How its made : wooden shoes

• Posted on 13 July 2018
• By Tom van Erp
• 0

Making wooden shoes is very different from making sneakers in a factory. Really good clogs are made from the best wood that is processed by skilled artisans which of course can be found in our assortment. Making the beautiful clogs is still quite a process where we would like to let you show more of the production proces. If you like to wear wooden shoes and have wondered how a tree trunk has been transformed into this perfect footwear, then continue reading on!

Of course, a tree trunk has to be chosen carefully to make clogs. The size of this tree trunk determines which size clogs can be made. After the tree trunk has been cut down, the so-called spheres are sawn here. This means that the wood is divided into equal pieces from which the clog will be formed later on. The shape of the tree determines what can be made of wooden shoes. This can vary in height, width and of course the shape of the wooden shoes.

To make the clogs, a wooden shoe maker will first split the wood. For this we look at branches that have been on the trunk and at the state of the bark. This can be used to determine how difficult the wood will be to split. After splitting the wood, a wooden shoe maker will choose from the blocks, this requires good insight and therefore a skilled wooden shoe maker.

The first real treatment  of the wood after which the shape will become somewhat visible is the trimming. Here the bark is removed from the wood. After removing the bark, the clog maker will start cutting and the clog will really take shape. Naturally, holes must be drilled in the wooden shoes. It is important that the wooden shoes are first pinned to a drilling rig. This has to be done well, because it is important that they do not fall out during drilling. The drilling is the most difficult part when making clogs.

After this whole process a pair of clogs has been created which will not yet be completely perfect. The clogs are then custom made, sharpened and will be completely finished. This is a big process but because of this you can wear the clogs that are so fantastic to your feet. Making clogs in the Netherlands is not nearly as large-scale as in the past. Yet fortunately there are still skilled people who are involved in this so that we all can enjoy this footwear that belongs to Dutch culture.