How Dutch Clog Makers Are Keeping An 850-Year-Old Tradition Alive | Still Standing

Mostly sold to the people in the apartment above mine

Klompen are still certified as a safety shoe in the Netherlands, and in some workplaces they can still be seen somewhat regularly. Most millers still wear them daily, as do some farmers.

Tradition, culture, identity, craftsmanship, all such things deserve our praise and support.

Most people don't realize how amazing Klompen are for gardening!!! When you use a spade, it is SO much easier because you have a hard sole and it transfers your momentum straight through to the spade or shovel. Also they are better than the rubber slipon gardening shoes because klompens don't transfer the cold onto your feet quickly like the rubber types of garden shoes do - Klompen keep your feet warm and dry. As klompen are a bit bigger you also don't sink into the soil like a regular shoe. I never realized until I had my first klompen nearly 20 years ago how great they were!!!

It always saddens me to see artisans and old crafts fade and die. Really breaks my heart when the craftsman says it will end with him.

Call me crazy but countries should supplement these traditional artisans so they can still operate and keep the art alive.

My grandfather in northern Germany wore his clogs exclusively when working his garden. After trying them for a couple of hours I have come to the realization that they are superior for working in the garden over any other shoe especially when the garden soil is damp

I live in Bali, just a couple of days ago I saw a Japanese guy walking along a footpath through the Sanur beach restaurants wearing a pair of well worn clogs, he looked very at home in them as though they are his daily shoes. That's the first time I've ever seen a Japanese guy in Bali wearing wooden clogs, it's also the first time I've ever seen anyone at all wearing wooden clogs 😂

I'm an American woodworker without any Dutch ancestry; but I'd love a pair of clogs for my shop. That, and those clogger knives are just brilliant. Having that much leverage with a that much control must be amazing. I'm in the process of trying to figure out how to get my hands on one.

One line of my ancestors were klompenmakers for four generations, from the early 1800s to WWII. I've studied a lot about this amazing tradition, and am so glad to see this video. It is so cool to see a true craftsman at work. Thank you for making this and sharing the tradition of two dying arts. Like other commenters, I also would love to see these traditional crafts supported like other national and world treasures.

In the mid 1970s I bought a pair of these full wooden clogs. I did have them soled and heeled to protect the bottoms. Though they looked clunky and people gave them funny looks, they were the most comfortable clogs, footwear I have ever worn!! They were light, easy to walk in, great in all types of weather - the feet are protected, cool in summer, warm in winter. No doubt they are big and people in the States aren't used to seeing them but they are terrific foot wear 💯‼️❤️

I remember my grandmother having a pair of clogs in her home. I used to put them on, but she said they were decoration only. I'd love to see traditions kept alive!

I still remember 30 years ago my dad took me and my little brother to a clogmaker in a small village next to our city to have a pair made for both of us (I just checked, it’s one of the 10 still lift alive) haven’t got one ever since, but I do regularly see farmers and their children using them. It’s even a kind of fashion statement for the teens that they even wear them going to a party/club. But I never see them that decorated (I think that’s more a tourist thing) it’s amazing that something so hard can feel so comfortable on your feet

i am still wearing them... in my youth i got them as playing shoes. So my good shoes dindt wear down. They are really good for your feet, warm in the winter and cold and fresh in the summer. And yes... I'm Dutch. Im the only one who wears them to the shop and in my day to day life in my village. It's always fun to see tourists and other village people look around to see whats that noise. Always make them smile.....Keep the tradition alive dutch people...walk on Klompen !!

My dad and father in law brought them to Canada and wore them until they passed away. Thank you for your gift.

Absolutely amazed by the dedication of these men keeping the art of klompen-making alive. Fun fact: we got one piece of the pair of klompen Martin made in the video! It has a special place in our house 🌷🇳🇱

My grandfather was born near Rotterdam and immigrated to Canada at the age of nine. He brought his Dutch clothing with him, including a small pair of wooden clogs. My eldest daughter has them now and they are a cherished memento of my grandfather, Adrian Nicholas Timmerman.

The sharpness of those tools is so satisfying, cutting the wood like butter!

This tradition MUST be kept alive! Surely, somewhere, someone wants to learn how to make them, and surely, somewhere, there exists a market for handmade, close-to-nature shoes!

I've been using klompen since I was a kid and still use them today. A local shop in our village (all clay) sells them in all sizes. Not painted, just plain wood. Perfect for work in the garden.