The clog is back — and clomping its way across the city as spring’s must-have shoe. Don’t believe it? Kaiser Karl Lagerfeld set the tone when he sent sky-high versions of the shoe down the Chanel runway. Gucci and Louis Vuitton have takes on the trend in stores now, as well. Marc Jacobs and Jimmy Choo have modernized the shoe, toning down the clunk factor and upping the sexiness.
Not just for health-care workers, Mario Batali and tree huggers anymore — the Chanel pairs go for $895 to a whopping $1,795 (and hit stores this week with a 20-person-plus waiting list) — this season’s incarnations look best when paired with tailored dresses and skinny jeans.
“I think there’s a large population of us that feels connected to them through our experimental youth, but it feels like a new, fresh silhouette,” says Susan Cernek, senior fashion and beauty editor at Glamour.com.
“We’ve seen Mary Janes for the past 10 years. And the same with strappy sandals. But clogs haven’t been in fashion for 10 years — and chances are, you don’t already have a pair in your closet.”
Clogs were the focal point of Cernick’s first “cool” outfit in high school, during the “Clueless” era. Then, she wore black leather clogs with forest-green knee socks, a black knit miniskirt, a forest-green chunky knit turtleneck and a beret in — you guessed it — forest green. Today, Cernek recommends skipping the beret and forest-green ensemble — and pairing the shoes with knee-length skirts or dresses instead.
“If you’re looking for that Chanel, coquettish, flirty look, you need a lot of heel and some detail,” she says.
Andrea Linett has been clog-obsessed since she was 6 and living nestled among clog stores on Eighth Street. Linett, the creative director at Lucky magazine, thinks girls will embrace clogs as an earthy backlash to the edgy heavy-metal trend.
She says women should resist the urge to wear them with a full-on ’70s ensemble to avoid looking dated — and suggests skinny jeans or leggings with an oversize tee to showcase the shoe. For summer, she suggests an open-toe clog with a flowing dress to keep the look light.
“Clogs are down-to-earth but still sexy, and have that rock ’n’ roll vibe. Sure, it’s more a Fleetwood Mac than a Sex Pistols vibe, but that’s still rock ’n’ roll to me,” says Linett.