Wooden Clogs: Why People See Reflection of Europe in Them?

Traditionally, clogs in Europe were made out of the willow and were popular in the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark and Sweden. Having said that, they have different cultural significances for different countries. Swedish clogs share no resemblance with Dutch clogs except that both of them exude the heritage of their respective countries to the tourists. In Holland, for instance, clogs comprise the national dress. This is the reason why the Dutch are also known as cloggies, meaning the clog wearer.  Because of this, Dutch people are sometimes called cloggies, that is, clog-wearers. 

Today, Dutch clogs are available in many tourist shops. Wearing clogs is considered to be healthy for the feet. Despite that fact, the Dutch don't use them anymore for everyday use, but clogs are still used by people working in their gardens, and by farmers. 

In England, Pattens became popular in early 20^th century which had a large chunk of wood placed beneath a leather shoe. They were worn to raise the feet level to protect them from a muddy terrain.     People who couldn’t afford Pattens, started wearing shoes that were completely carved out of wood, and hence the traditional clogs were invented. 

The English made a good use of welsh and welsh country alder, Scottish birch, and Lincolnshire willow to fabricate clog sandals foe women. The craze for wearing clogs really ascended with the advent of Industrial Revolution, as the daily toilers in the mills, mines, iron, steel, chemical works, and factories were gunning for a durable, and affordable footwear. 

There are historical evidences suggesting that clog dancing was actually started as a past time in these mills with workers matching their foot taps with the rhythmic sounds made by the loom shuttles. During the nineteenth century, competitions were held and there were professional clog dancers who performed in the music halls.

The tradition of clog dancing still continues in Wales. The Welsh clogging differs from other clogging forms as apart from complex moves, it involves few tricks too. For example, putting off the candle flame with dancer’s feet, or high leaps into the air. Lancashire became famous for the practice of clog fighting, also known as 'purring', which was a potent instrument for settling disputes.  

In France, the wooden shoe or clog was known as sabot. In the 18th and 19th century clogs became associated with the lower classes. During this period the word sabotage which was derived from sabot signified the act of aggrieved workers damaging the machines by throwing their clogs on to them.  

Clogging: A Brief History of Clog Dancers

The clog Dance or clogging is the most popular form of the Folk Dance. Barney Williams who arrived in U.S in 1840, was the first person who took clog dancing as a profession. Irish clog dancers became the first professional troupe in the U.S. The clog dance became the basis for tap dance as well.

In the beginning, the clog dance was done on complete wooden shoes, but later it made use of shoes with wooden soles only. In 1760s' due to migration, clogging found its way in the Appalachian Mountain Area. Due to this diversification and encounters with different cultures, clogging evolved into the American clog dance and various other American dance forms. 

Clog contests were quite trendy in the 19th century where judges were more focused on the sounds produced rather than body postures of the dancers.

The most complex form of clogging are the Irish Jigs, Hornpipes and Reels. In these forms, in a span of fifteen seconds, the feet taps the floor around seventy times. The fascinating part of clogging is its absolute dissimilarity from other dance forms as there is no role of facial expressions. Also, the arms are kept motionless. The black crook, which is regarded as the first musical performed in 1866, introduced the minstrel and clog dancers who had an inflexible way of dancing. They were later came to be known as pedestal dancers. The Pedestal dancer would stand on a marbled or gilded pedestal, apparently like a statue. As soon as the show would begin, they would start clogging on the pedestal, only moving their feet and legs.

 

The minstrel clog dancers gradually came to be associated with tap dancing in the early 1900’s. Master Juba became the most famous name among them. For a long time both tap and clog dance remained synonymous. This proved to be detrimental for the originality of clog dance as it was gradually fused with the African-American shuffle dance by the end of 19^th century. 

In 1902, a musical play called ‘Minstrel Misses’ which was directed by Ned Wayburn brought the term ‘Tap and Step dance’ in people’s notice. It was from there, the popularity of tap dance took off and people started accepting it as a profession. The Misses performed in light clogs sandals with split wooden soles as the aluminum heel and toes taps were not present at that time.

How to Keep Your Wooden Clogs Away From Wear And Tear?

Wooden clogs will never go out of fashion.  No matter how trendy they look, they still need to be taken care of as the wood may get damaged anytime if it knocked into something. When it comes to the ankle straps, the buckle must be opened while taking the shoe on or off to prevent any deformation in the shape of the leather strap. 

To maintain the resistance of the natural leather to moisture and dirt, small amount of oil or other leather product can be applied depending on the type leather. It can help in giving the leather a darker tone that enhance its look. The clogs made from such leather can be put out in the sun to produce a tanning effect which looks equally good. If the wood is not varnished or stained, a small amount of olive oil can also be applied to the soles to make them resistive to moisture and dirt.

How to clean your wooden clogs?

The best way to clean women wooden clogs is to use a damp cloth, or even soap water. A light sand paper can also effectively take care of the scratches and dents.  

Also the wooden clogs consist of open grains that help to drive out excessive moisture from the wood. This is why you can have a pat dry feet and a comfortable experience with women wooden clogs. So it becomes all the more necessary to let the clogs dry slowly as hurrying up the process can cause the wood to crack.  

The type of leather used must also be considered

1.       Leather with a natural sheen

These kind of leathers are very easy to clean as they have a smooth finish. A damp cloth must be used to get rid of any dirt on the leather.

2.       Nubuck & Suede:

Here again you should use a damp cloth to remove the surface dirt. Having done that, go for Nubuck & Swede to remove the persisting stains on the surface of the leather. A better option is to go for a spray to insulate the outer layer of the leather from stains and dirt. For attaining best results, try it when the wooden clogs are brand new.