When you have a foot problem, the first thing you might hear is "you should wear clogs!" If you are confused about what clog brands are out there, and what might work for your fashion sensibilities, look no further. Clogs can be great for specific ailments because they have a wide toe box, a slightly rocker bottom sole and they keep your foot from articulating too much. They are great after surgery, if you have to stand all day, or if you need to give your tootsies a rest!
Each foot is as individual as it's owner. I have what is called a 'Grecian foot', meaning my second toe is the longest and my toes taper down. My toes are long and every joint in my feet is very mobile! My arches are high but easily spread out when I put weight through them. Below are my personal opinions and preferences.
dansko: This is the ol' faithful, the "she's a dancer or a nurse" shoe. You may or may not like how they look but you most likely have an opinion one way or the other. I go back and forth between convincing myself they are fine and really not being into the boxy horse foot thing. I have recently opted for the all black version so that at least I can imagine they disappear somewhere below normal vision. Honestly, when my feet are not happy, these shoes are the VERY BEST thing to wear. pro: slight rocker bottom, room for the toes to spread, heel lift, good arch support, you can beat them up and they live forever, shock absorption from the sole con: horse feet, can hit cuneiforms if you have a high arch, easy to fall on uneven surfaces (this is true of any clogs)
no. 6: This shoe has been a favorite of mine. Not only do they have a very cute store in nolita, they do custom orders! You can order a shearling lined boot with your choice of leather and clog base. They have wood bottoms and come in three heights. There is a clog for every season: dressy and not dressy, heels and wedges. To be honest, the high heel clog cannot be considered orthopedically sound but the medium height can be made cute and did not bother my foot when it was at it's worse (actually the medium height created the rocker I needed when pushing off was causing too much pain). pro: customizable, good if you need to not articulate your mtps, super cute con: $$$ (250-550), no arch support, have to order in NYC store for customization, wood bottoms can be too hard for some
Sven: I don't have a ton of experience with Sven clogs, though I did have one pair. They are a good standby clog if you need a wooden bottom. If my rumor ears tell me the truth, No. 6 actually just uses customized Sven clogs, so maybe I have more experience that I realized. pro: not too $$$, easy to find, lots of styles con: I can't think of one
Swedish Hasbeens: pro: lots of styles, easy to find online con: narrow!!! (I could never wear these)
CLOGMASTER: This is the ultimate clog experience. You walk in to see the clog master and before you sit down she tells you your shoe size and promptly disappears to the back to bring you a few options to try on. From there, you just talk size and style and usually walk with at least two pairs of custom clog orders on the books. This is customization at its best. I saw her when she was still in LA but she is now based in Portland. She travels around the country to do fittings and take orders. pro: everything con: cost prohibitive if you're on a budget, otherwise if you don't like these, you just don't like clogs
ok there were more...
