All about Women Clogs
While clogs have often been regarded as anti-fashion footwear in the past, the current fashion trends are boasting the look of clogs for women all over the world. In spring 2010, noted fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld incorporated them in Chanel’s runway show, thereby guaranteeing a spot in many women’s hearts…and their shoe closets. And that is not the only major designer touting clogs for the world to see. In the same year, fashion brand icon Louis Vuitton also premiered clogs on the runway of their fashion show as well. Today, clogs for women are an instant trend worn by women of all ages, but this sort of popularity did not grow overnight. The truth is that women have had a love-hate relationship with clogs for many, many years. In fact, clogs have been around for more than 500 years and transitioned from footwear of necessity to footwear of style. The truth is that designers keep coming up with new and innovative ways to reinvent the clog and make them appealing to all women.
In the earliest years of clogs, dating back to the 1500s, these shoes were made of wood and fashioned by the Dutch. During the Industrial Revolution that swept through Europe, wooden clogs became extremely popular for factory workers because they were not only durable, but they were also extremely inexpensive as well. This made it a primary shoe choice for the working class. As well, the contours of the shoe itself provided individuals with relief during long hours of standing on their feet. Numerous stories about clogs came about during these years. One story referred to a group of rebellious individuals working in a factory who threw their clogs into some of the machinery to prevent it from working properly, and supporting labor strikes. Because of this, many French refer to this footwear as “Sabots,” as taken from the word “Sabotage.”
The come back of the forgotten clogs
In many years following this, clogs took on a new, two piece design – while the soles of clogs were still fashioned with either cork or wood, and the upper portion of the shoe was made with leather. Clogs today still retain the open-back that they had hundreds of years ago along with the covered toe area. While some clog designs have shifted throughout the years, the bottom design of the clog remains the same. The bottom portion of a clog has an upward curve that starts in the middle of the foot and goes until the toe. This curve provides the ability to rock from the heel to the ball of the foot while still providing necessary support for legs and feet.
While clogs have gone in and out of style (they were popular in the 1970s and 1980s and only recently made a return to the current fashion scene), one thing remains the same – they are extremely comfortable to wear. They have become the ideal footwear for all women (as well as most men!) are known to spend long periods of time on their feet, including those who work within the medical profession. Ask any nurse to see her footwear, and most likely it is a clog.
What kind of clogs can you find today?
Clogs found on sale today in shoe and apparel stores come in a number of styles, patterns, and colors. While some clogs retain a plain and rather simple look of the original clog, other clogs for women come with a number of details, including decorative straps, cut out patterns, and embossed designs. Women can get clogs in a number of colors and designs that fit their needs, from stylish and formal to noral every day wear shoes. Today, the top of a clog for women is made out of either suede, leather, cloth, or in some cases, with brands like Crocs, plastic. Shoe manufacturers like Crocs also did away with the wooden bottom, for a more flexible and lightweight design utilizing synthetic plastic compounds. Some fashion manufacturing companies are known for their women’s clogs, including Dansko, L.L. Bean, and Birkenstock.
Take a look at Birkenstock for a moment. This is possibly one of the most well known footwear designers that offer clogs. Their women’s clogs offer a contoured foot bed as well as shock-absorbing soles that offer numerous years of durability and complete comfort. The bottom of all clogs are made with a combination of natural latex and cork and designed along the shape of a healthy foot. These shoes provide proper weight distribution and support the natural structure and shape of the foot. As well, the deep heel cup offers additional padding to provide stability.
Another brand that is very popular, especially among the medical world, is Dansko. Dansko clogs offer cushioned comfort to the feet. There is additional padding to comfort feet from stress, pain, and strain associated with being on one’s feet all day. They also have a unique shock absorbent feature that offers complete ankle support. One of the main benefits of this type of women’s clog is that there is really good arch support for the feet. This is why Dansko is often recommended to women who experience back problems because these shoes offer additional support to the arch and lower limbs, thereby preserving stance and poise. Dansko has a large number of variations of the clog so women can buy a number of pairs and match them to all their outfits.
Numerous styles of clogs for any sophisticated taste
When women are searching for clogs, they need to make sure they choose the right style. It can be very tricky to find a clog style that a woman exactly wants, so they need to be careful and do research into different shoe designers that sell clogs. There are numerous different colors and styles available for women’s clogs. It is therefore vital that women select the one that fits their taste, personality, and budget. Always visit shoe locations that offer a large variety of this shoe type. Women can see all the different styles of clogs first hand, try them on, and see which styles fit them the best.
Many women enjoy wearing clogs because they are extremely practical and they can just be slipped right onto the foot before leaving. Women do not have to deal with complicated straps, buckles or laces that take time to do up. Women who enjoy wearing sandals tend to like wearing clogs because of the freedom it provides their feet to breathe. Clogs are also not a “one season only” type of shoe – they can be worn all year round. For women who stand on their feet during their job, clogs offer much more support than other women’s shoes that can cause spinal pain, back pain, as well as shoulder pain.
There has been a large increase in the overall demand of women’s clogs. Today, many fashion designers include clogs in their collection lines. Clogs are now functional and classy at the same time. Try pairing a pair of clogs with a pair of boot cut or skinny jeans, straight leg trousers, or even a skirt. It does not matter if the wearer is attending a wedding ceremony or an office party, the clogs will fit for any occasion. While it used to be that “clogs” were not synonymous with “sexy” or “stylish,” today that is very far from the truth. Women can make heads turn when she wears her clogs with tight jeans and a playful top. What makes clogs for women even greater is that they are not all flat. Today’s fashion designers have been able to pair clogs with high heels and stilettos for the ultimate in fashion statements. Women are always looking for an opportunity to boost their personality and their confidence, this new evolution of the clog can do just that!
Clogs for women have been extremely popular for numerous generations. While they tend to go in and out of season from year to year, women’s clogs always reemerge on the fashion scene bigger and better and much more stylish than before. It is very likely that future generations will see them as well on shoe racks in all major clothing and apparel shops. Clogs can be worn as outdoor gardening shoes, working shoes, or even as fun and stylish fashion statements. While they may have a somewhat humble appearance, clogs for women remain quite popular due to their large fan base as well as their optimal levels of comfort, durability and versatility.