Clogs

A clog is a shoe with a rigid, often wooden, sole. Clogs were widely worn by workers as protective clothing in factories, mines and farms. In more developed countries they have been replaced by steel toe-capped boots, or by rubber boots.

Clogs are still worn by a small number of older farmers in The Netherlands. In the old days many groups of people in the Netherlands would use clogs (wooden shoes, Dutch: klompen) for shoes. These clogs are made (mostly) of willow-wood and provide a warm, insulated and safe form of footware.

Clogs have are even used today: like in gardens and road-work, but also on walls as flowerpots and sold to tourists for promotion. Clogs were tested for compliance to European safety standards and found to meet those standards.

Standard clogs cost about €10 for a size 10. Painted in yellow or black (traditional colors) this may be upto €12. When purchased in tourist areas prices range up to €20 or even €30 a pair.

"Cloggs" is a registered brandname for a particular brand of clogs.

Plain willow-wood clogs, in use every day