The History of Dutch Wooden Clogs
Wooden shoes have been popular in the Netherlands for about 700 years. Wooden shoe wearers claim the shoes are warm in winter, cool in summer and provide support for good posture. The wood also absorbs perspiration so that the foot can breathe. Wooden shoes, as icons of Dutch culture, appear in customs such as the practice of young Dutch men presenting their fiancees with a pair of carved wooden shoes.
Early History
The Dutch have been wearing wooden shoes, or clogs, or Klompen since medieval times. Originally, they were made with a wooden sole and a leather top or strap tacked to the wood. Eventually, the shoes began to be made entirely from wood to protect the whole foot. Originally, alder, willow and poplar woods were used. The first guild of clog makers dates back to around 1570 in Holland.
Industrial Footwear
In Holland, wooden shoes are worn by farmers, fishermen, factory workers, artisans and others to protect their feet. Nails, fishing hooks and sharp implements that might pierce a regular boot will not go through a wooden shoe. On boats and docks and in muddy fields, wooden shoes also keep feet dry.
Clog Dancing
Wooden shoes are also worn as an essential part of the traditional costume for Dutch clogging, or Klompendanskunst. Clogs for dancing are made differently so that they'll be lighter. The soles are made from ash wood, and the top part is cut lower by the ankle. Dancers create a rhythm by tapping the toes and heels on a wooden floor.
Wooden Shoe Making
Today, wooden shoes are mostly made by machine. There are not many wooden shoe makers left, but they can be found in some of Holland's tourist areas. These artisans demonstrate the many tools they use and how they select a tree trunk or log according to the size shoe they are going to make. Both shoes of a pair must be made from the same kind of wood, even the same side of a tree, so that the wood will shrink at the same rate. Usually, sycamore, alder, willow and poplar woods are used for handmade clogs, and birch is used for machine-made. Clogs made in Holland must pass certain tests that measure how they endure extreme temperatures and heavy weight.
Decoration
Dutch wooden shoes can be plain, painted or carved. Painting the shoes is an old custom that goes back to the beginning of their history. The first artist to paint wooden shoes was Pieter Brueghel the Elder in 1550. Carved clogs are traditionally the choice for grooms to give their brides in that old custom.
Fun Clog Fact
Each June, The American Baseball Foundation of the Hague sponsors an American-style baseball game where both teams play in clogs.
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