Clog making

Traditional clogs developed as a strong type of footwear that was better in water and heat than conventional leather-soled footwear. They were often worn in heavy labour, but today the variants are considered for everyday wear. The interest in clogs ranges from the fashion industry to the general public and they are often still worn by factory workers due to their durability and comfort.

Clogs are still used within the UK folk dancing and folk music communities. One of the largest markets for clogs nowadays is as leisure wear for clog step dancers and Morris dancers.

They are historically working-class footwear. This almost certainly contributed to the rapid decline of the craft in the C20th: most of those who could afford not to wear clogs chose not to, and the association with poverty – and attendant snobbery around clogs – persisted. Sufficient time has elapsed that this perception is held by few nowadays; but clogs have never recovered a role as ‘mainstream’ footwear.

Most makers will use some combination of bandsaw and powered sanding/grinding machinery for shaping of soles; and a router or spindle moulder or similar apparatus to cut the ‘grip’ (the rebate into which the leather is nailed). Traditional clog knives may be used, to varying degrees.

Leather uppers are typically machine-stitched or hand-stitched techniques.

In the UK, clogs always have a leather upper and a wooden sole. Any local variations were rather homogenized in the Victorian era.

Welsh slippers were made through much of Western Wales and toe shapes would have varied. It was said that you could ‘tell a man’s village by the cut of his clogs’.

Patterns and shapes can be cut into the top surface of the leather to produce a decorative design known as a ‘crimp’. Crimp designs varied from maker to maker and became a kind of primitive trademark or branding. They are still used, not only by active makers to distinguish their clogs from others’, but as the most efficient way of attempting to identify the maker of old clogs.

• Patten making
• Last making

Ancillary activities including clog iron manufacture and toe-tin manufacture were once carried on as separate commercial operations. Clog irons are still available but the quality is varied. Toetins can be laser cut in batches as necessary.

• Market issues: It’s not possible to compete on price with machined standard sized clog soles – the only future is for top end bespoke and orthopaedic clogs, or clogs which are optimised for dancing
• Supply of raw materials: Makers have reported difficulty with sourcing chrome tanned leather and have mentioned supply issues post-covid/brexit with sourcing leather from Europe.
• Supply of raw materials, tools and equipment: The supply of components such as clog irons and toetins can be an issue
• Supply of raw materials, tools and equipment: Last-making is currently ‘Endangered’. If shoe lasts were to become difficult to obtain, this would be a problem.
• Skills issues: not only specifically in the craft itself, but also in more generic craft skills which may act as ‘feeder’ skills to clog making. Undergraduate courses in woodworking, for example, are increasingly scarce
• Small business issues: Lack of access to suitable, affordable workshop space; other issues relating to renting e.g. tenancies which can be terminated at short notice. In urban locations it can be the case that gentrification, and the push for redevelopment of brown-field sites for residential purposes, is exacerbating the shortage of light industrial and workshop-type spaces.

There are no formal training opportunities to learn clog making. Most clog makers will learn ‘on the job’ or through the teaching and mentoring of other skilled makers.

Hand carved clog makers:

• Jeremy Atkinson, clog maker, Herefordshire (fully hand-carved soles) – was taught by Hywell Davies and has travelled in Spain and France researching European clog-making traditions.
• Geraint Parfitt, clog maker and demonstator at St Fagans National History Museum, Cardiff (fully hand carved soles using traditional hand tools and leather work all hand cut and stitched) Trained with Hywel Davies and Jeremy Atkinson and trained leather working with saddler Peter Mason.

Clog makers using a combination of machine and hand skills:

• Simon Brock, clog maker, Sheffield (band saw cut soles and hand-carved soles) – uses a bandsaw to rough the shape, with routine use of stock knives for some shaping and all hollowing and a router to create the grip. Following two awards from Heritage Crafts in 2019, Simon has learned to fully hand-cut soles with Jeremy Atkinson and is now able to offer hand carved Alder soles.
• Phil Howard, clog maker, West Yorkshire (band saw cut soles)

Colne Valley Museum   – has The Clogging Collection which is a replica of a clog shop discovered near Slaithwaite. There are also a number of museums with static displays of tools.

Trefor Owen, based in Cricieth, Gwynedd, has now retired but maintains his workshop. Scotland’s last clogmaker Godfrey Wimpenny Smith died in 2015. Brian Moulden is an amateur maker in North Wales who occasionally demonstrates.

Our thanks go to our 2025 informants:

• Jeremy Atkinson, Clogmaker
• Trefor Owen Clogmaker (retired)
• Phil Howard, Clogs and Leatherwork
• Simon Brock, Clogmaker

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