery store to shop for dinner. To Whole Foods to pick up dessert. And though our shoe selections may not genuinely qualify for inclusion on a blog about wooden soles, I think you'll enjoy a glimpse of what we've been sporting so far this visit. I know there's more to life than shoes. And you can rest assured I'll let you know what it is when I discover it!

 

 

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MIA clogs, size 7, available through Etsy seller diddle47

 

 

 

Candie's clogs, size 7-1/2, available through Etsy seller bestfavoritethings

 

 

 

Candie's clogs, size 7, available through Etsy seller EatPrayEtsy

 

 

 

J. Jill clogs, size 10, available through Etsy seller DiscriminatingDames

 

 

 

 

do'ro too clogs, size 8, available through Etsy seller jamesrowlandshop

 

 

 

Midnight Sun clogs, size 7, available through Etsy seller jamesrowlandshop

 

 

 

Dolcis sandal clogs, size 10, available through Etsy seller griffincat

 

 

 

N. Y. L. A. clog boots, size 9, available through Etsy seller atomicfireball

 

 

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[On my feet as I blog:  it was duelling Lynneas from UGG Australia as I prepped this post. (See the third photo from the top.)]

 

Saturday Flea Market for February 25, 2012

 

 hy, yes, there is a little extra spring in my step today. Thank you for noticing! I've got a houseguest joining me for the weekend, and she's brought an amazing assortment of her favorite footwear to fill me by turns with awe and with envy. I have a feeling there may be photos forthcoming. And for my part, I will try to hold my own with what I can muster from my closet. 

In the meantime, there have been some rather satisfying sightings of vintage clogs on the internet. Allow me to share a few with you here.

 

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Hanna Andersson clogs, size 38, available through eBay seller mrc011

 

 

 

 

 

Brand unknown Swedish clogs, size 6-1/2, available through Etsy seller Love4Retro

 

 

 

 

 

Sandal clogs, size 8, available through Etsy seller BibbysRocket

 

 

 

 

 

Wild Pair clogs, size 8, available through Etsy seller voguevintage

 

 

 

 

 

QualiCraft clogs, size 8, available through Etsy seller johannasboudoir

 

 

 

 

 

High-heeled slides, size info upon request, available through Etsy seller VINTANTHROMODERN

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sven/No. 6 clog boots, size 38 (though probably fits 6-1/2 or 7), available through Etsy seller OneBlackDog

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Clergerie clogs, possibly size 40 (10-1/2" inner sole), available through Etsy seller freebornstreet

 

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[On my feet as I blog:  hey, when you're picking up a fellow clog lover at the airport, you have to be properly shod. In this case, my Claud booties from the U. K. brand, Love Label.]

 

 

Saturday Night Sandals: White for winter

I always smile when a pair of wooden shoes materializes with a lacquered finish. Like the designer didn't realize that somebody was going to be walking on them. On the ground. How long is that light reflecting finish going to last, really? It seems impractical. Yet believe it or not, I'm not dissing the look. After all, I have one or two shoes in my own closet that were manufactured the same. I can be a sucker for a shiny bauble, too, you know. At the same time I'm handing over my credit card, my practical side chimes in and raises questions like these. Fortunately I've learned to tune that part of me out. Otherwise I'd be stuck wearing nothing more daring than Rockports.

Can you imagine?

Fortunately there are people such as you and me and eBay seller bbumanlag209 who'll gladly add a bit of polished wood to our outfits in spite of the terrain. But unfortunately for her, these Marc Jacobs wooden sandals are being sent back out into the world to grace another pair of feet. Of these shoes, Ms. B. tells us,

"My friend Samantha's older sister works in New York in fashion, and she got them from a fashion shoot and gifted them to Sam. Sam never wore them and was going to sell them at Crossroads Trading Company, a resale/thrift shop. I ran into her and she showed them to me. I fell in love, so she gave them to me. Funny enough, I wore them for a fashion show I was helping with in San Francisco. I got so many compliments on them!"

Hats off to this kind soul for allowing someone else the chance to rake in the compliments! 

 
 
 
 

Saturday Night Sandals: Put your foot down!

It's been over 20 years now, but I can still hear my friend Ellen assessing a pair of shoes over lunch as being "so ugly you just have to buy them and give them a good home". The shoes in question were a frumpy pair of lace up oxford flats which I personally would have turned out into the street in a heartbeat. But the sentiment stayed with me and often comes to mind when I see a pair of shoes that I'm sure would make friends raise their eyebrows and strangers roll their eyes. So be it. I consider taking in an offbeat style an act of kindness. To the shop owner and designer both. I like things that are out of the ordinary. And if people like me don't buy stuff like that, then manufacturers will stop making them and retailers will stop selling them. And then where would I be. So I guess in the final analysis my motivations are not altogether altruistic. All I know for sure is that I often end up with very happy feet.

These platform sandals from Candie's certainly fall in the Cyndi Lauper/"She's So Unusual" category. I love how the designer didn't skimp on the thickness of either the wooden footbed or the rubber platform sole. The lacing on top that secures these chunky shoes to the feet seems a bit out of proportion. If it were up to me I'd have gone with slightly wider straps. But maybe the folks at Candie's thought the daintier touch would help offset the extreme sturdiness of the bottoms. Either way, I wouldn't send these sandals away if they showed up in my size. As it is, eBay seller cancanandjustin only has them in a size 7-1/2. Perhaps they'll have a happy homecoming to your household.