18th Century Clogs

Last updated: Jan 5, 2024

The Annals of Philadelphia recalls that “in the miry times of winter [women] wore clogs, galoshes, or pattens.”

The trade card of Tho^s Berry at the Patten & Crowne offers

All sorts of Fine Leather Cloggs fine Leather Pattens Corke Cloggs for Ladies all Sorts of Cloggs for Gentlemen and all other Sorts of Cloggs and Pattens Likewise all Sorts of Leather Cloggs for Children

Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary of the English Language defines a “clog” as

3. A kind of additional ſhoe worn by women, to keep them from wet.
4. A wooden ſhoe. In France the peaſantry goes barefoot; and the middle ſort, throughout all that kingdom, makes uſe of wooden clogs.

This section of links deals with that first type of clog – the type illustrated on the Berry trade card – though a future notebook page may focus more on depictions of the French (and other continental) wooden shoes, like CHS 1843.44.0a,b, which appear on various illustrations and caricatures.

V&A MISC.11-1966
V&A 53-1876
V&A 2237-1899
V&A T.590-1913
MFA 1988.464a-b, early 18th century; “Dark and lighter brown leather sole and wedged heel socket with white stitching. Scroll and zig-zag motif on outer side of heel socket. Dark green silk damask covered leather latchets, edged with green tape. Two holes for fastening.”
V&A T.140-1928, a pair of clogs with matching shoes, 1700-1750
V&A T.66-1935, a pair of clogs with green floral silk uppers, pink trim, and leather soles, made 1700-1750
V&A T.430-1913, 1700-1750
V&A T.431-1913, 1700-1750
Winterthur 1958.2944 C / 1958.2944 D, 1720-1740; “leather sole and a silk damask upper … Silk covered leather straps cross at the front of the clog.”
MFA 44.544, England, 1700-1750; “Leather latchets covered with white figured silk brocaded with polychrome silk in vegetative motif, green silk binding. Red morocco leather quarters with decorative white stitching and open heels. Pointed toe. Flat leather sole (deteriorating). Raised center wedge. Leather insole.”
MFA 44.545, England, 1700-1750; “Leather latchets covered with white figured pale green silk in vegetative motif, pale green silk binding. Red morocco leather quarters with decorative white stitching and open heel. Pointed toe. Flat leather sole. Raised center wedge. Leather insole.”
MFA 44.352a-b, England, 1700-1750; “Leather latchets covered with white figured silk (much deteriorated) with green silk bindings and cotton linings. Two-part leather quarters with open heels. Pointed toes. Flat leather soles with flat heels. Raised center wedge. Leather insoles.”
Connecticut Historical Society 1995.167.0, a clog made c. 1715-1755 and originally owned by Prudence Wright, 1738-1760; “A clog with a leather sole; the sole is flat on the bottom and has a "step" on the top so it will fit under a heeled shoe. This step is made of wood, covered with leather. There is an extra piece of leather stitched to the bottom of the sole to form a very low heel. Two latchets of green silk brocade over leather come up on the sides and tie over the instep of the foot. The latchets are bound with green silk tape. The toe of the clog is very pointed.”
National Trust 1362000, c. 1720; “One green brocade lady’s clog, straight, needlepoint toe, brocade covered heel socket. Green ribbon tie to straps lined with white wool.”
National Trust 1361998.3 / 1361998.4, c. 1720; “Purple brocade lady’s shoes with green binding and matching clogs. Clog, matching clog with same toe. Straps lined with white kid, ties missing, leather covered heel socket.” (The matching shoes are National Trust 1361998.1 / 1361998.2.)
V&A 482-1896, 1720-1729
V&A T.165-1922
V&A MISC.12-1966
V&A T.600A-1913, a pink silk damask shoe with a matching clog, Great Britain, 1720-1730
National Trust 1348818.1 / 1348818.2, 1720-1730; “female clogs with red leather straps and heel. Brown leather sole. Pointed toe.”
National Trust 1348822.1 / 1348822.2, 1720-1730; “With green velvet and a red leather upper and a black leather sole. The straps are lined with wool and there is a green wool ribbon binding to the strap edges. There is white contrast stitching to the sides at the instep and sock edge.”
Colonial Williamsburg 1991-473,1/1991-473,2, England, 1720-1730; “made of leather and silk brocaded with salmon, red, yellow, and light green silk on cream ground, bound around the edges with pink ribbon. Two straps extend to fasten over the instep with silk ribbon tied through eyelets. Flat leather sole with pointed toe and oval heel.The arch is built up in a wedge shape to support the arch of a shoe with a high heel. Woolen lining.”
Ladies patten overshoes of a white silk brocade fabric with leather soles and lining, Great Britain, c. 1720-1740
Vintage Textile 7494, silk brocade pattens, c. 1720-1750; thick leather soles with silk brocade uppers
National Trust 1362497.1 / 1362497.2, c. 1720-1760; “A pair of lady’s early 18th century red and black leather clogs or pattens with strap of green silk bound in green silk braid, original pink and black ribbon tie. Needlepoint toe, straights early in the period rather than later as wedge is quite high.”
Colonial Williamsburg 1954-1026,1/1954-1026,2, England, 1725-1760; “constructed from floral brocaded silk and edge trimmed with metallic silver tape. Flat leather sole with pointed toe and oval heel. The arch is built up in a wedge shape to support the arch of a shoe with a high heel. Two straps extend to fasten over the instep through eyelets intended for ribbons or ties. Outer covering is ivory silk brocaded with flowers in rose and light blue. Green silk binding.”
Connecticut Historical Society 1842.41.0a,b, woman’s clogs, c. 1725-1765; “A pair of clogs with leather soles. Each sole is flat on the bottom and has a "step" on the top so it will fit under a heeled shoe. This step is made of wood, covered with leather. There is an extra piece of leather stitched to the bottom of the sole in the area of the heel. Two latchets of red and white silk brocade over leather come up on the sides and tie over the instep of the foot with the original silk ribbon (possibly originally a cream color). The latchets are bound with silk tape. The toe of the clog is pointed.”
MFA 44.497c-d, France; “covered with brown silk like one of the shoes (44.497a-b), brown silk binding on lappets; raised platforms; brown leather soles, insoles.”
V&A T.197&A-1927, pair of silk shoes with clogs, made in Great Britain in the 1730s
V&A T.274B&C-1922, a pair of clogs in green velvet, edged with blue ribbon, made in Great Britain in the 1730s-1740s (see V&A T.274&A-1922 for coordinating brocaded silk shoes)
Colonial Williamsburg 1961-97,1, England, 1730-1750; “constructed from green silk with remnants of brocading threads and white floats. Edges are bound with ivory silk ribbon. Flat leather sole with pointed toe and oval heel. The arch is built up in a wedge shape to support the arch of a shoe with a high heel. Two straps extend to fasten over the instep through eyelets intended for ribbons or ties.”
RISD 09.840, shoes with matching clogs, England or France, c. 1740-1749; “With their rounded toes, stout English heels, and lining of coarse linen canvas, these elegant silk-brocade shoes and matching clogs are typical of the 1740s. They fastened at the front with a decorative buckle that was removed, like any other piece of jewelry, when not in use. Such ornamentation was usual on shoes until the time of the French Revolution (1789), when it was abandoned as inappropriately ostentatious. The matching clogs functioned as an overshoe to protect a lady’s feet when she descended into the filthy streets from her carriage. They fastened over the shoes by means of ribbon ties inserted through holes in the front flaps.”
Connecticut Historical Society 1866.3.3, woman’s clog, 1740-1770: “A woman’s clog with a leather sole that is flat on the bottom. It has a "step" on the top so it will fit snugly under a heeled shoe. This step is made of wood, covered with leather. There is an extra piece of leather stitched to the bottom of the sole in the area of the heel. The upper covers the forepart of the foot only; it has a rounded point shape to the toe, and a decorative cut-out above two short extensions that are punched to accomodate a tie. Two rounded extensions which come up on either side of the heel are also punched for a tie. A brown cotton tape (not original to the shoe) is tied through the two short tabs on the top of the clog. This forepart is lined with kidskin, and topstitched with white thread on the dark leather.
CHS 1866.3.1a,b, woman’s clogs, 1740-1770: “Dark leather clog, made to slip over a woman's shoe. The sole is flat, with a single layer of leather to act as a heel. The interior of the clog has a step-like design to accomodate the heel of the dress shoe; it is leather over wood. The vamp has two short tabs which meet at the top of the foot; they are punched for a ribbon tie. The leather is decoratively cut in two semicircles above the tabs. The toe shape is oval. Two rounded extensions of leather rise from the heel area. The sole is straight, without distinction for right or left.”
National Museum of American History 214253.002, an 18th century clog paired with a gold damask shoe (214253.001)
LACMA 52.51, a woman’s clog in brocaded silk, England, c. 1750
Meg Andrews 8510, a dark brown leather over clog, 1760s
PHM H4448-4 and PHM H4448-5, pair of clog overshoes, silk brocade and leather and wool, England, 1760-1770; “Womens pair of clog overshoes, straights, of channel stitch construction with oval toe and single lift heel. Heel socket is made for a woman’s shoe with low broad heel. Uppers consist of square ended latchets, green bound with white silk sides and lined with white felted wool. Insole is polished black leather covering the wooden wedge at the waist and sole is brown leather.”
Colonial Williamsburg 1992-99,2, England, 1760-1775; “One of pair of brown leather clogs with slightly pointed closed toes. One pair of eyelets punched at the top of each vamp. Clogs are open at back with a sharp drop at the back where heel is shaped to fit a pair of shoes with heel heights of about 1". Leather sides extend over heel section but remains entirely open at the back. Made as "straights" with no intended distinction between right and left. One shoe retains a ribbon through laces at vamp.”
National Trust 1361999.1 / 1361999.2, c. 1770; “Red leather lady’s clogs, straights, pointed toe, leather covered heel socket. Greeny / yellow ribbon tie lined with white kid … Designed to take an Italian heel.”
Bourgeoiſe aiée … elle a des ſandales par deſſus les ſouliers, Galerie des Modes, 19e Cahier, 3e et 4e Figures, 1779
V&A T.82-1957, c. 1780
V&A T.104-1915, 1780-1799
V&A T.429-1913
V&A T.24-1937
Manchester 1949.131, 1780-1800; “Black leather with pointed toe cap and separate bars, tying across instep with green ribbon. Slightly wedged sole.”
MFA 98.1008, English or American, worn in Lexington, Massachusetts, late 18th to early 19th century; “Single brown patten with white stitching, flat heel, pointed toe, black tie above openings on instep”

18th Century Clogs

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