If, like me, you view the arrival of summer as a dangerous dichotomy – on the one hand the temperatures will finally break into the double digits (!!), whilst on the other lies the inevitability of ending up clogged up with hay fever, then you can perhaps take comfort in the arrival of a new type of clogging for the season – of the shoe variety, in fact.
Kurt Geiger Clogs
Yes, the trendsetters have been at it again, seeing fit to thrust the wooden footwear upon us with all the vigour and determination of the highly trained clog dancers themselves. Though some saw it as an undesirable fad when the heavy shoes stomped their way down the catwalks of Chanel, Celine, Miu Miu and more, their emergence onto the high street marks the style’s widespread acceptance.
Now the sheer number of clogs, being show everywhere from Louis Vuitton to Topshop, has made them unlikely contenders in becoming the ultimate new it-shoe, available to everyone – as all previous reservations regarding their unfashionable Dutch lineage are tossed aside completely.
So what to make of them? Are they a fashion-forward alternative to regular heels, adding stylish height to newly-tanned pins, or do they remain ugly and uncomfortable, best left to the souvenir shops of the Netherlands? As it turns out, the former.
Designers at every level have gone to great lengths to revamp the clog’s image, applying prints, chains, beading and appliqué in order to transform them into the female shoe of choice for the summer.
Office Clogs
Personal favourites include the No 6 Double Kiltie clog with tassels, available in grey or tan leather – both of which would look great with rolled-up jeans; and the pink floral wedges by Miu Miu; the contrast of the light, girly pattern against the dark pinewood is unique, and would give the wearer a real edge when worn with a chic Summer dress.
On a slightly more affordable level, check out Office, Topshop and Kurt Geiger for an array of options that can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion – and are all priced between £50 and £160. Pare them with light, floaty materials so as to balance out the shoes’ inherent hardness, and depending on the particular style, move the hemlines up or down. (Shoes with height and clean, angular lines look great with skinny jeans, whereas shorter and more detailed pairs benefit from being worn with a skirt or dress.)
Just be sure to avoid their aesthetically offensive rubber-made cousins – the dreaded Crocs – which sacrifice the most important thing in fashion – looks – for the least important – comfort! And if you don’t feel like giving up your Uggs just yet, worry not – even they make clogs now too – named the Abbie – which at £130 cost a fraction of the Chanel ones which they closely resemble. There’s nothing we like better than a summer bargain!
By Dominic Hassall
Assortment of clogs
Tags: clogs, kurt geiger, office
