Klomp

Dutch (poplar) clogs, for everyday use. The red painting on top makes the clogs look like leather shoes. It is a traditional motif on painted clogs.

A klomp (plural klompen) is a clog from the Netherlands. Klompen are whole feet clogs.

Approximately 3 million pairs of klompen are made each year. They are sold throughout the Netherlands. A large part of the market is for tourist souvenirs. However some Dutch people, particularly farmers, market gardeners, and gardeners still wear them for everyday use. Outside the tourist industry, klompen can be found best in local tool shops and garden centers.

The traditional all-wooden Dutch clogs have been officially accredited as safety shoes with the CE mark and can withstand almost any penetration including sharp objects and concentrated acids. They are actually safer than steelcapped protective shoes in some circumstances, as the wood cracks rather than dents in extreme accidents, allowing easy removal of the clog and not continued pressure on the toes by the (edge of the) steel nose.

Klompen can be made from willow or poplar.

See also

• Bata Shoe Museum, Canada
• International Wooden Shoe Museum Eelde, Netherlands

References

• `Dutch Heritage. Wooden Shoes´, archived from: http://www.dutchdna2011.com/en/Homepage/Dutch-Heritage/Culture/Wooden-Shoes.htm
• Wiedijk, F., Wooden Shoes of Holland (2000) ISBN 90-71816-12-5

External links

• Crafting Dutch wooden shoes
• Klompenfabriek Nijhuis, Netherlands-based largest clog-maker worldwide
• Netherlands Association of Clogmakers (NVK)
• Foundation Dutch Traditional Clogmakers
• Wooden Shoe Workshop in Zaanse Schans, Netherlands