Clogs are the “Ugly” Shoes of the Moment

Ugly fashion is big business. Especially now that the news that clogs, of all things, have become the all the rage in the fashion world.  Clogs?  The wooden clunky, ghastly footwear that make one think of windmills and tulips?  Yes.  But these aren’t your fairytale’s clogs.  Following the unlikely success of Birkenstock shoes and Crocs, the trend occupies both ends of the ugly spectrum. The good news is the majority of these clogs are not as ugly as they sound.

At the prettiest end, and arguably the cause of the resurgence, is the Dior “Diorquake”. This riveted clog with a low heel sits alongside sleek versions at Marni and Joseph, while newer brands like Rachel Comey and No. 6 are growing in popularity. And for those of you who remember Dansko’s as the brand worn by nurses and hippies. Well, now the fashionistas have dubbed Dansko’s “status clogs.” It appears that the uglier the clog, the cooler it is.

It seems we can thank a powerful triumvirate for the clog’s current rise in status and popularity. US Vogue, which calls clogs the “bookworm’s fashion shoe,” Alexa Chung, whose early , Miu Miu pair arguably led her to design her own version for her namesake fashion label, and the influential fashion blogger Leandra Medine, who is well known for turning the provocative into the desirable. Chung and Medine both proudly refer to themselves as part of a growing group known as “the clogerati”, a word coined by the writer Lauren Mechling, a clog lover whose Instagram account, @thecloglife, has blown up over the past year. “They’re really a feminist shoe,” says Mechling. “As shoes go, they’re really for women – they say, I don’t care what men think of me, and right now [fashion] is all about shifting your audience back towards [the female gaze].” She quotes a male friend who says, “I don’t like clogs but I like the women who wear them.”

Clogs, which date back all the way to the 1600’s, generally needed to be made by hand so that they fit the foot, which resulted in a relationship between wearer, shoe and shoemaker. But what about now? The clogs people buy in stores certainly weren’t cobbled by clog elves for each and every buyer. Shoe designers say that if clogs fit correctly, they should tip when you walk rather than your toes gripping the side. If you’ve got this down, then you should be able to wear them all day long. Clog advocates declare they work well in many seasonal weather conditions, from dry heat to cold rain, although they advise avoiding mud or you just might walk right out of your shoes. And when the temps dip, it’s best to wear them with a pair of socks, which may not sound super fashionable, but if upping the ugly raises the cool factor, then hey, sock it up.

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