Why We Are Craving For Clogs

Receive free updates on fashion accessories

we will send you a myFT Daily Recap email rounding up the latest Fashion accessories news every morning.

Knock knock who’s there? It is the obstruction that accumulates on the pavement near you. Once a humble wood-carved peasant workwear, the clog has become a hybrid couture staple. Alaïa, Loewe, Hermès, Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Gucci and Prada currently offer a version, while fans include Bella Hadid (seen in today’s hottest model, the Bubble (by Simon Miller), Julia Roberts and Sarah Jessica Parker, who according to one website, has been an advocate for clogs “since 1993.”

“I like all clogs,” he says HTSI editor joseph ellison“of traditional swedish hasbeens toward dansko from the clogs of massage therapists and orthopedic surgeons to those designed by Khaita, Alaia and Hermes.” She likes that they are “totally utilitarian (see any kitchen or hospital) and at the same time they are the preferred footwear for artists and creatives.”

“I just think clogs give the wearer a bit of indifference,” he says. HTSI Contributing editor Jessica Beresford owns a black leather pair from Hermès. “They wear, they’re inherently casual, but they can still look dressy.” Emma Bowkett, director of photography for FT Weekend Magazinehas a thing for those by store number 6. “Currently I have three pairs but I always want more. Sheepskin Slip-on Clog 5 Inch Mid Heel in Black Suede [$410] will be next.”

Clogs have gotten complex in 2023. There’s a style for every mood, and then some. Fashion Clogs, for example, can be divided into two categories: Chic Clogs and Eek Clogs. Among the most chic are those of Alaïa, Khaite and Hermès. “The Alaïa pair has been by far our best-selling clog over the past two seasons,” says Hollie Harding, non-garment buying manager at Browns for the chunky platform versions of the shoe, which feature a motif. laser cut leather and studs. along the side (£700, brownfashion.com) – “we’ve made it available in black leather and now in rich tan suede.” It highlights other “minimalist” versions of saint laurent, Aeyde and Isabella Marantwhile Net-a-Porter reports that this spring/summer, gucci and chloe they sell well too. All of them offer a certain stealthy and luxurious aesthetic, enhanced by luxurious materials and details such as suede or sheepskin. It’s not so much that you prune the rose bushes on them, but that you will definitely give the gardener advice.

You will not prune the rose bushes on them, but you will definitely give the gardener advice.

Meanwhile, the Eek versions are flashier and include rubber tire treads. Balenciaga (£795), pointy angles and hyper-coloured gum from Bottega Veneta (£440) and the chunky, cartoonish charm of the much-sought Bubble (£550). The only gardening you’d do in these clogs is on the moon. However, this does not mean that they are not desirable. After all, the whole appeal of the clog is, as Ellison says, the “almost elegant and ugly” about it; No fan ever claims that clogs are pretty. “They have about as much movement as having cinder blocks on their feet,” says Beresford, “and they demand a different way of walking, one that isn’t particularly graceful. Their characteristic sound also makes me think twice before using them in the office.”

Art writer Francesca Gavin, editor-in-chief of vintage reviewloves her dark brown Hermes Clogs ($980): You have no problem with the shoe’s inherent bulk. “I love this because it means everyone knows you’re coming,” he says. “Shoes deserve that kind of attention.” In terms of art public’s clog preferences, Gavin says there’s a 50/50 split between Hermès, which are “more of a New York art dealer,” and “black Prada clogs for the techno-gothic end of Anne Imhoff”. (Last year Imhof had an exhibition at London’s Spruth Magers It was a maze of nearly empty gym lockers. They all loved it). Sarah Rustin, global director of communications and content for Tadeo Ropac, is a big fan of clogs by Isabel Marant (£425), Swedish Hasbeens (£170) and Saint Laurent (£740), but agrees that Prada (€980) is the more artistic option. “They feel like a Marfa Texas cowboy/clog combo, mixed with minimalism and Park Avenue.”

However, we often look for simplicity. The Birkenstock Boston (£125, partyfashion.com) is currently ubiquitous in every pub and brunch joint around the world: a Pop-to-the-Shop clog, if you will. They are also the chef’s favorite shoe: BearThe main character of Carmy has often been filmed in the birkenstock Tokyo (which is a Boston on a back strap), and the Boston is also the one for HTSILaila Gohar’s columnist and food artist at work. Boston sales “are up more than 300 percent over last year for AW23,” says Cassie Smart of Matches, the retailer’s director of womenswear. “Our number one colorway continues to be the Taupe Suede, which always sells out when it charges…and we don’t anticipate a slowdown any time soon.” Birkenstock herself confirms that the taupe suede Boston is her best-selling clog, having developed 20 “iterations” of this type of shoe over the years (the Boston made its debut in 1976). Net-a-Porter reports that Tokyo is doing well too (Birkenstock versions 1774£380).

Dansko, Swedish Hasbeens and Sandgrens Clogs also offer a more traditional and utilitarian take on the shoe. It is no coincidence that these three brands are inspired by Scandinavia, where the popular modern clog concept comes from: a backless shoe with a covered heel and a wooden base. (Traditional Dutch clogs are a bit weirder and more eccentric on the street.) In Sweden, clogs are a way of life, “especially in the summer, when people spend time in their summer houses,” says Hanadi Secevoric, coordinator of Sandgren’s Clogs Marketing. . But “there’s definitely been a change in the type of client who wears a pair,” she says. “We’re seeing a lot of younger people wear them as a fashion statement.”

But are Birkenstocks, or actually Crocs, really clogs? Are those slip-ons just kinky mules? After all, the origin of the clog is in the wood (surely it should make noise), while a mule is defined by having no back. Is a clog a clog just because it says it is, or does its soul reside in, well, its sole? Our jury, for what it’s worth, is quite tolerant and aware of the diversity of clogs. A Birkenstock spokesperson simply states that “a Birkenstock clog is a closed-toe sandal with an open back,” without commenting on the others. What is certain is that much of the shoe’s appeal lies in its suggestion of practicality, and that any other name might spoil the effect. Who does a lot on a mule?