Sunday, 29 March 2020

Demystifying Men’s Wooden Clogs

For most men, stepping out of their comfort zone and trying out new things is an absolute no-no. That is probably the reason why, when wooden clogs made their re-entrance in back in 2010, clogs for men weren’t a part of Louis Vuitton and Chanel’s spring/summer collection.
But a lot has changed almost a decade later, wooden clogs for men have crept into the fashion scene. Though many men are still uncertain to step into clogs, the fact that the acceptance of clogs for men is growing cannot be denied.

If we look back to the very advent of clogs, we can be sure of two things, the first is that clogs were birthed for the purpose of protecting the feet (protective footwear) of people who worked in factories, mines, and farms.
The the second thing that we can be sure of is that back then, clogs were made entirely from wood. Considering the fact that back then people who worked in mines, factories, and farms were majorly men, we can deduce that wooden clogs were designed for men in the first place.
Not just that, if we fast forward the time from its advent and stop somewhere between the ’70s and ’80s, Swedish clogs were considered a suitable attire for the avant-garde population that included both men and women. Their popularity diminished for men but managed to survive for women.
The crux of the matter here is that wooden clogs are as fashionable and beneficial for men as they are for women. Also, there’s no reason for men to shy away from trying out wooden clogs. Especially men who are medical professionals, teachers, and chefs will find clogs to be arguably the best and the most comfortable footwear for work. Provided you put in some thought before buying wooden clogs.

A few things one can keep in mind before buying a pair of clogs are:

  • The ones you buy must be handcrafted by experienced craftsmen
  • Check if the wooden sole is orthopedically structured to distribute even weight throughout your feet
  • The clogs you buy should be able to provide you ease, cause less stress on your legs, and support your lower back
  • Check the kind of wood that has been used, ideally go for alder wood or lime wood.
  • Another thing you can keep an eye open for is knowing how to take care of the clogs that you’re buying. The care instructions are usually given by the manufacturers.

Clog Sandals are a Perfect fit For Women of All Ages

Most men can stick day-in and day-out with the same outfit — their shirts, pants, and shoes. But women need change, we need different styles, different colors, different patterns, and the list goes on. In terms of footwear, women have a wide range to choose from, for instance, heels, flats, wedges, sneakers, etc. One can say that women of different age groups prefer different forms of footwear, but the fact remains that no matter what our age might be — sixteen or sixty — we need a variety of options, not just for what we dress up or feet in but practically everything else.
Clog sandals are an example of the type of footwear that a sixteen-year-old, as well as a sixty-year-old, would wear with confidence. Surely their reasons for wearing clogs would differ, but they’d wear them all the same. So what makes clogs sandals the perfect footwear for older as well as younger women?

Clog Sandals for Young Women

Young women, be it high school girls, sophomores, or the ones who’ve landed their first ‘real’ job choose to wear clog sandals probably because of wooden sandals are the new in-thing. They’re available in multiple colors, for example, you can easily find clogs in various shades of matte or metallic. Not just colors, clog sandals for women are available in different sizes of heels too — what more can young girls ask for?

Clog Sandals for Women who keep on their Feet 24x7

Clog sandals are nothing less than a gift for women who tend to spend their working days on their feet. Chefs, nurses, doctors, contractors and all other professional women who are required to keep standing for long hours wear clog sandals probably because wearing them doesn’t strain their backs as much as heels do.
For such women, handmade clogs sandals are a blessing because they're wooden sole is crafted in such a way that it promotes equal weight distribution across the feet. Usually, even when we wear a comfortable pair of heels or wedges, they tend to push our body weight forward which causes problems such as lower back pains by the end of the day.

Clog Sandals for Older Women

Who says that older women don’t keep up with fashion? Yes, some might choose comfort before style but when something as great as clog sandals offer both of these things then who wouldn’t love to wear them? That’s why it’s not unusual for us to find older women wearing clogs.
Do you know that clog sandals are a popular choice for nurse shoes? Here are some reasons why clog sandals for women are preferred as nursing shoes.

Monday, 23 March 2020

Wooden Clogs Have Been Successful in Striking the Right Chord With Men

Clogs are reigning the shoe stable. Coming into prominence in the ’70s, clogs have stood the test of time and have evolved as a glitzy fashion accessory. Favored mostly by women as an alternative to stilettos, clogs are now being worn by men too.
Whether you are heading out for office or gearing up for a special occasion like a birthday party, clogs enhance your appearance by a few notches. Clogs come in a slew of designs and forms.

You can get spoilt for choice if you have a look at the variety that clogs have to offer and can find it tough to find the right clog for your dress.

A Rich History

Well, it is true that most of us have scant knowledge about the origin of clogs and how they are made. So, I would like to share some tidbits of information which you will cherish the next time you head into the showroom to buy a pair. You will admire the hard work that went into it to make it a glam fashion accessory as of now.
The history about clogs takes us back to the Greek and Roman times in the 13th century when clogs were mostly made of untreated wood and were prone to water damage. Mostly used by the lower strata of the society which consisted of peasants and farmers, clogs rose up the social ladder during the 18th century and were mostly worn by aristocrats and head dignitaries of state.
In In the ’70s and ’80s, Swedish clogs came to the fore and they became an instant hit. In the ’90s, with the introduction of heeled clogs, they became a thing of fashion.

How They are Made?

Clogs are mostly handmade. In older times, wood was mostly used to craft the structure of a clog. Though in recent times, leather and rubber are used for the upper portions and the sole is made of wood.
So how are the wooden clogs made? The wood is first dried to deprive it of moisture and then wood is shaped according to the foot size. The upper leather is checked thoroughly and then stitched or nailed to the wooden sole. Then the clog is dyed to give a lasting impression.

Men Have taken to Wooden Clogs

Wooden clogs protect the feet better than other shoes because they are durable and ergonomically designed. They also serve as an insulator for the feet in winter. You can run along wearing them and flaunt them with ease at your business place or on a casual occasion. Most of the clogs now are unisex and can be worn by both men and women.

Men had at first dilly-dallied with the idea of wearing wooden clogs since the footwear was most popular with women. But of late, they have embraced the latest fashion mantra and are carrying them well enough. Men wooden clogs are mostly flat-based and cover the whole foot.
Wooden clogs have caught up with men very well. The shoes have emboldened their fashion statement and are popular among different professions. Clogs have maintained their versatile appeal and men can effortlessly steal the show with them.

How Clogs have become a Fashionable Footwear for Men?

Clogs were popular footwear of the early 20th century. Men have been using them as protective clothing for the feet since they could withstand sharp and heavy objects and acidic solutions as well. During the world war, clogs were used as combat gear since they were ruggedly built and could withstand difficult terrains.

However, clogs went out of use soon after with the advent of leather and synthetic material for shoes. Following a long hiatus, they made a comeback in the ’70s and were worn by men without socks as a fashion accessory. The Swedish-styled clogs became popular as they became available in different styles and designed with a wooden sole.
Since In the late ’90s, clogs have been a mainstay as fashion footwear. Nowadays, clogs are made with materials such as leather, suede, canvas, rubber and even wool.
The the modern style of the Swedish clogs has lured men to buy them. Designers have pulled up their socks to bring a new assortment of designs to attract new wearers and retain the existing customers.
The clogs have become more attractive with the incorporation of buckles and the use of newer materials on the uppers and the edges while maintaining the necessary traits of comfort and durability. The soles of these men clogs are built from alder wood, which requires proper treatment before it is fit into the bases of the clogs. This pre-treatment dehydrates the wood and reduces the moisture content which in turn hardens the wood and makes it more durable.
Modern clogs for men have ample toe room which makes them extremely comfortable to wear. They do not constrict the toes allowing them to wiggle and move which helps the wearer to stand on it for long hours.
The Swedish clogs for men come in black and brown colors and use the highest quality leather for the uppers. Also, the heels of men clogs are not chunky unlike those of women.
Clogs are often combined with casual and informal outfits. Whether you are wearing clogs with a pair of trousers or shorts, they will suit you perfectly. You can sport your clogs in both the summer and winter seasons as they suit all attires. Black clogs with relaxed fit denim and a white tee or a pair of tailored trousers and a crisp shirt are a few popular styling suggestions. Since Swedish clogs for men have a classic appeal, they will not lose their charm for years to come.

What made clogs popular in the late 18th century?

What Are Clogs?

If you’re an avid follower of fashion and all the latest trends in the society, then you’ve most probably stumbled upon the term ‘clogs’ at least once or twice, especially in Europe and the United States. That does not mean clogs are not famous around the world; it merely shows how diverse they have been ever since bursting back to the fashion scene, just like in the late 1970s.
But what are clogs? Where did they come from? What makes them different from other footwear?
Although ‘clogs’ today are meant to refer to footwear with a wooden sole, they were originally shoes made entirely of wood. Clogs from Sweden and other parts of Europe have been around for a long, long time, even before the great Industrial Revolution took place. 

Why Wood?

Simply put, wood was the most commonly available material at that time. Leather and other materials were just being discovered or yet to be discovered, and wood was one thing that was freely available in the large forests scattered around Europe. Wood made the clogs cheap and durable, catching the fancy of the masses.
Wooden clogs from Sweden are exported all around the world. People in other countries like Netherlands, Germany, and France were also early adopters of clogs as their daily footwear.

The Art of Clog Making

The choice of wood for making clogs was very important, as weak wood could compromise the quality of the clogs. Common wood variants used for making clogs were Beech, Alder, Sycamore, Birch, and Willow. These clogs sometimes had a thick straw bed in place inside them to make them more comfortable to wear.
Craftsmen in Europe known as bodgers were responsible for shaping the soles in pairs. They were then stacked in pyramids to allow air to circulate around them naturally. Pairing the clogs together (left foot shoe and right foot shoe) allows them to shrink together, as the amount of sunlight they are exposed to determines how much they can shrink while drying.

Popularity of Clogs

Because of their durability and low price, they were popular among farmers and factory workers who were in dire need of feet protection. Slowly they came to be worn by the upper classes of the society in the late 19th century, although their clogs came in different designs and materials along with embellishments.
Most clog shoes are unisex, making them an ideal choice for both men and women.

Swedish Clogs For Women Are Most Comfy Chic Options In The Footwear Section

When it comes to browsing through the footwear options for women it is difficult to miss out on Swedish clogs. Even though there is a plethora of options out there all over the world, nothing has a definitive history and travel time like that of Swedish clogs. They might have started in a land far away as rough use footwear for men but have made their way into the lives of women all over the world now and the changes that they have gone through is commendable.

After they were spotted, reformed and represented by a few designers in the late 20’s there has been no looking back for these footwear options. Not only the commoners but also the celebrity trendsetters have accepted the widely placed uses and benefits of the Clogs as footwear for all seasons. There is a wide variety available in the market from machine made to handmade and designer clogs depending on what the pockets allow one to spend on. Kendell Jenner, Dakota fanning and Rachel Mc Adams are some of the celebrities have been spotted sporting the clogs like a boss.
There are a number of reasons why they are such a huge hit. They are super-stylish and comfortable to walk in even if one has to walk all day long. They can be easily paired up with almost any kind of outfit and would still end up looking ravishing. The styles for clogs are such that they can be used in winters and summers both. One of the biggest benefits of wearing the Swedish clogs for women is the fact that it helps in keeping the good posture of the body. This is primarily because of the make of the clogs and fact that the heels support the bodyweight uniformly.
Clogs are made of leather uppers and wooden bottom. This means both the materials are self-sustainable and environment friendly as well. This covers up the fashion and the environment bit for the ones who are apprehensive about spending a fortune of the footwear that looks a bit bulky on the outside. The truth remains that the Swedish clogs are the most comfortable options for women to adorn and strut around all day long and come back home with cheerful feet.

Wednesday, 18 March 2020

Why Have Clog Boots Captured The Attention Of Elite Fashion-Conscious Women?

Isn’t it a thing that vintage fashion is the new trend of late? We are getting increasingly obsessed with items that were in vogue a few decades ago. With fashion churning out new trends every season, it is difficult to keep up with the pace.
Fashion is an unpredictable phenomenon. Who would have thought that the 60s and 70s fashion trends would stage a comeback in the 21st century? When it comes to fashioning a chic outfit, one can’t help but take inspiration from the 70s. Such is the obsession with the 70s that it has paved a path for the comeback of clog shoes of yore. Yes!! Those clunky wooden shoes which were mostly footwear of the labor masses in the 70s.
Incorporating new funky designs, clogs made a glitzy comeback in fashion parades of Gucci and Chanel who brought back the bohemian-style shoes in a new avatar. If you were a person of the 70s and have walked in clogs at that time, you would notice the radical change clogs have undergone of late.
The heavy, cumbersome shoes have given way to a sleeker and lighter version. They have become much comfier and keep your feet in place.
Clogs have garnered sizable attention from fashion-conscious women. Women who once rocked stilettos while walking down a high-end street are now sold for clogs.
They say that clogs are the best-heeled shoes they have ever worn since they can tread in them without teetering. With countless shoe styles breaking into the fashion scene almost every month, clogs have managed to stand head and shoulders above them and have earned a soft corner in the minds of elite fashionistas.
One of the main reasons why clogs have become a rage is their unwavering comfort which they bring to the feet of the wearer. Though made of wood, clogs click your foot into place as soon as you wear it. The shoes have abundant space within their hollows which allows the wearer to wriggle his toes freely without any discomfort.
Clogs have orthopedic properties which allow the user to stand in them for longer lengths of time without experiencing any discomfort.
Clogs come in an array of styles. Among them, wooden clog boots have become a big hit among young women. Such boots are an ideal option to wear in the chilly winters. There are various types of clog boots ranging from ankle boots to thigh-high ones. The wooden clog boots come with wooden heels and have uppers in suede, leather or canvas options. You can make a bold statement with them in winters since they can go well with almost every outfit.