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Klompen around

Like windmills, cheese and tulips, brightly painted, kitschy clogs called klompen, which stand tall in front of shops and people carry as souvenirs on key chains, have always reminded one of this low-lying country.

Klompen around

shoe rack: Their beauty & craftsmanship have made klompens an endearing Dutch icon. Nearly three million pairs of klompens are manufactured every year Photos by the writer



Kalpana Sunder

  

Like windmills, cheese and tulips, brightly painted, kitschy clogs called klompen, which stand tall in front of shops and people carry as souvenirs on key chains, have always reminded one of this low-lying country. Their beauty and craftsmanship have made these an endearing Dutch icon.The oldest clog that has ever been found in the Netherlands has been dated by universities to around 1250 AD. So the history of the Dutch clog goes back a millennium.

Of course, common people don’t wear these anymore. But still in the rural areas, it’s a wardrobe staple for farmers for practical reasons — the country is built on reclaimed, marshy land, and you need footwear with a grip to walk on the fields. According to the guide, wooden shoes are also used by gardeners, farmers, blacksmiths, fishermen, and road workers, who have to work in wet or difficult terrain.

“These are used by Dutch workers in industry, farming or fishing. These shoes are perfect for wet environment as these absorb perspiration and keep the feet comfortable in warm or cold weather,” he adds.

Why klompen? The wooden shoe was inexpensive, protective, dry, and healthy for the foot. In the rural areas of the Netherlands where peat was collected for fuel, special peat clogs with a flat sole, were worn which were adapted to the boggy ground. These kept you safe from hard hooves, and if one broke, it could be replaced in a minute! Stuffed often with straw, these kept you pleasantly warm in squelching mud. It was also adaptable — there were special versions to wear on ice, in the garden. Farmers in the Netherlands still wear clogs, as the footwear has passed every modern safety test set by the European Union, faring better than even steel-reinforced work shoes.

To get a window into this ancient craft, here’s an account of a visit to the Koijjman Clog Musuem at ZaanseSchans outside Amsterdam, where an entire village with ancient windmills has been meticulously re-created. Jaap and Ineke Kooijman out of their passion for all things Dutch started this museum to preserve this unique Dutch heritage of crafting shoes out for wood.

Until the Middle Ages, most people walked barefoot. Shoes were out of reach for most people; it was the preserve of the aristocratic! The first wooden shoes consisted of a wooden bottom and a leather top that was hammered on to the wooden base. The wood that was chosen to craft clogs was usually poplar, willow, or ash. However, the farmers and labourers required more protection. The clog makers then decided to make the entire shoe out of wood to protect the wearer’s entire foot.

In the middle ages, the wooden sandal developed into the “pattern”or “platijnen”. The “pattern” served as overshoe in which a thin slipper was worn. The equipment for carving a shoe is still very basic and simple. A block of wood and three special scooped chisels/drills are used to hollow out the foot opening. Making the footwear by hand is a trade that is fast dying out.

The tourist clog that can be bought in many a Dutch souvenir shop differs vastly in fit to “real” klompen still worn today on farms, docks etc as proper working shoes. People who work in klompen have appointments with the makers who custom fits the inside of the clog so that it fits the wearer perfectly, unlike the tourist “one size fits all” version.

Each Dutch region or village used to have its own clog makers with their own recognisable shape of clogs. From ‘horse clogs,’ which the horses wore so that they could make their way across the bog, to extra-strong clogs for stoneworkers and dyke workers. In severe winters, the soles of the clogs were fitted with iron studs to give them more grip on the ice. Pointy-toed Fisherman’s clogs used to help hook fishing nets onto boats. One could find church clogs dating to 1675, from Hindeloopen. These wooden shoes are about 300 years old, decorated with Biblical images. 

Clogs also became artistic expressions. Dutch artist Van Buuren has been working on his clog project for decades. Some of his unusual creations are on permanent display in the museum. One can also find collection of wooden shoes from around the whole world. Japanese wooden clogs, and Finnish clogs with a reversed swastika denoting prosperity! The Dutch have a sense of humour and this is also reflected in their klompen… from mimicking leather shoes to the rather unsteady looking high-heeled clog and clogs re-interpreted as beer holders, plant holders, musical instruments, and even as bird houses. 

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