Klomps

A Klomp is a clog from the Netherlands. Klompen are whole feet clogs.Clogs are a type of footwear made in part or completely from wood. The oldest surviving wooden footwear in Europe is found in Amsterdam and Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and dates from 1230 and 1280. These finds look very similar to the wooden shoes as they are still worn in The Netherlands.

During excavations near the town of Rotterdam, archaeologists discovered a wooden shoe from 1271. The oldest wooden shoes however were found in Amsterdam. During excavations on the Nieuwendijk an alder wooden shoe dating from 1230 was found.

During the winter the Dutch farmers used to carve their shoes for themselves and their families. Wooden shoes were cheap and the perfect footwear for working on the land. During the 18th century the art of making wooden shoes developed rapidly, and by the 19th century it had become a profession. After the First World War there were at least 3,900 wooden shoe factories in Holland.