Wet feet

Sandford-on-Thames, Oxford often gets quite wet with flooding. Christmas 2021 was the worst it had been drone footage here (credit to Ed from Kennington!). It’s as if someone pulled the plug up river somewhere or there’s a leak in the River Thames! As the water subsides each time we’re left with a bit of a bog!

Leaks

Talking of leaks takes me back to a childhood memory about a dutch boy who stuck his finger in the dyke. Do you remember? ‘Hans Brinker’ was written in 1865 by Mary Mapes Dodge, an American author. ‘Finger in the dyke/dike’ has become an idiom these days for trying to stop a small problem from becoming a large one. Pity it couldn’t help the global pandemic! Idioms aside, the image of a dutch boy – I see clogs on his feet…..so this is my Clog Blog!

The Dutch clog

My first trip to Amsterdam a few years ago I did wonder if I would see people wearing clogs! Really, I did! So I thought I’d better prepare myself and learn a little more about these “lumps of wood!”

Tradition from the 1200’s

Traditionally worn for heavy labour the clog was a protective clothing accessory. Some say they were created to keep your feet dry! They are definitely a multi-purpose ‘shoe’ as they can also be seen on the feet of dancers. I didn’t see anyone wearing them on any of my visits!

Clogs are still manufactured today, though perhaps somewhat more of a tourist gimmick. They come in all sizes – from the large ones to have your photo taken in, to small magnets to stick on the fridge at home! Oh and slippers for your family! (yes I did buy a pair for our son!)

Good for feet?

I found one website during my brief research into clogs that said “Clogs, good for the feet. Orthopeadically designed, especially for children and their development of body posture.”

REALLY???????

Feet are designed to be adaptable, afterall there are 26 bones, making up the 33 joints in each foot. I am not convinced that wearing hunks of wood allows for natural gait and movement if the feet can’t move like they are supposed to.

Top tips for good shoes

When you’re looking to buy shoes for yourself keep this in mind:

• flexible so that your toes can bend
• light so that you don’t notice you’re wearing them
• wide so they don’t squash your toes
• no heel to promote aligned posture

So I leave you a question to ponder – if the dutch did wear clogs, how did they ‘tiptoe’ through the tulips?

Check out top tips for good shoes for infants and recommended retailers here https://bernielandels.com/resources-for-baby/ and top tips for good shoes for you here https://bernielandels.com/resources-for-you/.