Must be the metro’s rainy (therefore, flood) season that’s making all ye street-wise women buy footwear that’s elevated, comfy and guaranteed to keep your toes and heels dry.
Could be Crocs’ newest clogs in happy colors that just moved shoppers to add that to their cart. Or, could also be the trickle effect of the oh-so-luxe Celine and Hermés clogs of Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 yore.
But it’s only this year when fashion icons Sarah Jessica Parker and that phenomenal No.6. brand of clogs worn by Jennifer Garner, Claire Danes, Julianne Moore, Michelle Williams, Maya Rudolph that catapulted these clunky, chunky clogs — sported by our mothers and grandmas in the hippie era of the 70s — to be cool again.
Often associated with leisure wear — for those days when a woman just wants to be carefree on her day off doing grocery errands, enjoying a casual lunch or spending time in weekend markets, clogs can now be officially worn as part of one’s chic workplace OOTD (outfit of the day).
But perhaps it’s in the DNA of fashion to be an equalizer. Something that originated as footwear made of wood and worn by agricultural workers in 13th century Netherlands have now become a must-have on every stylish modern woman’s shoe rack. Quite literally, clogs have strided a long way, baby.
Clogs as rebellious statement
Dare to give clogs some patriotic feel? In the Philippines, a version would be the humble bakya, wooden slip-ons made from wood like its Dutch counterpart. The native clogs were said to be spotted during pre-colonial times through the Spanish era and American colonial period.
The bakya was also worn by agricultural workers and among women doing laundry by the riverside — back when our rivers were clean and safe enough for washing clothes and bathing.
But the bakya also had its heyday in the 70s when it was worn as a nationalist response to all the imported footwear flooding the country.
Wearing local clogs became a fashion statement. On the flipside, however, Filipino craftsmen took it to yet another level by elevating the wooden heels and carving bucolic scenes such as the bahay kubo on its sides.
Okay, maybe the folksy scene was the height of its evolution as, sadly, the next reinvention of these shoes came in the form of leather-covered mules and slip-ons and plastic heels, which are nothing that looks like the bakya.
Those who haven’t seen what the original bakya looks like can visit souvenir shops where miniature bakyas are now hanging as keychain holders on a wall.
Better than boots
So, clogs are really having their revenge — before kitty heels and/or killer stiletto shoes took over to match the lady-like outfits of the pre-pandemic world.
Thanks to staying in quarantine and the evolved Zoom culture, there’s a more laid-back mindset to choosing which shoes to wear for the day. So, clogs are it whether it’s the deluxe version of Birkenstock, the hospital-friendly Dansko, or some other pair sold online.
What? We hear an appeal for fierce-looking boots? Sweetie, in this day where “fashion before comfort” is already passé, wearing and taking off boots are honestly cumbersome.
But clogs, yes, clogs — put it on, kick it off and you’re instantly guaranteed freedom.