Men's Leather Clogs

Why men's clogs are a smaller market with better shoes

Clogs read as women's footwear in a lot of the English-speaking world, which is a quirk of marketing rather than design. In Scandinavia and Germany, where most of these are made, a clog has never been a gendered shoe — which is why a large share of the good ones are sold as unisex and listed here on both pages.

What changes on a men's last

Two things, mostly. A wider forefoot relative to length, and a higher instep. The instep is the one that catches people out: a clog with a fixed vamp and no buckle can be the right length and still press across the top of the foot. If you have a high instep, buy something with a buckle or an adjustable strap and you have solved the problem.

The three routes into men's clogs

The work route. Dansko, Sanita and the professional Birkenstock lines, bought for shifts on hard floors. Rigid soles, slip resistance, closed uppers. This is where most men's clog buying starts.

The Boston route. Birkenstock's Boston in oiled nubuck has become a normal men's shoe over the last few years, worn with jeans rather than scrubs. Cork footbed, one buckle, wears indoors and out.

The traditional route. Wooden-based Swedish and Danish clogs — Sandgrens, Troentorp, Sanita's original line. Heavier, louder, and the longest-lasting shoe in this category by some distance.

Sizing men's clogs

Almost all of these are built on EU lasts and converted inconsistently to US sizing. Work from the EU number where you can. In an open-back clog your heel should sit about a centimetre inside the back edge; if you are gripping with your toes, size down.

Feet swell through the day. Fit in the evening.

Socks

Worth saying because it is the most common question: cork and suede footbeds are designed to be worn barefoot, and they absorb and release moisture. Wearing socks is fine and normal in winter, but a footbed worn barefoot moulds faster and more precisely.

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