Shoe

Brown suede open tab clogs with wooden sole and heel and synthetic latex (?) half sole nailed to wooden sole. The hardly worn shoes are stamped 27/9 at waist, which probably referes to the price. The shoes are stamped '10 76 Z568' on the quarters.

In the early 1940s the Board of Trade began discussions with the Clogmakers Association and others in the trade about the supply of wooden-soled shoes. Leather and rubber was becoming scarce. In 1943 'Good Housekeeping' published helpful tips on how to look after wooden shoes and how to walk in them:

'When you first put on a pair of these shoes, you'll feel at once how solid and comfortable they are - but you may have to adjust yourself by a little practice to the rolling tread of the rigid wooden sole. Experts tell us that the right way to do the "Wooden-Sole-Walk" is this. From the moment the heel touches the ground, the shoe should be allowed to "roll forward till the tip of the toe is reached".'