To Clog or not to Clog?

I know from spring onwards, clogs have been lauded as the footwear of the season. From Chung in Chanel’s version to the glorious cat printed Miu Miu numbers.

However, as much as I love the print, I don’t like the shoes. Clogs with seriously high heels equal one thing – broken ankles! How on earth are you supposed to walk in these?! (ignoring the difficulty of even buying them in the first instance, given the staggering price tags some of them are sporting - £900 anyone?!). I have on many, many occasions bought shoes that I’ve gradually realised are totally impractical and impossible to walk in...but I’ve never knowingly purchased shoes that will unquestionably be a disaster to walk in.

So I have been determinedly resisting the march of the clog...

Until this morning when I spotted these yellow beauties in the current issue of Living magazine.





Westcountry clog in sunflower – at a much more reasonable £40

Proper old style clogs with a gorgeous modern colour! So many memories came flooding back when I saw these. My mum was a big clog wearer back in the eighties and always rocked them with a denim skirt or simple summer dress. It was such an easy, relaxed summer look. I was absolutely in love with my own pair of clogs when I was about eight – white wood, red rubber uppers...I even had my own weird name for them – my ‘dohs’ (I have no idea how this word would have been spelt, it was only ever verbalised!! God only knows why I wasn’t content just to use the word clog?!).

I guess all this time my problems with the clog in its 2010 fashion incarnation are:

• They’re too high to walk in & impossible to keep on
• They’re way, way too expensive (even the lovely Swedish Hasbeen versions which are over the £100 mark)
• They look like a fast fashion item – I can hardly imagine wearing them beyond this summer. And I feel a bit like a sheep buying into a trend I’m not really loving.

Until this morning when I remembered that I do love clogs in their original, clog-like form. Vary the colour, but keep the style and heel height classic and I’m on to a winner.

And I would wear them just as my mum did in the 80s – with denim and patterned summer frocks. Simple!

p.s. maybe for another post...but I’m loving clog boots for winter (see this week’s Grazia for “Clogs get the boot”). As a little preview, look at these rather lovely ‘Apple Wooden Clog Boots’ from Topshop and £75...I want them!