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Can you hear what I hear? Pair by pair, the best clogs are coming out of hiding. They’re clomping down staircases and city streets, edging toward café tills, and moving across gallery floors. A pair of clogs in motion has always been a beautiful sound, but especially as we transition into warmer months.
As the creator of the Instagram account @thecloglife, I have come to see clogs as not just comfortable and practical but celebratory. Clogs signify a life where one does as one wants and submits to the will of nobody else—corporate uniform and male gaze be damned! Leave it to the other shoes to double as torture devices and go in and out of fashion. Clogs are the heavy hitters of my heart (and feet).
They’re also unfailingly cool. Ask Michelle Williams or Alexa Chung, who both have long been turning to the wood-soled slip-ons to channel off-duty cool. Even Sarah Jessica Parker—whose eponymous shoe company peddles rainbow-colored skyscraper-high heels that belong in Carrie Bradshaw’s closet—is a devout #cloglifer. High fashion has also come around. Gucci and Chloé and Saint Laurent are all getting in on the action with refined versions.
Dating back to the 13th century, the clog has appeared as a wooden flip-flop in feudal Japan and on the feet of 19th-century Dutch farmers. They came back into fashion in the ’60s, when fans adopted them to signal a cute bohemian bent. While officially defined as a shoe with a wooden sole, the category has become more flexible, much like a rubbery Croc. If a space-age bubble shoe or sandal that click-clacks is more your speed, go for it. You will still be a card-carrying member of the club. It’s never too late to hop on the clog-wagon.
Here, our guide to the most charming and best clogs on offer. They’re one of summer’s top shoe styles to shop.
Minimalist Clogs
A little can go a long way, especially when it comes to footwear that is hard to ignore. Streamlined leather styles from downtown Manhattan stalwarts Rachel Comey and No. 6 are always bold and beautiful.
Statement Clogs
Clogs are, by nature, fun and unfussy (and often funny), so don’t be shy if you feel a yen to walk on the wild side. Reformation’s Zebra version does just that.
Studded Clogs
A twist on tradition: Designers are reinterpreting the staples typically affixed to the sides of clogs as shiny and shimmery studs. Think of them as bling for your cloggy things. We’re loving styles by Isabel Marant and Chloé.
Sandal Clogs
Clogs come undone, to beautiful effect, when they shrug off their casing status and take the form of open-toed beauties. A style from Alaïa proves that #Cloglife is chic and worthy of a pedicure.
Slipper Clogs
Less clomp but more cozy, flat slipper silhouettes translate seamlessly to the clog category. Pick up a pair in a lovely felt or go for a suede leather texture in keeping with the current trend.
Classic Clogs
It’s not just the unofficial shoe of chic moms. Clogs are beloved by nurses, doctors, and chefs, to name a few. These classics from Dansko and Crocs speak to the style’s utilitarian roots.
