Those Clunky Clogs: A '70s Trend From The Dutch And The Swedes

By | August 23, 2018

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Vogue, 1971: A model wearing a wooly ski jumpsuit by Anne Klein, Calderon belt with Famolare clogs and rabbit fur Gottesman gloves. (Photo by Gianni Penati/Condé Nast via Getty Images)

The wooden shoes known as clogs were essential '70s footwear in America -- even though they date back centuries, and were imported from the Netherlands via Scandinavia. The clunky sandals got a high-fashion make-over in the '70s and hit the streets of the United States with all the power of a full-fledged fad. Everyone wore clogs -- women, men, schoolgirls, top fashion models, celebrities. There was a style of clog for everyone. The chunky, clompy shoe trotted into American culture and became a mainstay of 1970s fashion

Walking On Wood

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English actress and model Caroline Munro with fashion models Nikki Ross and Lula wearing smock style tunics, 13th February 1972. (Photo by McKeown/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

The trademark of clogs was their wooden soles. The wood was carved to contour to the shape of the average foot, but unlike leather-soled shoes, they didn’t conform over time to fit the individual wearer. The wood just wasn’t malleable. There was often a leather or cloth lining or padding to cushion the bottom of the foot, so that made them slightly more comfortable. The open-heeled, slip-on shoe had a leather top. The top was closed-toes and extended over the entire top of the foot. When a few basic designed of clogs were an instant hit in the U.S., footwear designers developed more and more styles of clogs. These ranged from the traditional, simple leather top, to ornate designs and patterns, to different materials, such as cloth.