Every season sneakers are allegedly dying, dead or far from the ‘’it” footwear item. The never-ending barrage of retros, collaborations, and trendy releases can lead to many seeking alternatives from anything with laces or hints of athletic prowess. Despite the morbid claims, I don’t think athletic trainers are going to lose any popularity as the world’s dress code continues to drop, but I’ve been fervently searching substitutes for my standard loafers, sandals and sneakers repertoire. I wasn’t quite sure how my Shrangi-La would materialize, but I wanted no trace of any typical footwear products. Safe bets were not what I was looking for. The idea of some type of mule or clog intrigued me as the silhouette becomes increasingly accepted as male-appropriate. Society’s green light doesn’t means much, but it’s encouraging to see popular brands readily producing similar items for men. Personally, comfortable footwear reigns undefeated and backless footwear stands as a qualified candidate worthy to pursue. With a basic blueprint swirling through my conscience, I was on 24/7 high alert for the loosely-defined yet sought-after item I knew I needed but failed to pinpoint. My desperate dream started to fade into frustrated lust as another pair of retro trainers tempted me from my path to footwear enlightenment, but a saving grace appeared on the runway during London Fashion Week. Along with translucent serial killer masks, paisley suiting and another Converse rendition, Paria Farzaneh’s SS20 show included the item I was unknowingly hoping to find. The glorious reward for my suffering – cowhide clogs. I never imagined the spotted combination would intrigue me to such a high degree, but I couldn’t shake the feeling and the immediate need to purchase. Despite the relief of finally locating my footwear solution, the victory lap abruptly ended. When I see appealing items skip down the catwalk, I’m automatically assuming the inevitable obliteration of my bank account. My emotional investment in the animal skin beasts was high, but after some rationalization I figured the clogs might be an unfair tease and my doomed odyssey would continue. My worst fear was the item potentially being a preview of an upcoming collaboration or some in-house creation with a price point serving as an insurmountable obstacle blocking my purchase. It’s a common, difficult-to-accept situation, but I was shown salvation then immediately forced to look away. However, I refused to continue onward without indisputable, soul-crushing evidence the shoes were 100 percent out of my league. After some online digging I was found the culprit responsible for the furry creations and landed on the website of a traditional Austrian shoemaking company with production dating back to the 1920s. Checkpoint reached. Much to my delight, the shoes weren’t a result of some avant-garde partnership or designer fever dream, – they cost about $170 – they’re handcrafted by Woody, a small, playful operation with a serious product lineup. Although there’s a variety of colors, models and textures, the company’s clear, unrivaled focus is wood-sole clogs. Despite the dizzying array of options attempting to lure me away, my eyes were locked onto the cowhide makeup featured in Farzaneh’s show. My holy grail was revealed to be a furry, backless clog perched upon a thick wooden sole – exactly what I hoped for. You would think with Woody’s high fashion cosign, European heritage, admirable craftsmanship, approachable pricing and trend-friendly colors, the company would have accumulated a decent sized global following in its 97 year history. But, I was pleasantly shocked to see less than 4,000 people follow the brand’s Instagram, and I can’t find any mention of it on the usual blogs or websites. Woody doesn’t produce the most conventional items, but to escape fashion’s vast-reaching grip in the 21stcentury is an unheard of accomplishment. The lack of recognition caused me to ask myself, are they that weird? Not a chance, that rule doesn’t exist in footwear currently. Perhaps a bit too hairy? Unlikely, deep-pile fleeces and wispy mohair sweaters are running wild on the internet. I don’t think either of the previous rationale are necessarily true, but besides the lack of empathy for PETA supporters, an underground Austrian footwear company won’t stay unknown forever in today’s clog-friendly environment. Besides the Mogwai-like hide Woody utilizes, the standard clog silhouette is eerily similar to other options soaring in the menswear dimension. It’s essentially a Birkenstock Boston with a beefed up sole and bigger, pilgrim-hat style buckle. Although on the opposite end of the materials spectrum, Crocs share various strands of DNA with Woody’s creations, and the brightly-colored clogs are still a popular fashion plaything, ironic or not.
Regardless of potential comparisons, an eyebrow will be raised when Woody’s Lukas Fell – fell is German for fur – are worn. At first glace an onlooker may assume the shoes belong to some European shepherd guiding his flock across some oft-forgotten mountain trail or an overly eclectic art dealer doing his best to move some B-grade impressionist works. With a shoe like this, imaginations can run wild when devising logical backstories. (After racking my brain, I can’t think of anything excessively creative for a twenty something in Yeezys.) It was a weird, drifting journey, but I landed directly on the bullseye I wasn’t sure existed. I don’t know what my excitement says about my current footwear interests, but a pair of spotted, comically furry, wood-sole clogs brought me refuge from the influx of trainers infiltrating my timeline. Athletic shoes certainly aren’t fading away, but a world where people wear shoes like Woody’s seems a lot more fun.
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AuthorMax Theriot Archives
November 2019
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