A ''klomp'' (, plural ''klompen'' ) is a whole-foot
clog
Clogs are a type of footwear that has a thick, rigid sole typically made of wood, although in American English, shoes with rigid soles made of other materials are also called clogs.
Traditional clogs remain in use as protective footwear in a ...
from the
Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
. Along with cheese, tulips, and windmills, they are strongly associated with the country and are considered to be a national symbol of the Netherlands.
Usage
Approximately three million pairs of klompen are made each year. They are sold throughout the Netherlands. A large part of the market is for tourist souvenirs, though some Dutch people, particularly
farmers
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, raising living organisms for food or raw materials. The term usually applies to people who do some combination of raising field crops, orchards, vineyards, poultry, or other livestock. A farmer mi ...
and
market gardeners, still wear them for everyday use. Outside the tourist industry, klompen can be found in local tool shops, local tourist shops and
garden centers.
The traditional all-wooden Dutch clogs have been officially accredited as safety shoes with the
CE mark
The presence of the logo on Product (business), commercial products indicates that the Manufacturing, manufacturer or importer affirms the goods' conformity with European Environment, health and safety, health, safety, and environmental prote ...
and can withstand almost any penetration including sharp objects and concentrated acids. They are actually safer than
steel-capped 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.
Dutch Heritage
Retrieved on 1 November 2011
Manufacture
Klompen can be made from willow
Willows, also called sallows and osiers, of the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 350 species (plus numerous hybrids) of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions.
Most species are known ...
or poplar.
See also
* List of shoe styles
This is a list of shoe styles and designs. A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot while doing various activities. Shoes are also used as an item of decoration. The design of shoes has varied enormously throug ...
* Bata Shoe Museum, Canada
* International Wooden Shoe Museum Eelde, Netherlands
* Klompendansen
Notes
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)
External links
Netherlands Association of Clogmakers (NVK)
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Clogs (shoes)